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A University Applicant to McGill's Faculty of Law must have completed a minimum of two years of full-time university studies (60 credits) at the time of registration. This category includes applicants who, at the time of registration, will have completed more than one year of university studies in addition to a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS).

Please note that, while candidates who have completed 60 credits are eligible to apply to the B.C.L./LL.B. program, the strength of the University Applicant pool is such that the Faculty rarely admits candidates who will not have completed an undergraduate degree at the time of registration.

A mature applicant is defined as an individual who is over 30 years of age at the time of registration and/or who has interrupted his or her formal education for a minimum of five years. Applicants who qualify as mature must apply in this category. There is no predetermined number of mature candidates admitted in a given year. A mature applicant is normally expected to have completed CEGEP or two years (60 credits) of university studies. Mature applicants who are regarded as potentially admissible following a review of their file are required to attend an interview.

Mature candidates who will have graduated with a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) from a CEGEP during the same calendar year as that of registration, must apply under the CEGEP category.

In addition to all official post-secondary transcripts, mature applicants are required to submit a detailed résumé of their non-academic experience along with letters of assessment from persons who are familiar with their academic potential. The candidate should seek to demonstrate his or her ability to meet the demands of law studies, to reason and analyze, and to express him- or herself well both orally and in writing.

Candidates may apply on the basis of a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) from a CEGEP, or a Quebec French Baccalaureate (QFB). This category includes candidates who will have completed up to one year of university studies in addition to the DCS or QFB at the time of registration, and mature candidates who will have graduated with a DCS from a CEGEP or QFB during the same calendar year as that of registration.

Candidates who will have completed a French Baccalaureate or an International Baccalaureate Diploma outside the province of Quebec, must have completed a minimum of two years of full-time university studies (60 credits), at the time of registration, to be eligible to apply to our program.

• CEGEP/QFB candidates are not eligible to apply to the joint degree programs.
• CEGEP/QFB candidates who are regarded as potentially admissible following review of their file are required to attend an interview.

Applicants who hold a law degree from a Canadian or foreign university recognized by McGill must apply for admission to the B.C.L./LL.B. program under the Advanced Standing category, unless applying under the Comité des équivalences category (see Comité des équivalences). There are a limited number of places available for Advanced Standing applicants. Applications are evaluated using the same criteria as applications to the first year of the B.C.L./LL.B. program, with particular attention to performance in law studies.

Successful applicants must complete a minimum of 75 credits at McGill and undertake the integrated B.C.L./LL.B. program. It is not possible to obtain either the B.C.L. or the LL.B. degree on its own. The Associate Dean (Academic) determines equivalences for previous studies.

Students who have successfully completed at least one year of full-time studies in an undergraduate program at another Canadian law faculty may apply for admission as a Transfer Student. There are a limited number of places available for Transfer Students. Transfer applications are evaluated according to the criteria for admission to the first year of the B.C.L./LL.B. program. Particular attention is paid to performance in law studies and reasons for requesting a transfer.

Successful transfer applicants must complete a minimum of 75 credits at McGill. The Associate Dean (Academic) determines credit for previous studies. In most cases, Transfer Students will be required to take the transsystemic first-year courses – Contractual Obligations and Extra-Contractual Obligations/Torts – in order to meet McGill’s degree requirements. Candidates will not receive credit for courses in obligations, contract, or tort taken during a first year completed at another faculty.

• Transfer Students should forward official transcripts of Winter term results as soon as they become available. Transfer applications cannot be evaluated without these results.
• Candidates who have completed a certificate in law are not eligible to apply under the Transfer category, but must apply to the degree program.
• Students who are not in good standing or who have been required to withdraw at the end of their first year at another Canadian law faculty are not eligible to transfer to McGill.
• The online application is available from September 1 until November 30 for this category, even though the deadline for submitting an application is May 1. To submit a paper application under this category after November 30, please contact undergradadmissions.law [at] mcgill.ca.

The Faculty accepts applications from candidates who hold a law degree from a Canadian or foreign university recognized by McGill and who are seeking to fulfil the requirements of the Comité des équivalences of the Barreau du Québec or of the Chambre des notaires, in order to practice in Quebec. Successful applicants must have the final decision of the Comité des équivalences or the Chambre des notaires in hand at the time of registration.

• This is a non-degree program: students wishing to obtain the B.C.L./LL.B. degrees should apply under the Advanced Standing Students category.
• The Faculty does not consider candidates applying to fulfil the requirements of the National Committee on Accreditation.
• Courses taken by Comité des équivalences / Chambre des notaires students cannot be credited toward a McGill law degree.

Students who have completed two years of studies at another law faculty who wish, for academic or personal reasons, to spend a term at McGill may be admitted as a Visiting Student. The Faculty endeavours to accommodate qualified students who are in good standing in their own faculties, where student numbers at McGill permit.

Students from other law faculties who would like to attend McGill as a Visiting Student must apply through the Admissions Office. Their application must include a Letter of Permission from their home university. The Assistant Dean (Student Life and Learning) makes decisions on these applications. Accepted students must arrange their academic program with the Assistant Dean (Student Life and Learning).

• Courses taken by Visiting Students cannot be credited toward a McGill law degree.

Students registered in degree programs in law at universities that have an official exchange agreement with McGill University or with the Faculty of Law may apply as Exchange Students. In addition, McGill participates in a number of exchange programs through CREPUQ (la Conférence des Recteurs et Principaux des Universités du Québec). McGill's exchange partners are listed on McGill University's website.

Students participating in an exchange must fill out the online application form. There is no application fee for these candidates.

Exchange Students are selected and officially nominated by their home universities. Please note that home university internal application deadlines may vary. McGill considers applicants on an individual basis; the minimum entrance requirement is generally a cumulative B average or its equivalent. Decisions on applications for exchange are made by the Assistant Dean (Student Life and Learning). Admission decisions on exchange applications are final; there is no reconsideration process.

The Faculty has a limited number of places for Exchange Students, and entrance into courses which have enrolment limits or require the permission of the instructor is not guaranteed.

The Faculty will exceptionally permit a limited number of candidates not actively pursuing a law degree to apply as Special Students. Students registered in other universities, and candidates not actively pursuing a university degree, may apply to take certain courses within the Faculty.

Special Student status will be granted to applicants who provide compelling academic or professional reasons for taking law courses and who successfully demonstrate the capacity to undertake the requirements of the requested course(s). Status will be granted only where sufficient course space is available.

Special Students are limited to a maximum of 6 credits per term, and to 12 credits in total.

Important information about this category:

• McGill students registered in a faculty other than law, who, for exceptional reasons related to their program of study, wish to enrol in a Faculty of Law course, must obtain the permission of the Associate Dean (Academic) and the course instructor. Such students need not fill out the online application. The form "Application to register in law courses for McGill Students" is available on the Law Student Affairs Office website.
• Students registered in other Quebec universities who wish to take certain courses within the Faculty must apply through (la Conférence des Recteurs et Principaux des Universités du Québec). Such students need not fill out the online application.
• Courses taken by Special Students will not be credited toward a McGill law degree.
• Students wishing to obtain a McGill law degree and students recently refused admission to a degree program in the Faculty of Law will not be admitted as Special Students.
• The Faculty does not consider Special Student applications from candidates seeking to fulfil the requirements of the National Committee on Accreditation.

Applicants must submit a complete academic record, including official transcripts or certified true copies of results from all previous university studies as well as subsequent transcripts until the applicant has received the Admissions Committee's final decision. Only one official copy of each relevant transcript is necessary for the review of a file. Applicants must either arrange for transcripts to be sent directly to the Faculty of Law Admissions Office by mail or via the CREPUQ system when possible, or submit official transcripts in an envelope sealed by the Office of the Registrar of the issuing institution. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required transcripts and documents are submitted as early as possible.

1. CREPUQ transcripts: Applicants need not submit paper-based official transcripts of studies performed in Quebec universities to the Admissions Office, if these transcripts are submitted electronically via the CREPUQ system.
2. McGill transcripts: Applicants need not submit official transcripts of studies at McGill University to the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office obtains these results directly from McGill's Enrolment Services. Applicants who participated in an exchange during their program at McGill must submit an official transcript or a certified true copy of their results.
3. Exchange studies transcripts: Applicants must submit official transcripts or certified true copies of results for studies carried out while on exchange, unless the marks as well as the credits obtained are already included on transcripts issued by their home university.
4. Transcripts not in French or English: Transcripts in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by an English or French translation provided either by the school issuing the transcript or by a certified translator.
5. Permanent Code: Applicants who are currently, or have been, enrolled in a CEGEP must provide their Permanent Code. McGill will obtain an official CEGEP transcript electronically from the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS). The processing of applications for applicants who are currently, or have been, enrolled at a CEGEP will not take place until a valid Permanent Code is provided.
6. Quebec French Baccalaureate: Applicants in Quebec French Baccalaureate programs must submit official transcripts.
7. Winter term transcripts for Transfer students: Transfer students should forward the official transcript of their Winter term results as soon as they become available. Transfer applications cannot be evaluated without these results.
8. Transcripts will not be returned: Transcripts sent to McGill become the property of the University and will not be returned or forwarded to other institutions.
9. Law School Data Assembly Service: The Faculty of Law at McGill does not receive transcripts through the Law School Data Assembly Service.

Applicants must submit a brief essay (maximum two pages, in English or French) explaining their motivation for law studies, their interest in the McGill B.C.L./LL.B. program in particular, and how they might contribute to the life of the Faculty.

The personal statement enables Committee members to develop a fuller understanding of each candidate and her or his suitability for the B.C.L./LL.B. program, as well as evaluate the quality and clarity of her or his written expression. This original piece of writing allows the Committee to appraise an applicant's intellectual curiosity, social commitment, political insight, leadership skills, ability to work in teams, maturity, and potential for growth through opportunity or adversity. Note that the personal statement should expand on ideas and move much beyond the résumé. A simple restatement of experiences mentioned in the résumé is not useful.

Candidates are invited to discuss any information about themselves that might assist the Committee in this appraisal. For example, applicants may want to describe their experience as a member of a minority group, or factors that may have made access to a university education difficult. Mature applicants may wish to connect a legal education with their trajectory until now or, if there isn't a connection, to explain the motivations for a significant change in course.

The Faculty seeks to achieve a socially diverse learning community comprising a balance of women and men, English and French speakers, as well as representing different career aspirations, backgrounds, life experiences, and geographic origins.

Re-application: Candidates who have applied to the Faculty of Law in previous years must submit a new personal statement.

Serious medical or personal difficulties may have had an impact on an applicant's academic performance. If this is the case, the applicant should submit a separate letter and provide supporting documentation as appropriate.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé highlighting their:

• academic background and achievements
• work experience
• volunteer and community work
• extra-curricular activities, sports, hobbies, and other significant interests

The résumé assists the Admissions Committee in its assessment of a candidate's academic strength, depth of involvement in extra-curricular activities, leadership, and time management skills.

Re-application: Candidates who have applied to the Faculty of Law in previous years are required to submit an updated résumé.

Two (2) letters of reference are required.

Applicants who are students, or who have recently completed programs of study, are expected to provide academic references from current or recent professors or teachers who are familiar with their work. Applicants in the CEGEP and Quebec French Baccalaureate (Collège international Marie de France and Collège Stanislas) category are expected to submit two letters of reference from CEGEP or college professors.

Applicants who are unable to obtain academic references because they are no longer students should submit letters from individuals who are well placed to evaluate the applicant's academic abilities such as critical reading, research, and writing; these may be professional references, but ought to be from a person who is in a supervisory position vis-à-vis the applicant.

Personal references are not helpful.

Applicants are not required to take the LSAT. However, if a candidate has taken or will be taking the LSAT, the score will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Applicants who have taken or will be taking the test must report the date(s) of sitting(s) and provide their LSAT identification number in the appropriate places on the application. They must do so irrespective of whether the LSAT may, in their own estimation, strengthen or weaken their candidacy.