Clerking and clerkship refers to working as a law clerk for a judge at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, a provincial Court of Appeal or another court deemed equivalent by the Faculty of Law.

Designed specifically for law clerks, this option provides the opportunity to complete an LL.M. with research paper at the University of Ottawa at the same time as or within five (5) years of completing a clerkship for a judge at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, a provincial Court of Appeal or another court deemed equivalent by the Faculty of Law.

Interested candidates must submit an application for admission to the LL.M, without concentration, with research paper program. The law clerk option is not possible in LL.M programs with concentration because of the program structures.

Admission requirements

Please consult the Admission requirements for the general LL.M. with research paper, without concentration admission requirements to see if you qualify.

In addition to the general admission requirements, the applicant must:

1. Applicants who have recently completed a clerkship (within the last 5 years)

• The applicant must indicate, in the letter of intent submitted with the admission file, that they have recently completed a clerkship and wish to receive advanced standing.
• The applicant must receive and accept an offer of admission to the general LL.M. with research paper, without concentration program.
• The candidate must submit a description of the work done at the Court as well as a letter from the judge or judges for whom he or she worked attesting to the quality of his or her work and confirming the start and end dates of the clerkship.
• The Faculty of Law will grant advanced standing for two courses (6 credits) in replacement of two general elective courses.
• Scholarships: Candidates with a cumulative grade point average of 80% (A-) are eligible for a University of Ottawa admission scholarship provided they meet the requirements for full-time registration and are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

2. Applicants who are current law clerks (whiles in the process of submitting an application to our program).

• Before applying to the program, the applicant should verify with the Court for which they are clerking, as some courts may not permit a law clerk to participate in an LL.M. program during the term of the clerkship.
• The applicant must indicate, in the letter of intent submitted with the admission file, that they are currently completing a clerkship and wish to receive advanced standing.
• The applicant must receive and accept an offer of admission to the general LL.M. with research paper program.
• Once the clerkship is completed, the candidate must submit a description of the work done at the Court as well as a letter from the judge or judges for whom he or she worked attesting to the quality of his or her work and confirming the start and end dates of the clerkship.
• The Faculty of Law will grant advanced standing for two courses (6 credits) in replacement of two general elective courses.
• Scholarships: Applicants with an admission average of 9.0/10 are eligible for a University of Ottawa admission scholarship as long as they meet the requirements for full-time enrolment and are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. 

3. Applicants wishing to complete a clerkship during the LLM.

• The applicant must receive and accept an offer of admission to the general LL.M. with research paper program.
• The applicant should verify with the Court for which they will be clerking, as some courts may not permit a law clerk to participate in an LL.M. program during the term of the clerkship.
• In addition to the program requirements, the applicant must register for a special course code (DCL7022) that corresponds to the six credit weight to be allocated to the clerkship. 
• Once the clerkship is completed, the candidate must submit a description of the work done at the Court as well as a letter from the judge or judges for whom he or she worked attesting to the quality of his or her work and confirming the start and end dates of the clerkship.
• This course is evaluated on a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory basis.
• Scholarships: Candidates who elect to complete the program concurrently with their clerkship are ineligible for an admission scholarship.