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Admissions Policy
The Faculty's admissions policy is to select applicants who are best suited to studying law in McGill's uniquely comparative, trans-systemic, and bilingual environment. Diversity and excellence are essential to our Faculty. Indeed, our Faculty's excellence is based on its diversity.
The Admissions Committee looks for indicators of intellectual curiosity, community engagement, insight (cultural, economic, political, social, and otherwise), leadership, ability to work with others, openness to diversity, maturity, ethical sense, judgment, and potential for development through opportunity or adversity, among other criteria.
The Committee conducts its assessment through a holistic evaluation of each applicant's file, including the applicant's academic record, linguistic abilities, personal statement, extracurricular, community or professional activities, and letters of reference (see Application Supporting Documents).
In addition, applicants must demonstrate substantial reading ability in, and aural comprehension of, both English and French (see Language Requirements).
The Admissions Committee seeks to achieve a plural learning community drawn from across Quebec, Canada, and beyond, in which there is a wide range of career aspirations, backgrounds, and life experiences.
The Faculty of Law is committed to equity and diversity. We welcome applications from Aboriginal persons; persons with disabilities; persons from ethnic minorities and racialized communities; persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity; women; persons from an economically disadvantaged background; and others who may contribute to equity and diversity.
The B.C.L./LL.B. is a limited enrolment program for which admission is competitive. Each year the Faculty admits approximately 178 new students. Successful applicants are chosen by the Faculty's Admissions Committee, which is composed of eight full-time faculty members appointed by the Dean, two senior law students selected by the Law Students' Association Executive, and the Assistant Dean, Admissions and Recruitment. Each application is reviewed by at least one member of the Admissions Committee, and the majority of applications are reviewed by two or three members before a final decision is rendered by the Assistant Dean, Admissions and Recruitment.
Educational Requirements
Educational Requirements
Candidates must have a minimum of two years (60 credits) of university studies, or a diploma of collegial studies (DCS) from a Quebec College of General and Professional Education (CEGEP), at the time of registration. Students with a French Baccalaureate from Quebec (Collège international Marie de France or Collège Stanislas) are also eligible to apply.
While candidates who have completed 60 credits of university study are eligible to apply to the Faculty of Law, due to the competition for admission, almost all students admitted in the “university” category have completed an undergraduate degree.
Language Requirements
Language Requirements
McGill's integrated program is offered in a bilingual environment. Candidates must demonstrate substantial reading ability in, and aural comprehension of, both English and French. Reading of complex substantive texts in French and English are assigned in all first-year courses and in many upper-year courses, irrespective of the language of instruction of the course.
The Faculty's policy of passive bilingualism permits students to submit written work, write exams, and ask questions in class in either English or French, regardless of the language of instruction. Students may fulfil their Moot Court requirements in English or French. First-year courses are offered in English and French, and a number of upper-year courses are offered in one language only. While examination questions are set in the language in which a course is given, any examination may contain extensive passages in either French or English.
In order to get a sense of the level of reading comprehension that is expected of McGill Law students, candidates are encouraged to visit the website of the and to read judgments in English and in French.
Candidates intending to proceed to the Bar of Quebec or the Board of Notaries of Quebec should carefully review University Regulations and Resources > Undergraduate > Admission to Professional and Graduate Studies > Language Requirements for Professions. The Charter of the French Language imposes certain mandatory language requirements on attorneys and notaries who practise in Quebec.
Indigenous Applicants
Indigenous Applicants to the B.C.L./LL.B. Program
McGill Law is committed to supporting Indigenous students and we welcome dialogue with interested prospective applicants. First Nations, Inuit, and MĂ©tis persons are strongly encouraged to apply to the Faculty of Law, and are invited to self-identify on their application form. This allows McGill to inform students about specific services and funding opportunities and to assess its progress in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous students. This includes "Status", "Treaty", "Registered", "Non-Status", and "Non-Registered" Indigenous persons.
Linguistic Support
We acknowledge that our bilingualism admission requirement may represent an added challenge for some Indigenous applicants for whom English or French may be a third language, and potentially perceived as a colonizing influence. Applicants are encouraged not to exclude themselves from applying on linguistic grounds, and are encouraged to speak with us regarding any concerns on this point. Financial support is available to admitted Indigenous candidates who wish to improve their abilities in English or French before starting the program. Financial support is also available to help deal with a relative weakness in English or French during legal studies here. Please contact us to find out how we can support you.
Indigenous Research Opportunities
McGill offers Indigenous students the opportunity to study and complete research with a wide range of legal scholars in English and French. The Faculty is host to a vibrant Indigenous Law Association and the Aboriginal Human Rights Initiatives. McGill also gives Indigenous students the possibility to acquire practical experience working at the Legal Clinic at Kahnawake, to participate in the Faculty's L.E.X. (Law-Éducation-Connexion) program with the Kahnawake Survival School, as well as the chance to participate in the national Kawaskimhon Moot or to complete a Minor at McGill in Indigenous Studies. Students can apply to partake in a term away at the , and the .
Indigenous students may be eligible for numerous sources of financial support.
First Peoples' House
McGill's First Peoples' House provides a sense of community and a voice for Indigenous students who have left their communities to study at McGill. A “home away from home”, First Peoples’ House offers a mentorship program, computer facilities, guest lectures, elder visits, academic counselling, an ever expanding resource centre, as well as student housing.
Native Law Centre Summer Program
Indigenous applicants who wish to enrol in a summer pre-law program may do so in the , offered through the Native Law Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. Financial assistance from the federal government is also available for summer pre-law programs.
Additional Supporting Documents
In addition to self-identifying on the application form, Indigenous applicants to the Faculty of Law are encouraged to upload one additional supporting document. This document should be a separate letter, in addition to the personal statement, and is meant to allow applicants to elaborate on their Indigenous identity in relation to their admission candidacy to McGill Law. This document may address any systemic barriers you have faced as an Indigenous person, or how your identification with and connection to your Indigenous community has affected your educational path and goals. You may also include, as part of that document, a letter of support from a representative within your community. This additional document will allow the Admissions Committee to incorporate relevant context when it is applying our Faculty’s holistic admission evaluation process and to take into consideration the educational experiences particular to members of an Indigenous community.
Honesty and Integrity in the Application Process
Honesty and Integrity in the Application Process
McGill University and the Faculty of Law value honesty and integrity. Applicants to the Faculty of Law are expected to conduct themselves accordingly. The submission of false, incomplete, inconsistent, or misleading information, or any omission that may result in a false or misleading conclusion, constitutes misconduct in the admission process. Instances of such misconduct include, as examples: the submission of a personal statement that was not written by the applicant, and failure to disclose an LSAT score.
A finding of misconduct in the application process may lead—and has led in the past—to a refusal or, if an offer of admission has already been extended, a withdrawal of the offer at the sole discretion of the University. Intent is not an element of a finding of misconduct.
As a member school of the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), McGill’s Faculty of Law reserves the right to report any misconduct to the LSAC’s for its investigation.