OsgoodePD’s Canadian Common Law LLM is a graduate program in law designed specifically for lawyers and professionals with legal work experience. Each of our distinct specializations focuses on interdisciplinary learning and provides you with a unique mix of academic, applied, and theoretical perspectives. You will learn through interactive discussions and explore practical issues related to your specialization. You’ll have access to a wide range of elective options to broaden your legal knowledge or explore new areas related to your professional interests.
The Canadian Common Law specialization offers an in-depth examination into core Canadian common law topics, alongside a wide range of elective options. Internationally trained lawyers and law graduates who pursue this specialization benefit from academic and career support to assist in their transition to the Canadian legal marketplace. Core courses are specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). Note: Completing the Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law does not automatically entitle you to practice law in Canada or to be admitted to the Bar of a Canadian province or territory. Consult the NCA or your provincial/territorial law society for more information.
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Who is the Specialization for?
Graduates of law degree programs from outside Canada OR graduates with a civil law degree from a Canadian university who wish to become licensed to practice in a Canadian common law jurisdiction / who want a solid grounding in Canadian common law for comparative law purposes.
Applicants are required to have at least 2 years of professional work experience.
Note: Canadian Common Law is available on both a full-time and part-time basis.
Part-time studies are geared to applicants who wish to continue working full-time and have the legal status to do so or to those who are looking to complete online courses.
If you are looking to study in-person or on a full-time basis, consider our full-time option.
Alumni Spotlight
Sam Ghawi
Sam is an associate lawyer with Allan Snelling LLP. Sam details his journey as an internationally trained lawyer that led him to pursuing Osgoode’s Professional LLM, and how it culminated in him practising law in Canada.
Student Services
All Professional LLM students can benefit from our wide range of student services:
List of Services
Academic Services
Program Orientation
Introductory Courses
Workshops & Resources
Confidential Academic and Wellness Counselling
Career Support
Job postings
Resources/Guides
Workshops & Events
Counselling
Campus Life
Student Social Activities
Osgoode & York U extra curriculars
Professional networking events
All of our academic and career development services are available remotely, and counselling hours have varied schedules to suit the needs of part-time students.
Learn about the Program
Attend an upcoming information session.
Course Requirements
The Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law requires completion of 36 credits. The program is designed to be completed in two years (six active terms) through a combination of core courses, related electives, and up to 6 credits of outside electives. Students also have the option to engage in a research component.
What You Can Expect
The program is designed to be completed in two years (six active terms) by completing 6 credits (one to two courses) per term.
Courses in the Canadian Common Law specialization are scheduled in a variety of ways, primarily as daytime intensive courses or weekly evening courses. Courses may be held at our downtown Toronto location or on the York University Keele campus. The majority of courses in the Canadian Common Law specialization require in-person attendance, however part-time Canadian Common Law students also have access to online problem-based learning courses.
In your first term of admission, you may be assigned a course as a condition of your admission. Admission condition courses count towards your degree requirements. Students with the following profiles usually have required introductory courses:
- Internationally-trained lawyers: GNRL 6209 – Canadian Graduate Legal Research & Writing (Online) (3 Credits)
Your remaining course selections should be driven by your own interests, goals, and strengths. Generally, students in the Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law will want to prioritize courses that satisfy their NCA requirements. For students from civil law jurisdictions, this usually means taking as many of the five mandatory and three core NCA subjects as possible.
Core Courses
Core courses are frequently offered twice a year and include some of the following:
CCLW 6842 – Canadian Administrative Law (6 Credits) – Fall, Winter, and Summer terms
CCLW 6841 – Constitutional Law (6 Credits) – Fall and Winter terms
CCLW 6843 – Canadian Criminal Law (6 Credits) – Fall, Winter, and Summer terms
CCLW 6844 – Canadian Professional Responsibility (3 Credits) – Fall, Winter, and Summer terms
CCLW 6850 – Canadian Tort Law (6 Credits) – Fall and Winter terms
Elective Courses
You must complete at least 18 credits of Canadian Common Law core courses. Remaining credits may be drawn from elective courses in International Business Law or unrelated specializations, so long as you have any required prerequisite knowledge for those courses. To see course offerings for upcoming terms, review the Course Planning information below.
Optional Research Requirement
The optional research component can be fulfilled through one of the following three options. Most students elect to fulfill the requirement through option 3:
- A Major Research Paper (70 pages, 6 Credits)
- An Independent Significant Research Paper (30 pages, 3 Credits)
- A Significant Research Paper (30 pages) completed as the means of assessment for one of the courses within the specialization.
Course Planning
Courses are not available every term, so we advise planning your courses in advance.
This tool is for planning purposes only. Selecting courses using this tool does not enroll you in the course or reserve a space in the course for you.
Application Dates
The Canadian Common Law specialization accepts new students twice each calendar year, in the Fall term and the Winter term.
Faculty
Program director
François Tanguay-Renaud
Instructors include
Ali-Reza Allameh
Sharon Wang
Laleh Hedayati
What Our Graduates Say
LLM in Canadian Common Law
Bruna Kalinoski, LLB, LLM
Lawyer, IP Litigation at Bereskin & Parr LLP
Transitioning from civil law to common law has been an enjoyable challenge. All the skills I’ve built in the course of this program are entirely transferable. The support of a competent faculty helped me customize and tailor my education according to my strengths and personal areas of interest. They were crucial in providing a smooth transition.
LLM in Canadian Common Law
H.B. Michael Kim Esq.
Lawyer, H. B. Michael Kim Professional Corporation
The Canadian Common Law program is flexible enough to satisfy NCA requirements but also allows you to explore your areas of interest.
Tuition and Fees
Part-time students pay in six installments over six active terms.
You will be billed an installment for each term in which you enroll in courses. If you complete the program in fewer than six terms, you’ll be billed your remaining installment(s) at the end of your program. If you need more than six terms to complete your credits, extra term fees will apply.
Please note that the tuition/fees displayed here are subject to change, and may vary depending on your entry term.
Domestic
$3,800.79per term for 6 terms
$22,804.74total
$8,008.59per term for 6 terms
$48,051.54total
Students are also subject to supplementary fees including health benefits. Find out more about supplementary fees here.
Admission Requirements
Admission to Professional LLM specializations is competitive. At OsgoodePD, we can help you navigate the process. The Admissions Committee reviews each applicant’s completed file and takes into consideration criteria such as academic background, professional work experience, and whether the program fits your stated goals. The information below represents the minimum requirements for admission consideration to our graduate degree programs – meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission.
Degree in law from outside of Canada OR a Bachelor of Civil Law from a Canadian University
Overall B (75%) average (or equivalent)
Professional work experience (recent graduates require at least 2 years)
Acceptable English language proficiency (see requirements)
How to Apply
Create Your OsgoodePD Applicant Profile
Create an applicant profile in our online application portal. This portal allows us to gather your information, transcripts, and other documents electronically. You will receive an email with directions outlining how to create a new password for your application, along with a link to access the application.
Upload Application Documents
The following documents are required:
- Resume/CV
- Writing Sample
- Contact Information for Two References
- Transcripts
- Official Proof of Language Proficiency (if applicable)
For more information, see our Application Documents to Upload section.
Pay and Submit
Once your application is completed, you will be required to pay a non-refundable $130 CAD application fee.
Wait for Review
Timelines for decisions vary by program, but we will be in touch if we have questions about your application or need more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
Have questions? We’re here to help! Click here to get in touch.