Most law schools in Canada require applicants to have at least an undergraduate degree. Law schools judge applicants on academic record and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores. They may also look at personal recommendations, work experience, a personal statement or evidence of extracurricular activities.
In order to become a licensed lawyer in Canada, a graduate must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LL.B (Bachelor of Laws). These degrees will generally take three years to complete. Both degrees have the same content and result in the same qualification, but the J.D name is internationally recognized. The student will already typically have undertaken an undergraduate degree before entering an LL.B or J.D degree. Canadian law schools may offer graduate degrees such as the Master of Laws (LLM), Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM), Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) or the Master of Studies in Law (MSL) for professional or academic advancement.
Most Canadian provinces use a common law system derived from the British system, which uses precedents as a base for future legal decisions and a statute system, where government can make new laws overriding past laws. Quebec uses a civil law system for private law, based on the French model, which uses a written code. Law schools offer education in one or both types of law.
Maclean's Magazine ranks Canadian law schools each year, based on a combination of the percentage of graduates working at elite law firms, the percentage of Supreme Court clerkships obtained by graduates, the proportion of graduates hired as academics and the amount of citations in legal journals of work published by that college. For the 2010 year, Maclean's ranked the University of Toronto top for common law schools and McGill University top for civil law schools.
International students need to ensure they are capable of undertaking coursework in the language their degree is taught in. This could be English, French or a combination of both. For example, the Universite du Quebec teaches entirely in French and the University of Windsor through English.
International students also need to apply for a study permit from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada department. This should be applied for after acceptance to the college program.
Canadian LL.B or J.D. degrees may not be recognized by the American Bar Association. For students who may want to practice law in the U.S, the University of Windsor offers a program in conjunction with the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law that results in both a Canadian and an American J.D. degree. The dual degree allows graduates to apply for licensing in either country.