Law schools in Canada

 

Requirements

In Canada, too, you need an undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree to apply to law school and earn a JD degree. Also, as in the US, no major is better than another, and majors in engineering, biochemistry, political science, and even English literature and music are all good enough.

Degrees from accredited/recognized institutions around the world are generally accepted.

A good GPA (Grade Point average) and a competitive LSAT score are the top two requirements to get into a good law school.
 

LSAT (Law School Admission Test)

Again, as in the US, you need to clear the LSAT, held in many countries. You may take the test more than once, but schools treat scores differently. While some take the average, others take the highest or lowest score. The LSAT is held around 5-6 times in a year at several locations throughout the world.

Note that the LSAT-India is a test designed specially for entry into Indian law schools. It differs slightly from the LSAT. For those interested in applying to law schools in Canada, the LSAT should be taken and not LSAT-India.
 

Application

There are 17 common-law schools in Canada, including seven in Ontario. A few points to consider for school selection would be size and reputation of the school, distance from home, types of law it specializes in, tuition fees and quality of faculty.

All schools require your academic transcripts, LSAT score; the letters of recommendations and a personal statement.may also be needed.
 

Top law schools in Canada

The top law schools in Canada include the University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, McMaster University.

There are universities like the Uinversity of Ottawa, the University of Windsor offering dual JD programs that allow you to obtain both Canadian and American law degrees.
 

Tuition fee

JD usually takes three years to complete. The tuition costs in 2018-19 were estimated to be C$7,000-$34,000 (US$5,245-US$25,500, at March 2019 exchange rates) a year.

Elite schools charge even higher fees. At the University of Toronto, for example, the tuition fee for the 2018-19 academic year was about C$38,000 for domestic students and C$51,000 for international students.

Financial assistance is available in the form of scholarships and loans. A student may have to spend between C$10,000 and C$20,000 per academic year on living expenses.
 

Becoming a lawyer

To be able to practice in Canada, in addition to the completion of a law degree, you would need to complete your province’s bar admission course which would differ slightly depending upon your province.

You would also be required to complete the required duration of articleship under the supervision of a licensed lawyer This opportunity would help you gain good practical experience and provide exposure to different areas of law.

Finally, you would have to complete any other requirement of the bar course and take the bar examination. Finally, you’d have to take the required licensing examinations (barrister licensing examination and solicitor licensing examination).

As a lawyer in Canada, you can practice law in public interest, go into private practice, or work for the government.
 

Salaries

According to Payscale, the average pay for a lawyer in Canada is C$73,316. The salary range is C$46,000-C$126,000.
 
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