Many students have always had the passion to study Law, right from their days in High school the dream to stand in a law court is one that they have always relished. As fulfilling as Law can be especially in Canada and any other place in the world. It takes great will, hard work and dedication more like any course you want to study – but there is a slight twist if you want to study law in Canada as a Nigerian student.
Law among other courses like Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry cannot be studied by an international student as a first degree but do we have successful lawyers from international waters? Of course, we do. For the record, Maple Education Canada has had students who are currently Lawyers in Canada.
This article is not intended to scare or derail you from that career you have chosen for yourself. However, it prepares you to scale the career hurdles and be the person you want to be. That being said let us discuss how to apply to law school and how law schools in Canada make their decisions and institutions that offer LAW courses.
IS THERE DEMAND FOR LAWYERS IN CANADA?
Lawyers are in demand in Canada today, although the route in becoming one can be extremely challenging. In the last few years, between 5000 and 7000 applicants have competed for approximately 2,350 first-year places in Canada‘s common law school. The admissions committees are faced with denying admission to many well-qualified applicants due to limited space and resources, and no single qualification by itself will guarantee acceptance or rejection. However, in order to be fair, schools rely heavily on selection criteria that include LSAT, and achievements that relate to expected performance in law school.
HOW TO APPLY TO LAW SCHOOL
ACQUIRE AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE:
Any university degree is good preparation for law school, e.g. BA, BSc, BBA, BComm, BEng. BMus, BPHE, BKin, etc. There are students who have degrees in Engineering, Biochemistry, English Literature, Political Science, Economics, Music, etc. For your initial undergraduate degree, select the program that you will enjoy studying since no subject is better than another for getting into law school. Undergraduate degrees are typically designed to be completed in four years of full-time studies. Students from higher education institutions across the world are generally eligible for acceptance into law school. In order to qualify, most Canadian law schools require the completion of at least three years of your degree or a completed degree.
Even if the law school you are applying to does not require it, your application will be more competitive if you have completed your undergraduate degree. Most times many law students have completed at least a four-year degree. In recent years, approximately five very exceptional applicants a year have been admitted without completing a four-year undergraduate degree.
WRITE A LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION TEST (LSAT):
Nearly all Canadian schools require the standard LSAT, which is held in many countries throughout the world. The test is held up to six times a year (July, September, November, January, March and June) and consists of several sections of questions and problems designed to test reading, comprehension, and your ability to think logically and analytically. It does not test factual information on any subject area, including law, therefore it does not rely on what subject(s) you study in school to do well on the LSAT. Raw scores are converted to an LSAT scale that ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest and 180 the highest possible score.
HOW DO LAW SCHOOLS MAKE ADMISSION DECISIONS
Before a law school can make an admission decision, it must receive your
- Letter of Application
- Law school report
- Letter of Recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Application fee
- Any additional requirement unique to that particular school
PRO AND CONS OF STUDYING LAW IN CANADA
It is really easy working your way to the top when you get into law school in Canada but the problem is, there is a very slim chance of getting into law school because there are not enough law schools and available schools have very limited slots. In such slots, only the strongest candidates get selected because admission is based on merit. However, there are benefits of studying law in Canada, including:
- Canada provides an internship program where international law students can intern while studying. A student can decide to intern under his/her professors, including handling pro bono cases or working in the law clinic while studying.
- Compared to other countries, studying law in Canada is very affordable and fee friendly
- The certificate is highly recognized and it gives you lifelong skills respected by employers across the globe.
The following are universities in Canada that offer law:
- Dalhousie University
- University of Western Ontario
- Lake Head University
- Thompson Rivers University
- Alberta University
- University of Calgary
- University of New Brunswick
- University of Ottawa
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Toronto
- University of British Columbia
- Universities of Victoria
- University of Windsor
- University of Moncton
- University of Montreal
For more information on how to apply or if you need further clarity on courses listed in this article and beyond, kindly send a mail of enquiry to admissions@mapleeducation.ca. We look forward to reading your mail soon.
Also read: Everything You Need to Know About the Nigerian Student Express Program
