How to Apply

The deadline for applications and submitting supporting documents for entry into First Year J.D. Program will close on December 1 st 2023 at 11:59pm (Vancouver, BC Time).

How to Apply Online

1. Decide on the application category under which you want to apply

While most people will fall under the General category, we encourage prospective applicants to review all application categories in order to decide which fits them best.

2. Complete the online application and pay the application fee

Submit your personal and academic information, LSAT file number and personal statement by the application deadline.

A non-refundable application fee of $100.25CAD must be paid for your application to be processed.

3. Send us your supporting documents

We will not review or consider your application until we receive a valid LSAT score and LSAT writing sample, and all of the supporting documents required in your application category. Supporting documents must be sent to admissions@allard.ubc.ca :

Document	General	Discretionary	Indigenous	Transfer	Advanced Standing	Visiting (Letter of Permission)
Academic transcripts	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
LSAT file number	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔*
Personal statement (Questions)	✔
Personal statement (Essay)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Any corroborative documentation	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Two letters of reference	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Verification of Indigenous Identity	✔
Letter of good standing	✔
Letter of permission	✔
Evaluation letter from the NCA	✔

* Except for those studying outside North America.

4. Check your application status, await results

Once your application is processed, we will e-mail you a username and password that you can use to check your application status. Please allow at least two weeks for the e-mail to be sent.

Supporting Documents

You can expand the sections below to learn more about the different types of application documents.

Please refer to step 3 above to determine which supporting documents are required for your application category.

Academic Transcripts

You need to submit transcripts from all of your post-secondary studies, including semesters on exchange, and law school transcripts for upper year applicants. If you are enrolled in a post-secondary program at the time of your application, you must submit a current transcript by the deadline for supporting documents, and your final school transcript once it becomes available.

If your transcripts are in languages other than English, they need to be evaluated by an accredited evaluation service.

If you studied at UBC, we can access your records electronically. For all other post-secondary institutions, you must arrange for your school to send your official transcripts directly to our admissions office.

Transcripts can be sent by email (preferred) or mail.

Send by email

You can have your post-secondary institutions email transcripts directly to admissions@allard.ubc.ca.

Send by mail

JD Admissions
Allard School of Law
1822 East Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1

LSAT File Number

We will access your LSAT score and writing sample directly from the Law School Admission Council once you send us your LSAT file number. The median score of successful applicants is 166 (93rd percentile).

You can write the LSAT exam as many times as allowed by the LSAC. As of January 2024, you may take the LSAT seven times in a life time, five times in 5 years, three times in one year. For more information on current test-taking limits, please visit the LSAC website . Your score will be valid for five years. The January score is the latest that we will consider for your application, but we strongly encourage you to take the exam earlier. We will not review your application until we receive all the documents, including an LSAT score and writing sample..

There are many LSAT preparation options available. Whether you decide to study by yourself or take a course depends on your study style. If you want help preparing for the LSAT, LSAC has recently partnered with the Khan Academy to offer a free online Official LSAT Prep Course . You can also ask our Law Student Ambassadors about the resources they found helpful.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is different for applicants in the General category.

For General category applicants, the personal statement will be a series of short questions on the online application:

(Maximum 500 words) Tell us how your past education, employment, extracurricular activities and/or other experiences have prepared you for the study of law.
(Maximum 400 words): Tell us about a course, lecture, seminar, or other educational experience in your post-secondary studies that changed your perspective on something important to you.
(Maximum 400 words) Tell us about how equity and diversity have mattered in your life.

Applicants in all other categories will need to submit a written statement (essay) of no more than 3 pages (about 1,500 words). Your application will be judged individually on its merits, so use this letter to show us your unique circumstances and achievements. We are interested in reading about:

why you want to study law, what makes you well-suited to the study of law (e.g., the particular skills, interests and/or experiences you have), and what contributions you think you would make to the Allard School of Law,
your personal history, relevant qualities and attributes, and achievements that enhance your application (e.g., academically related extra-curricular activities, community involvement, work experience (paid or volunteer), parental or caregiver responsibilities), and
whether your academic performance was briefly affected by a short-term medical condition or other circumstances (with relevant supporting documentation).

Don't forget to submit documentation (e.g., medical reports, if applicable) to support your personal statement.

Two Letters of Reference

Reference letters are only required for Discretionary, Indigenous, Transfer, Advanced Standing or Visiting (Letter of Permission) applicants categories.

There are no set guidelines for the form and format of your letters, except:

For first year applicants, we prefer that one is a professional reference and the other academic, but you can submit two references of the same type if necessary.
For upper-year applicants, both letters of reference should be from law professors at your current school.

Please make sure that referees use your full name so we are able to match the letter to your file.

Your referees can mail their letter or email it to admissions@allard.ubc.ca. If they choose to mail the letter, they should sign the back of the envelope and send it to our admissions office at:

JD Admissions
Allard School of Law
1822 East Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1

Corroborative Documents

These are documents that support your personal statement. The type of documents you choose to send us will depend entirely on what you write in your personal statement, and can include medical reports, financial documentation, letters from professionals you've seen, or other documents as needed.

Verification of Indigenous Identity

Applicants in the Indigenous category are required to provide evidence of their Indigenous identity; this can be a photocopy of an enrolment card, an ancestry document, or any other document from the federal, provincial, territorial or Indigenous government that supports your self-identification.

If you identify as Non-Status, please contact admissions@allard.ubc.ca for information on what to submit in your personal statement.

Letter of Good standing

If you are applying as a Transfer student, your current law school must send us a letter of good standing from the Dean or his/her official representative stating your current year of study and that you are a student in good standing.

Letter of Permission

If you are applying as a Visiting (Letter of Permission) student, your school must send us a letter of permission from the law school Dean or his/her official representative. The letter should say:

that you are a student in good standing,
that credits earned at the Allard School of Law will be applied toward your degree at your current school,
the session for which permission is given, and
a list of any specific courses you will be required to take during your visit.

Evaluation Letter from the NCA

If you received your previous law education outside of Canada or in a Canadian civil law program and want to enter the Allard School of Law as an Advanced Standing applicant, you will need to apply to the National Committee on Accreditation (or NCA) to have your education and work experience assessed. In its assessment, the NCA will determine what additional training you require in a Canadian law school to be eligible to practice law in Canada.

For more information, see the NCA Website.

Paper Application

You can submit a paper application form if you experience issues with the online application, or if you have been approved to apply with an LSAC fee waiver. In this case, the application fee must be paid by cheque or money order.

You will need to fill out the PDF application form (select "shrink to fit" when printing) and submit your application by mail or in person to:

JD Admissions
Allard School of Law
1822 East Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1

Have a question? Need help applying?

Review your list of frequently asked questions or contact our admissions team and student ambassadors for further help.