Capstone Project

Graduate students may apply to write a yearlong Capstone Project of 2 to 3 credits under the supervision of a graduate faculty member. Team research projects are not permitted.

The Capstone is designed to accommodate diverse professional trajectories and intellectual approaches, allowing students to showcase their expertise through both traditional and non-traditional forms of scholarly and applied legal work. Rather than limiting students to a conventional research paper or project, the Capstone emphasizes depth of understanding, methodological soundness, and meaningful engagement with law in practice, policy, or theory. Students are encouraged to pursue projects that align with their professional interests, workplace challenges, or emerging legal developments, provided that the project reflects sustained legal research, analytical rigor, and an awareness of the broader legal, institutional, and normative context.
 

Capstone projects may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to:

• A policy paper or legislative proposal grounded in legal research and responsive to a real-world problem the student encounters in professional practice (students may choose to work with an organization to address a timely issue).
• The design and development of a legal tool, website, or digital resource that  addresses a legal need, improves access to legal information, or supports legal  decision-making.
•  An applied project or practice-oriented framework (e.g., compliance models, regulatory strategies, or governance tools) accompanied by a critical analytical paper situating the project within relevant legal scholarship and doctrine.

Regardless of format, all capstone projects must:

• Demonstrate a deep and nuanced understanding of the relevant legal principles, sources, and debates
• Engage critically with existing scholarship, law, or policy
• Articulate the project’s contribution to legal knowledge, practice, or reform
• Reflect independent thinking, originality, and graduate-level analytical skill
   

The general guidelines for a Capstone Project are as follows:

• For 2 credits: 5000-7,500 words, at least two meetings per term, and a penultimate draft
• For 3 credits: 7,500-10,000 words, at least three meetings per term, and a penultimate draft

Students may not complete more than two Capstone Projects in the LLM program.

Step 1: Preparing a Proposal

Interested students should approach full-time members of the faculty to discuss their project and seek supervision. Under the guidance of their proposed supervisors, students should prepare a one-page outline of their project including:

• a description of the topic/issue to be pursued and proposed format
• the research methods to be employed,
• a timeline for submission of the rough and final drafts, and
• a preliminary bibliography (beyond the one-page outline).

Step 2: Submitting your Application

Proposals must be approved by faculty supervisors before being submitted to the Assistant and Associate Dean, Graduate Programs. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure adequate time to discuss a proposal with their supervisor and obtain approval before the deadline for submission of the proposal to the Assistant Dean (add/drop deadline of the relevant term - see sessional dates). 

In addition to the proposal students must submit the Capstone Project form available on the LLM Resources Course on Quercus. 

Step 3: Meeting the Credit Requirements

Once the committee has approved the project, it is the responsibility of the students to make sure that the following requirements will be met. Students may not change the number of credits for their project once it has been approved.

3.1 Supervision: Students will meet with their faculty supervisors regularly and at least twice per term, to discuss the progress of the project.

3.2 Draft: Students must submit a substantially complete first draft by a date determined by their faculty supervisor, but at least two weeks prior to the final submission date of the Capstone Project.

3.3 Deadline for Submission of Completed Project: Students are required to submit their completed work by the date determined by their faculty supervisors, but by no later than the final deadline for submission of written work during the term, as determined by the administration (See Sessional Dates)..