Admissions - First Year

Thank you for your interest in Western Law! We look forward to receiving an application from you! Eligibility requirements for our JD program are as follows.

Academics

A minimum of three years of full-time undergraduate pre-law university education is required (defined as 30 semestered courses). However, most of our incoming students have four-year degrees.

For Mature candidates a minimum of two years of full-time undergraduate pre-law university education is required (defined as 20 semestered courses).

A full course load (defined as 5 courses per term) is preferred and will be given priority.  Research and writing experience, and graduate education, are also positive factors we will consider.

College education is not included in assessing eligibility or academic performance unless it is part of a 2+2 pathway program formally entered into and approved by two specific partnering institutions. If you have questions about whether you qualify, please contact the admissions team at lawapp@uwo.ca.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

An LSAT score is required and is a first key step in the application process. The final score accepted for fall admission is a January score in the year you apply. All scores are reviewed, and the highest score is used for admission. For further details about the LSAT, including how and when to register, visit www.lsac.org.

LSAT preparation is available through LSAC’s LawHub, law schools that offer an LSAT prep course, and multiple commercial vendors. Explore several options to find what is right for you based on your individual needs, learning style, available time and financial resources.

Personal Profile

The Admissions Committee considers factors other than undergraduate grades and LSAT scores, including employment, personal and professional achievements, extra-curricular engagement, volunteer activities and other life experience.

Each of the above components (academics, LSAT scores, personal profile) is attributed approximately one-third weight in our holistic assessment of your application.

Competitive candidates

The most competitive candidates among our applicant pool have an overall undergraduate average of A- (80-84%) (GPA 3.7) and an LSAT score above the 80th percentile. Preference is given to the cumulative average across all years of study. If you do not have a strong cumulative average, we will prioritize your final two years of study (defined as 20+ semestered courses). In doing so, we will not break up semesters.

Applicant Categories

Most candidates apply in our General category. However, Western Law offers applicants the opportunity to apply in 1 of 4 possible discretionary categories.

Access

Access applicants are those whose 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. Candidates must describe how the disadvantage affected their undergraduate academic record and provide supporting documentation. Applicants with disabilities should provide full documentation from qualified professionals on their disability and its effect on their undergraduate academic record or LSAT score(s) and indicate whether they received accommodations during their program of study.

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

Black

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

Applications from Black candidates will be reviewed holistically, informed by the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Candidates 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).

Indigenous

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.  A minimum of three years of full-time (or equivalent, defined as 30 semestered courses) undergraduate university study is required.

Applications are reviewed holistically by the Faculty of Law Admissions Committee and are 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, Indigenous applicants 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 them, 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).

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 students to explore these and other funding opportunities to support their 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

Mature candidates must have at least five years of non-university experience since leaving high school, which need not be consecutive. In addition they must have attended university for a minimum of two years (or equivalent, which we define as 20 semestered undergraduate university courses). Finally, an LSAT score is required.

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.