Applications to the National Program are assessed by considering the candidate’s
- Academic performance
- Completion of mandatory civil law courses
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Non-academic experience
(The "LSAT" is not required for admission into the National Program.)
Academic performance
To be considered for the National Program, candidates are expected to have a minimum of a B average (i.e a 6.0 on the University of Ottawa’s 10-point scale).
Completion of mandatory civil law course
Candidates are required to have passed all of the following courses:
- DRC1514 : Droit des obligations I (or equivalent)
- DRC1707 : Droit pénal I (or equivalent)
- DRC2508 : Droit administratif (or equivalent)
- DRC2509: Droits et libertés (or equivalent)
- DRC2501: Droit de l'entreprise I (or equivalent)
- DRC1503: Fondement du droit (or equivalent)
- DRC1705: Droit constitutionnel I (or equivalent)
Letters of recommendation
Your application must be supported by two (2) references letters from your civil law professors.
Think carefully about who you choose as your referees. Choose people who know you well and who will support your application. Ideally, each referee should be able to comment on your strengths as a law student and explain your performance relative to the performance of your classmates.
Personal Statement
The personal statement is a critical part of the application, and should be thought of as a professional interview in writing. Please review our assessment considerations for a personal statement.
If there are weaknesses in your application that you would like to contextualize with more information, please use your personal statement to address them. Where applicable, supporting documentation is strongly encouraged.
As with all of your application components, the information you provide in your personal statement will be considered in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code, which states:
“Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability” (R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s.1; 1999, c.6, s.28 [1]; 2001, c.32, s.27 [1]); 2005, c. 5, s. 32 (1); 2012, c.
Need more guidance? Check out our Top 10 Tips for Your Best Personal Statement
(Last updated December 17 2021)