First Year JD Program Applicants

The Admissions Committee does not conduct interviews. Every applicant is required to submit a Personal Statement and is encouraged to submit applicable optional essays.

After a Jackman Law JD program has been selected, you may enter the contents for each document in its designated text box in the School Submissions section of the OLSAS application. In all your written submissions, try to avoid repetition when you write about your candidacy.

All personal statements and essays of applicants who are offered admission are read by 3-6 Admissions Committee members that include students, senior administrative staff and faculty members. The BSAP Essay will also include Black-identified alumni. The statements and essays are not anonymized for review.

Personal Statement

Applicants are prompted to explain their interest in obtaining a legal education and why they have chosen to apply to the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law. The mandatory Personal Statement has a maximum of 5,000 characters.

Applicants in the Indigenous category are strongly encouraged to discuss why they have chosen to apply through this category in their Personal Statement and/or Optional Essay. For example, you might reflect on your identification with, involvement in and connection to your Indigenous community or communities.
 

Optional Essay

You may choose to add 1 Optional Essay (maximum 2,500 characters). Provide any additional information about yourself that you would like the Admissions Committee to know, that is not already addressed in the Personal Statement.

BSAP Essay

For Black applicants, in addition to the mandatory Personal Statement and 1 Optional Essay, you may choose to submit 1 BSAP Essay (maximum 2,500 characters). The BSAP Essay offers a unique opportunity to discuss how your Black identity and lived experience has influenced your motivation to attend law school. You may choose to expand on previous opportunities for innovation, leadership, community engagement, and critical thinking.

• The LSAT is mandatory, no exceptions.

• For entry in 2026, the earliest acceptable test is the June 2021 test, and the last acceptable test is the November 2026 test.

Taking the Test

• You are strongly encouraged to take the LSAT on an earlier test date, instead of relying on the last acceptable test date. You must have a completed the LSAT comprising both the Multiple Choice portion and the LSAT Writing portion for admission consideration.

• You must add your LSAC account number (e.g., L1234567890) to your OLSAS account for OLSAS to retrieve your LSAT results and distribute them to us. If you register for a test that will be held after you submit your OLSAS application, then you must add or revise the future test date in your OLSAS account.

• For your score(s) to be released, you must confirm the status of your registration with LSAC, as they will provide LSAT reports to OLSAS only if you are an LSAC “current registrant”.

• References are not requested and, if submitted, will not form part of your file.

• Interviews are not used for admission.

• Resumes are considered for Mature applicant category candidates only. There is no limit to the length or style of the resume.

• All candidates must complete the Autobiographical Sketch for their OLSAS application, regardless of application category.

A test of English language proficiency is not required or requested.

If you completed your undergraduate degree (or completed more than 1 academic year of study) at a postsecondary institution outside of Canada or the United States, you are expected to submit a third-party course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts from World Education Services (WES) for admission review.

WES evaluations are not required for:

• Law school and graduate (master’s, doctorate) transcripts for transfer and Letter of Permission applicants.

For student exchange and study abroad coursework, you must arrange separately for both your host and your home institution to submit their official transcripts to OLSAS directly. This is in addition to the submission of the official transcript by your home institution. A WES evaluation is not required for courses taken as part of an exchange or study abroad program, as long as either the transfer credits or the grades for these courses appear on your home institution’s transcript.

The process is the same for domestic and international applicants. Arrange for the submission of these application components directly to OLSAS by November 1, 2026.

Application Components

1. OLSAS application, including the Autobiographical Sketch
2. Official and original copies of all postsecondary academic transcripts
3. LSAT score(s) & Writing
4. A Personal Statement
5. Optional Essay
6. BSAP Essay (optional for BSAP applicants)
7. Resume (for Mature applicants only) – submitted using the Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in the OLSAS application
8. Indigenous substantiation supporting evidence and signed Attestation form (Indigenous applicants only) – submitted using SAM in the OLSAS application

If you are a Mature applicant, you must submit your resume using SAM in the OLSAS application. 

OLSAS applications are due by 11:59 pm (ET) on November 1, 2026. You must submit your application, including components (1), (4), (5), (6,) and (7), by the listed deadline even if other required application components are not yet complete or available. 

Indigenous applicants must submit their supporting evidence and Attestation form (8) by November 14, 2026.

Arrange for the submission of application components (2) and (3) directly to OLSAS as soon as they become available. Applications will be reviewed only after all documents are received. 

JD Combined Programs

• In your OLSAS application, select both the First Year JD program and your desired JD Combined program(s) to alert the law school of your interest in pursuing the partner graduate program(s).

• You must also apply separately for admission to the partner graduate programs you are eligible for by their application procedures and deadlines.

Late Applications

• In your OLSAS application, select both the First Year JD program and your desired JD Combined program(s) to alert the law school of your interest in pursuing the partner graduate program(s). 
• You must also apply separately for admission to the partner graduate programs you are eligible for by their application procedures and deadlines.

Applications will be reviewed only after all required application components are received. Jackman Law will notify applicants of an incomplete application only after the admission cycle has ended and all offers of admission have been released. Once this notification has been issued, incomplete files will receive no further consideration. 

We will notify you of the admission decision by email. The bulk of offers will be sent in mid- to late January. A limited number of offers may occur on a rolling basis after this time until March. Waitlist notifications and refusals will be sent out in mid-March.

Conditional Offers of Admission

• If you apply to the First Year JD program with postsecondary courses or degrees in progress, you may be admitted on the condition that you complete those courses or degrees prior to enrollment. An undergraduate degree (or equivalent) must be completed by the time of matriculation in May of the entry year.
• We will list admission conditions in your offer letter. Official final transcripts are due to OLSAS by June 30, 2027.
   

Deferrals

Deferral requests for entry into the first year of the JD program may be considered for 1 academic year, except for promoted wait-listed applicants. Deferrals are not guaranteed and are granted only in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Chair of the JD Admissions Committee.

An approved deferral permits admission to be postponed for 1 academic year. During this period, applicants may not apply to any other law school worldwide.

Deferral requests are reviewed on an individual basis and require applicants complete the following:
•    Accept the offer of admission by the stated deadline.
•    Pay the non-refundable tuition deposit by the stated deadline.
•    Submit a written request detailing the reason(s) for the deferral to: admissions.law@utoronto.ca.
•    Attach supporting documentation to substantiate the request (additional documentation may be required).

Re-application

Applicants who wish to re-apply in a subsequent application cycle must submit a new application to OLSAS, including all required application components and supporting documents, since OLSAS does not retain them after a cycle has ended. Admission consideration will be based on the strength of the new application submitted for the subsequent cycle.
 

The OLSAS processing fee is CAD $200 plus an additional Jackman Law University Fee of $115. All fees are non-refundable. The University Fee is collected by OLSAS and remitted directly to Jackman Law. These fees assist us in covering a portion of the law schools costs associated with the admission assessment. Please see the OLSAS Application Guide for detailed fee information.

• For the 2026-2027 test cycle, the test registration fee is USD$253. An approved LSAC registration fee waiver will entitle you to either one or two free LSAT sittings for a period of up to two years from the date of approval of your LSAC fee waiver.
• Note that the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) provided by LSAC is not to be used for applying to Jackman Law.
• All LSAC fee waiver applications are handled by LSAC entirely. The fee waiver application form and required supporting documents must be submitted to LSAC directly.
• Details regarding eligibility, application requirements and entitlements can be found on the LSAC Fee Waiver Website.
• For any questions about the LSAT fee waiver, please contact LSAC by phone at 1.800.336.3982 or via the online LSAC candidate help form.

An approved fee waiver will exempt you from the payment of the OLSAS $115 University Fee for Jackman Law, prior to the submission of your OLSAS application by the OLSAS deadline

Important Information 

• The Application Fee Waiver applies only to the $115.00 Application Fee for Jackman Law
• To process your request for an OLSAS fee waiver, you are required to submit the completed and signed application accompanied with all the required documentation.
• The law school will notify you and OLSAS, via email, of the approved Jackman Law University Application Fee Waiver.
• Incomplete applications will not be processed 
• Please allow at least two weeks for processing of your Fee Waiver Applications.

DUE: October 15, 2026 – Late applications will not be considered

Eligibility

At the time of submission of the waiver application, must be one of:

• Canadian Citizen
• Permanent Resident
• Protected Person
• Convention Refugee

Open to JD first-year and JD transfer applicants only

Open to students who have received approval for a LSAC fee waiver for the LSAT dated January 1st, 2024 or later

Applying for the Jackman Law OLSAS Fee Waiver

Required Documentation 

• 2026-2027 Jackman Law OLSAS Application Fee Waiver - Coming Soon!
• Proof of official immigration status in Canada (e.g. Canadian passport, Permanent Resident Card, birth certificate etc.)
• Proof of approval for a LSAC fee waiver for the LSAT dated January 1st, 2024 or later 
  • The appropriate document is the LSAC pdf letter that is emailed to candidates includes:
    • letter date
    • the candidate's LSAC number
    • the candidates name

Application Submission: 

• Submit the completed, signed and dated waiver application form with all supporting documents (in PDF format only) to JD Admissions by email to admissions.law@utoronto.ca.
• Jackman Law OLSAS fee waivers are not retroactive and must be obtained prior to submission of the OLSAS application.
• The OLSAS fee waivers are only valid for ONE admissions cycle, which will be the current admission cycle.
• Please allow at least two weeks for processing of a Jackman Law OLSAS Fee Waiver application.
• The JD Admissions Office will notify via email regarding the outcome of the waiver application. Incomplete applications will not be notified.

Timing

In order to process your request for a Jackman Law OLSAS fee waiver, you are required to submit the completed, signed and dated application accompanied with all the relevant documentation. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

• Please allow at least two weeks for processing of your Fee Waiver Applications.
• The granting of fee waivers is discretionary and will be granted only to those who have received an LSAC Fee Waiver dated January 1^st 2024 or later. 

DUE: October 15, 2026 – Late applications will not be considered

HELP

For any questions, clarifications or for submission, please email: admissions.law@utoronto.ca