About Us – Who We Are
Want to know more about us and what we have to offer? Osgoode Professional Development is the lifelong learning arm of Osgoode Hall Law School, one of Canada’s leading law schools. Since our founding in 1996, our mission remains consistent and clear. We provide a uniquely broad and flexible range of interdisciplinary graduate-level legal education to professionals with and without law degrees and are committed to:
keeping professionals and executives at the forefront of legal knowledge, expertise and capability;
integrating internationally trained lawyers and law graduates in the Canadian legal profession; and
bringing diverse professionals together to engage with legal issues from multidisciplinary perspectives.
OsgoodePD is known globally for our commitment to ongoing innovation in educational technology and pedagogy. We were the first law program in Canada to offer distance learning and have worked to continuously improve quality, accessibility and flexibility. Our vision is to be at the centre of innovative design and delivery of professional legal education, enabling understanding, connection and transformation.
Our Offerings
We work continuously to enhance and extend our professional development offerings. As the needs of the global community for professional development in legal education evolve, we introduce new programs and ways of learning to help you meet your Professional Development goals.
Professional Development
Short Courses, Conferences & Certificates: OsgoodePD’ s conferences and short courses represent one of the largest collections of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) offerings in Canada.
Professional LLM Single Courses: Our single LLM courses provide professionals not yet ready to commit to an LLM program with a flexible way to explore the programs of their choice.
In-House & Custom Programs for Organizations: We have the expertise, resources and technology to design a customized version of an existing program, a Certificate or new program that cost-effectively achieves your training objectives.
Academic Programs
Part-time Professional LLM: Designed at the graduate level and structured to accommodate the needs of the working professional, you can choose from among 15 specializations and a wide range of electives.
Full-time Professional LLM: Our full-time graduate-level Professional LLMs are designed for internationally trained lawyers who are seeking to study or practise law in Canada.
Graduate Diploma Programs: Our Graduate Diploma programs provide deep insight into specific areas of the law.
Research LLM: A full-time research-intensive degree, ideal for students who want to delve deeply into specific areas of study and for those who are considering advancing to the PhD.
PhD in Law: A full-time advanced degree involving extensive, research-intensive study, suitable for students who aim for an academic position.
Internationally Trained Lawyers
We offer the largest number and broadest range of programs anywhere in Canada for internationally trained lawyers and experienced professionals. When designing these programs, we focus on the specific needs of internationally trained lawyers. We provide a wide array of student services to help international students achieve academic and career success.
OsgoodePD’s full-time Canadian Common Law LLM, International Business Law LLM, General Law LLM and Tax Law LLM specialization programs are designed specifically with the internationally trained lawyer in mind.
Osgoode is the only Canadian law school to offer a National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) preparation course for internationally trained lawyers.
Two Convenient Locations
OsgoodePD offers programs in two locations: Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and in our renovated learning facility in the heart of downtown Toronto. Our distance learning capabilities are second to none, with the latest in technology and knowledgeable and professional user support.
Downtown Toronto
- Located in the heart of downtown Toronto
- Professional Development short courses, conferences, and certificates
- Part-time Professional LLMs
Keele Campus
- Located at the York University state of the art campus
- Transit hub & subway to Downtown, Toronto
- Full-time Professional LLM programs
- Programs for Internationally Trained Lawyers
Acknowledgement of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Territories
York University recognizes that many Indigenous Nations have longstanding relationships with the territories upon which York University campuses are located that precede the establishment of York University. York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.