You must provide official versions of all of your transcripts from all of your post-secondary institutions. This includes undergraduate, graduate, and college transcripts. It also includes CEGEP transcripts. 

As with all application components, please arrange for your transcripts to be sent directly to OLSAS and not the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.

International Degrees

All transcripts for degrees obtained outside of Canada and the United States must be assessed by the World Education Services ("WES"). If you have done your undergraduate or graduate studies outside Canada and the United States, your institution must send an official copy of your transcripts to WES for assessment and certification. You must obtain a course-by-course WES evaluation of all undergraduate transcripts. WES must then send your transcripts and their assessments directly to OLSAS for consideration.

If you provide a transcript for an international undergraduate degree without a course-by-course WES evaluation, your application will remain incomplete, and the Admissions Committee will not be able to assess it.

Transcripts from Study Abroad Programs or Exchange Programs  

If you studied abroad temporarily while completing a degree from a Canadian institution or an American institution, you are not required to provide a WES certificate. However, you must have your exchange institution send an official copy of your transcript to OLSAS.

Transcripts from colleges

While a diploma or a certificate from a college is not, by itself, considered to be adequate preparation for our JD program, we invite applications from those who have completed an undergraduate degree granted by an accredited college. For a list of acceptable degrees offered by accredited Ontario colleges, please consult the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities' list of accredited colleges.

As stated under "Official Transcripts", above, if you obtained a college diploma or certificate in addition to your undergraduate degree, you are required to provide your college transcripts.

The LSAT is required if you are applying to an English Common Law program, without exception. For test dates and registration, please visit the Law School Admission Council.

The LSAT consists of two portions: a Multiple Choice portion (scored) and a LSAT Writing (unscored). Both portions must be completed and processed by the LSAC for your score to be released to OLSAS.

When to take the test

If you have not written the LSAT before, we strongly recommend that you write your LSAT and complete your LSAT Writing section by November 2024.

We will accept the January 2025 LSAT, but your application file might be at a disadvantage compared to other applicants' files, because we will not review your file until it is complete. (A file without a valid LSAT report is considered incomplete.)  

If you have already written the LSAT and intend to write it for a second or subsequent time in January 2025, please note that the Admissions Committee cannot guarantee we will be able to postpone your file's review until the January LSAT report is received.

Reports from the March 2025 LSAT will not be accepted, as these scores are released in mid-April, which is too late in the admissions cycle. Applications which remain incomplete after April 1st 2025 are subject to cancellation without further notice. 

If you decide to write the LSAT on a date other than the one indicated on your application, please notify OLSAS as soon as possible

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Applications which remain incomplete after April 1st 2025 will be cancelled without further notice.

LSAT Writing Section

We will review your LSAT Writing Sample carefully and consider such attributes as clarity of written expression, attention to detail, adherence to the parameters established in the prompt, and ability to synthesize information to arrive at a well-reasoned and defensible conclusion.

If you are a first-time test taker, you should complete your LSAT writing as early as possible.

If you are a prior test taker with a score from the past five years and you are planning to re-write the LSAT, you do not need to complete the LSAT writing again (although you may choose to do so).

French Programs and the LSAT

The LSAT is not a requirement for applications to French programs, as the test evaluates a candidate's capacities for logical reasoning and written comprehension in English.  

The personal statement is a critical part of the application, and should be thought of as professional interview done in writing. In reviewing personal statements, committee members assess you according to the following considerations:

1. Capacity for critical, creative and original thinking
2. Communication skills, including writing skills in the language of the program
3. Evidence of capacity to manage work load and time
4. Ability to make a meaningful contribution to the overall law school environment and to the profession and the public it serves as demonstrated by, among other things:
   • A record of extracurricular activities and community involvement
   • Career experiences and achievements
   • Personal success in dealing with challenges
   • Diverse social, economic, ethnic, or cultural experiences and perspectives
   • Awareness of and interest in specializations and other strengths of the Faculty’s program of legal education
   • Specific career aspirations
5. Commitment to upholding ethical standards and to treating all university members with respect.
6. For programs in French: a French-language academic history and reasons for wanting to study Common Law in French at the University of Ottawa.

The information contained in personal statements will be considered in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Please do not use the personal statement as a resumé. Instead, use the above evaluation criteria as a guide. The personal statement is similar to an interview: you should strive to explain your strengths and accomplishments, and describe why you are interested in studying law at the University of Ottawa.

Check out our Top 10 Tips for Your Best Personal Statement.

Please do not use your personal statement to describe why you are applying in the Special Circumstances or Access categories. Dedicated forms are provided for this purpose in the application.

The maximum length of the personal statement is 8,000 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

Applicants must provide at least two letters of reference. At least one of the two reference letters must be from an academic referee.

Choose your referees carefully. These individuals should be able to speak to your skills and abilities as they pertain to your success as a future law student. This may include your ability to write, think critically, conduct research, work in groups, manage your responsibilities and organize your time.

Academic Reference Letters

An academic referee is someone who has taught and evaluated you in an educational context at a post-secondary institution (e.g., a professor, a teaching assistant, a research supervisor). Ideally, an academic referee should indicate your performance relative to the rest of the class.

Note: High school or elementary school teachers or principals are not considered academic referees. Neither are coaches or personal tutors. Contact us if you are uncertain whether a referee meets our definition of an academic referee.

While you are only required to submit one academic reference letter, you may submit two academic reference letters if you wish.

Non-Academic Reference Letters

A non-academic referee must be someone who knows you in more than just a social context. Family members, friends, peers, friends-of-the-family, and romantic partners are not suitable. Examples of acceptable choices for non-academic referees include employers, managers, co-op placement supervisors, internship supervisors, mentors, coaches, tutors, and volunteer coordinators.

A Note for Mature Applicants

Given the time that has elapsed since you were last in school, we understand that you might not be able to obtain an academic reference letter. Nonetheless, you should endeavour to find a professional referee who can speak to the skills listed above.

Visit the OLSAS website for more information.

You will also be required to choose an Applicant Category that best fits your individual circumstances. Some of our Applicant Categories have additional requirements. Please review the Applicant Categories to determine what is required.  

Consult the list below regarding the Applicant Categories.

The General Applicant category is the most common category and is the correct choice for any applicant who does not meet the eligibility criteria for any of the other categories.

Applications in the General Category must include all components listed in the Application Components section.

The General Applicant– Special Circumstances is for candidates who would otherwise be General category applicants, but experienced a negative event that had an adverse impact on their studies.

Examples include serious short-term illness or injury, a seriously ill or injured family member, an unstable home environment, or the death of a loved one.

If choosing this category, indicate which academic term(s) were affected by the adverse event and provide supporting documentation, where possible.

Applications in the General Category – Special Circumstances must include all components listed in the Application Components section, plus any supporting documentation the applicant wishes to include.

The University of Ottawa welcomes students from historically excluded communities who have experienced systemic inequality or identifiable social or economic barriers to education.

The factors that would support your candidacy in this category are based on the Ontario Human Rights Code, which states:

“Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability” (R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 1; 1999, c. 6, s. 28 [1]; 2001, c. 32, s. 27 [1]); 2005, c. 5, s. 32 (1); 2012, c. 7, s. 1.

In addition to the protected grounds listed in the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Admissions Committee considers severe economic hardship to be a barrier to education, which would confer eligibility to apply in this category.

If you wish to be considered in the Access category, you are required to explain the reasons for applying in this category. Provide this explanation in the OLSAS text box identified for this purpose. You may also discuss it in your personal statement, if you wish to do so.

Applications in the Access category must include all components listed in the Application Components section, plus any documentation in support of the access claim.

In this category, special consideration is given to non-academic experiences. To be eligible to apply as a Mature applicant, you must, by the application deadline: 
•    have at least 5 years of non-academic experience since finishing your undergraduate studies; or 
•    have at least 10 years of non-academic experience since finishing high school.
We recognize that if 5 years (or more) have elapsed since completion of your undergraduate studies, it might not be possible to obtain an academic reference letter from an undergraduate professor.
 

Accordingly, if 5 (or more) years have passed since you completed your undergraduate studies, you are exempt from providing an academic reference letter. Mature applicants are strongly encouraged to choose non-academic referees who can speak to your proficiency in skills that are relevant to law school, such as the ability to:
•    Write clearly and persuasively
•    Conduct research
•    Think critically
•    Analyze information
•    Work in groups
•    Work independently
•    Manage your time effectively
 

Exception: If you have, within the past 5 years, been enrolled full time or part time in any of the following types of programs, you must provide an academic reference letter, regardless of when you completed your undergraduate degree: 
•    Master’s program (including MBA) 
•    PhD program
•    Professional program 
•    College diploma or certificate program 
 

If you have never attended an undergraduate program, you are eligible to apply to our program as a Mature applicant, provided you are at least 10 years removed from high school.
 

While previous undergraduate study is not mandatory for Mature applicants, our Admissions Committee looks for evidence of an applicant’s ability to succeed in meeting the significant academic demands of law school. This evidence usually requires the satisfactory completion of at least some undergraduate courses.
 

If you have not completed any undergraduate studies, you are exempt from providing an academic reference letter and are strongly encouraged to choose non-academic referees who can speak to your proficiency in the previously listed skills.
 

Applications in the Mature category must include all components listed in the Application Components section. Applicants must also submit an up-to-date resumé or CV to OLSAS via the Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) page.

Persons who are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis may apply in this category if they wish.

Proof of Indigenous identity must be provided. It can take different forms. Consult the University of Ottawa’s policy on admissions streams and scholarships intended for First Nations, Inuit and Métis applicants (PDF, 210.46 KB).

If you choose to apply under the Indigenous category, we encourage you to use your personal statement to describe your connection to your Indigenous community, including the extent to which you are involved in your Indigenous community, if applicable.

Applicants in the Indigenous category must submit all components listed in the Application Components section. At least one of your letters of reference must be from an academic referee.

You may request a waiver for the $115 University of Ottawa application fee if you are in financial difficulty. The basic criterion for granting a waiver is an inability to pay.

We will only assess requests submitted through our fee waiver application form. To obtain a waiver form, email the Common Law Section’s Recruitment and Admission Office.

Fee waivers must be submitted by 4 pm on October 25, 2024. Waivers will not be granted retroactively.

If you wish to apply to have the LSAT sitting fee waived, contact the Law School Admissions Council directly