Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

The University

At York University, we have a compelling vision: to create an interdisciplinary academic community of researchers, teachers, and students whose first-rate credentials enable them to spearhead change and innovation in ways never before imagined.

York is Canada’s third largest university, offering an unparalleled academic experience with top-ranked programs that set international standards. Our unique approach to learning allows students to study issues from all angles and to combine majors in completely different fields. York’s faculty, among the finest anywhere, expand the horizons of our students, and our research tackles real-world challenges that bring real-world solutions.

The Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School has led the most important developments in Canadian legal education for over a century and has been recognized by a number of national publications. It has developed some of the most brilliant legal minds the world has known, with eight Supreme Court Justices beginning their careers in our hallowed halls.

The curriculum, with more than 200 courses, is one of the largest on the continent, and the Law School has been on the front lines of critical, international, and interdisciplinary research in an impressive number of fields. Highlights include:

• The home of the largest law library in Canada
• A pioneer in online legal research
• The home of the largest graduate program in Canada
• The home of the only legal Professional Development Centre in Canada and a world leader in law school lifelong learning
• The first law school to establish a student-staffed community legal services clinic (Parkdale Community Legal Services in 1972)
• The first law school to develop innovative, intensive programs and clinical teaching programs

Our mission is to contribute to new knowledge about the law and the legal system by being a centre for thoughtful and creative legal scholarship; to provide an outstanding professional and liberal education to our students so that they can assume positions of leadership in the legal profession, among legal academics, and in all aspects of public life; and to serve Canadian society and the world in ways that further social justice.

The Faculty

Few law schools in the world can compare to Osgoode’s faculty in terms of the quality of their scholarship and research and the influence that research has had, and continues to have, on the directions taken by the law, public policy, and transnational legal scholarship. Among our 58 internationally renowned full-time faculty are many of the country’s top legal thinkers. The Law School also draws on the assistance of members of the Toronto Bar as well as Visiting Faculty to make both the study of law a meaningful engagement with relevant, challenging issues and the learning experience one of the great pleasures of attending Osgoode.

The Law School is privileged to have three Chairs in residence who add to its illustrious reputation. In addition to our professors’ scholarly work, the Law School provides numerous research opportunities for students, both within our wealth of courses and seminars and beyond.

The Graduate Program at Osgoode Hall Law School—PhD and LLM Research Stream

Osgoode’s Graduate Program is innovative, creative, and rigorous, challenging students to attain the highest standards of excellence in legal scholarship.

It is the oldest and largest graduate program in law in Canada. Students are attracted to Osgoode’s Graduate Program for its pivotal position at the centre of this country’s scholarly legal research and academic community. The breadth and depth of our graduate course offerings, coupled with the constantly evolving and thought-provoking approaches to legal study, bring outstanding students with critically important research projects from a diverse range of fields.

Osgoode’s graduate students in law are outstanding in their field. They are some of Canada’s most talented and promising legal minds. Osgoode is proud to have such accomplished students. Their success is celebrated by their award-winning scholarship. Our students graduate with distinction and go on to lead distinguished careers in academia, private practice, government, the judiciary, and nongovernmental organizations. Congratulations to all students and graduates from the Osgoode Graduate Program in Law.

Contact Information

For more information about Osgoode’s Research Stream LLM programs, visit the Graduate Program website or contact us at:

Graduate Program in Law
Suite 4044
Osgoode Hall Law School
Ignat Kaneff Building
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada

Phone: 416.736.5721
Email: gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca

Osgoode Professional Development

As the largest, one of the oldest, and among one of the best common-law law schools in Canada, we are committed to providing lifelong learning opportunities for working lawyers and other professionals in need of legal information. Offering both credit and noncredit programming, Osgoode Professional Development (OPD) is the only program of its kind in Canada.

Our flagship two-year Professional Master of Laws Programs includes more than 15 different specializations—from administrative law to securities law—taught on campus and some through distance learning by leading academics, lawyers, judges, and other experts from across Canada and around the world. In 2008, OPD laid claim to another Canadian first with the launch of the LLM in International Business Law, a unique combination of specialized, course-based programming, English as a Second Language support, and internship opportunities.

OPD also offers an extensive range of noncredit programs and conferences for lawyers, policy makers, academics, and other professionals, including business executives, teachers, health-care providers, and law enforcement officials. Visit Continuing Legal Education for details on our upcoming courses—enrollment is easy and open to everyone—or consider working with us to develop a custom program that meets the specific needs of your group.

Our noncredit programs also offer unique sponsorship opportunities to strengthen your company’s visibility and profile.

All this is offered from the heart of Toronto’s business core at Yonge and Dundas Streets, a landmark setting and meeting place steps away from the city’s subway line, financial district, and government offices.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

Professional LLM

The only program of its kind in Canada, Osgoode’s Professional LLM was first established in the 1970s. It now includes a wide variety of specializations. Professional LLM specializations are available in the following areas:

• Administrative Law
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• Banking and Financial Services Law
• Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law (New!)
• Business Law
• Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution
• Constitutional Law
• Criminal Law and Procedure
• Energy and Infrastructure Law
• Family Law
• Health Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Labour Relations and Employment Law (Now available via distance learning!)
• Municipal Law
• Real Property Law
• Securities Law
• Tax Law

For those who would prefer not to specialize, the General LLM program allows you to select courses from the other specializations in progress, subject to prerequisite requirements.

Your classmates will include working professionals representing private practice, government, and business in Toronto, across Canada, and around the world. Osgoode’s Professional LLM is available at the Osgoode Professional Development Centre in Downtown Toronto, and most programs are available through distance learning.

Whatever program or method of study you choose, an Osgoode Professional Development LLM will open doors to new challenges, new responsibilities, and perhaps even a new career.

Entry Requirements

For language proficiency details and complete admission requirements, please visit our Admissions page. The General LLM is open only to applicants who hold an LLB/JD degree.

LLM in International Business Law

Osgoode’s one-year, full-time LLM in International Business Law is designed to give law graduates from around the world the knowledge and skills needed to flourish in the world’s top legal and business environments. Award-winning faculty teach the latest developments in international trade law, international business transactions, international finance law, taxation of cross-border transactions, and a myriad of related topics.

Every year, more than 130,000 international students come to Canada to study. Canadian degrees and diplomas are recognized throughout the world. Furthermore, the idea that all citizens should take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and has been an inspiration to people worldwide.

Canada’s famous bilingualism with its two official languages, English and French, has given it a naturally open outlook and appreciation for diversity and change. Canada has repeatedly been chosen by the UN as one of the best places to live in the world. Its high quality of living, low-cost education, universal health care, respect for human rights and dignity, and its clean, safe, and cosmopolitan cities make Canada a top choice in which to study, live, and work.

Entry Requirements

This program is designed for internationally trained lawyers and law graduates with degrees from outside of Canada. This program does not qualify students to practice law in Canada. Minimum admission requirements for this full-time program are available on the International LLM Admissions website.

New! LLM in Canadian Common Law

This exciting new program provides foundational training in Canadian Common Law to internationally trained lawyers and law graduates. Whether you have a degree from outside of Canada or a Bachelor of Civil Laws from a Canadian university, this program was designed with you in mind.

Entry Requirements

For language proficiency details and complete admission requirements, please visit our Admissions page.

Single Course Enrollment Now Available for Professional LLM Programs

Interested in taking a LLM course without committing to a master’s degree program? Want to explore a new area of law? Looking for a different way to fulfill your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements?

Single course enrollment is a great way to advance your professional knowledge in a specific area of law while obtaining CPD credit. Choose from more than 40 LLM courses offered each year.

Professional LLM courses are taught by some of the top legal educators in the country, including professors from Osgoode and other leading law schools, as well as top practitioners, judges, and policy makers. Taking more than one Professional LLM course as a single course is a great way to learn about and engage in the theory and policy debates in your area of law or explore a new area of law. Professional LLM courses also expose you to graduate study in law. Those who enroll in a single course with assessment may choose to apply for a Professional LLM program and receive advanced standing for the coursework they have already completed.

Single courses may be taken with assessment or without assessment (audit).

The Faculty

Osgoode Professional Development Faculty for both the full-time and part-time programs is comprised of some of the top legal educators in the country. They include professors from Osgoode Hall Law School and other leading law schools, along with top practitioners, judges, and policy makers. More information on our current faculty is available online.

Career Services

Career development services may be available for LLM and IBL students through the Career Development Offices (CDO) of Osgoode Hall Law School. The CDO is available to help Osgoode students carve out their career paths in order to pursue and achieve their long-term goals.

The CDO can help you in many ways, among them:

• Career coaching and advice
• Career development seminars and workshops
• Résumé and cover-letter review
• Interview preparation
• Job postings

Living in Toronto

Toronto is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and appeals to a wide variety of tastes. The city boasts a metropolitan population, with nearly half of its citizens bringing cultures from around the world. It truly is a global city.

The capital of Ontario, the financial capital of Canada, and the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is consistently ranked as one of the most livable and competitive cities on the continent. It offers a wealth of cultural and culinary experiences with outstanding museums and art galleries, such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Every year, Toronto’s International Film Festival reinforces the city’s reputation as “Hollywood North” and the birthplace of some of contemporary cinema’s most daring productions.

Toronto is home to seven professional sports teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, and Blue Jays. The Toronto Argonauts are one of North America’s oldest professional football clubs, and Toronto FC represents one of the most recent additions to Major League Soccer.

Contact Information

For more information about Osgoode’s LLM programs, visit the Professional Development website, or contact us at:

1 Dundas Street West Suite 2602
PO BOX 42
Toronto, ON M5G 1Z3
Canada

Phone: 416.673.4670
Email: admissions-opd@osgoode.yorku.ca