Admissions - First Year

You may qualify as an Access applicant if your undergraduate academic performance was affected by a proven disadvantage that may include, but is not limited to, cultural, socio-economic, medical or physical barriers, or a learning disability. You must describe how the disadvantage affected your undergraduate academic record and provide supporting documentation. If you have a disability you must provide full documentation from qualified professionals on your disability and its effect on your undergraduate academic record or LSAT score(s) and indicate whether you received accommodations during your program of study.

You must also show evidence of potential to succeed at law school. This requires at least one year of competitive grades in full-time undergraduate university study. Special consideration for LSAT scores is given only where there is a causal connection between the disadvantage claimed and LSAT performance.

Black applicants are individuals who self-identify as members of the Black community. The Faculty of Law recognizes that Black individuals are not represented adequately within the legal profession and strongly encourages applications from Black students.

Applications are reviewed holistically, informed by the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. You may use the optional essay to discuss lived experiences, which will be given additional weight during the review process. We are striving to have all applications in this category assessed by at least one Black reviewer (among two reviewers).

The Faculty of Law recognizes that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples are underrepresented within the legal profession and strongly encourages applications from Indigenous students.  

Applications are reviewed holistically, informed by the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and accessibility.

Affirmation Process

Under Western University’s Policy 1.58 – Affirming Declarations of Indigenous Citizenship or Membership, you are required to submit a declaration of Indigenous citizenship or membership to Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives by providing: (1) two documents demonstrating proof of citizenship or membership to the Indigenous Nation claiming you, and (2) a statement of relational positionality.  Your submission is processed through this website and should be completed when you apply to Western Law. This is separate from – and in addition to – the application you will submit through the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS).

• For guidance on approved documentation and writing your statement of relational positionality, please visit this webpage.
• For more information about the affirmation process, including Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the Office of Indigenous Initiatives website.
• Questions may be directed to indigenous.affirmation@uwo.ca.

Once you have submitted your declaration and supporting documents, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives will review your submission and provide the Faculty of Law with its decision. When your application is complete it will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.  

Optional Essay – OLSAS Application

You may use the optional essay in the OLSAS application to speak to your lived experiences, goals or community involvement, which will be given additional weight during the review process. While the Statement of Relational Positionality for Western’s affirmation process (above) and the optional essay in the OLSAS application serve distinct purposes, you may choose to incorporate elements from your optional essay into your Statement, if relevant.

First-year Property Law Option

The Indigenous Law Centre (ILC) at the University of Saskatchewan offers a first-year Property Law course from May through July for incoming (1L) Indigenous law students.  Visit the ILC website for further details.  As an incoming Indigenous law student, when you successfully complete the University of Saskatchewan ILC summer program you will receive credit for first-year Property Law at Western Law. You will also receive funding to subsidize the cost of the program.

Financial Support 

In addition to our entrance scholarships, financial assistance for Indigenous students is available through a variety of federal programs. For Métis and Non-Status First Nations students, the Legal Studies for Indigenous People Program through the Department of Justice Canada provides financial support. Additionally, the Post-Secondary Student Support Program offered through Indigenous Services Canada provides funding for eligible First Nations and Inuit students.  We encourage you to explore these and other funding opportunities to support your legal education.

To learn more about Indigenous supports and community at Western, please visit the Office of Indigenous Initiatives  and Indigenous Student Centre websites.

Mature candidates must have at least five years of non-university experience since leaving high school, which need not be consecutive. 

Mature applicants are asked to provide a resumé as a supplementary document when filing their application, as we will give greater weight to the work and life experience of mature candidates in our holistic assessment.

We do not set a specific minimum or competitive threshold for Mature applicants, as the applicant pool may vary year to year, and mature applicants may have various skills and life experiences to offer.  Moreover, we have noted over time that the strongest mature applicants tend to have academic records and LSAT scores that approach the competitive level of general category applicants.

Please visit this link to learn more about the mature candidate experience of one of our students from the Class of 2026.