JD Admissions Program Eligibility and Requirements

Your academic performance, LSAT score and personal statement are given equal priority in this category. The median LSAT score of successful applicants is 166 (93rd percentile) and the median GPA is 83%.

General applicants must have the following to be eligible for selection:

• obtained an undergraduate degree in an approved course of studies from a degree-granting university; or
• successfully completed the first three years (minimum 90 credits) or more of an approved course of studies leading to an undergraduate degree at UBC or completed the equivalent at a degree-granting university; or
• successfully completed the first two years of studies leading to an undergraduate degree at UBC or other degree-granting university, and be currently enrolled in the third year of the degree program. (An offer of admission will be conditional on successful completion of the third year by June 30 with a minimum of 90 credits at UBC, or the equivalent at a degree-granting university, and maintenance of the academic average obtained in the first two years of studies. 30 of the 90-credit requirement must be completed at the senior level).

You will need to submit undergraduate transcripts, an LSAT score and a personal statement with your application.

You may also review the UBC Calendar for more details. To estimate your admissions GPA, please review our Estimating your Admissions GPA for the Allard Law JD Program blog post.

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You may apply in this category if you don't satisfy some of the requirements for the General category but have other relevant experiences and achievements.

Factors that the Admissions Committee can consider include:

• a disability or special needs
• membership in a historically disadvantaged group
• financial or personal challenges
• relevant personal achievements
• relevant work experience, including volunteer work
• contributions to your community
• other relevant factors

To be eligible, you must have completed at least two years of a program leading toward a university degree. Applicants with at least three years completed will also be considered for admission under the General category.

Discretionary applicants must submit the same documents as General applicants, plus two letters of reference and documents that support any special circumstances.

You may also review the UBC Calendar for more details.

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You can apply in this category if you self-identify as Indigenous, including First Nations, Métis or Inuit. Your application will also be automatically considered under the General category.

Applicants under the Indigenous category must have the following to be eligible for selection:

• undergraduate degree from a university, or
• three years (minimum 90 credits) from a university, 30 credits of which must be comprised of upper-level courses

We will prioritize applicants who:

• are involved with or committed to Indigenous communities and organizations, and
• intend to use their legal training to advance Indigenous concerns and interests.

Indigenous applicants must submit the same documents as General applicants, plus two academic letters of reference, a personal statement and 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.

Download ILS brochure (PDF)

You may also review the UBC Calendar for more details.

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Though there is no specific applicant category for International students, these students are eligible to apply to the JD program through any of the three existing categories above and have the same requirements as domestic students, with the addition of providing an English Language Proficiency test result (i.e. TOEFL, IELTS) IF the primary language of instruction in their undergraduate studies was not in English.

English is the primary language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students are required to demonstrate a strong commandment of the English language before being admitted.

Some additional useful resources for International students planning on applying to the JD program can be found below:

International Student Guide and Office

International Reach and Communities at Allard

You may also review our Frequently Asked Questions regarding the JD program under “International Applicants” for more details.

You can apply to transfer to Allard Law after completing your first year at another Canadian common law school. If accepted, you will receive your degree after completing two years at the Allard School of Law.

The Admissions Committee may give preference to applicants who:

• would have been admitted to the first year of legal studies at Allard Law at the time of being admitted to their present institution;
• have achieved satisfactory academic performance at their current law school; and
• have compelling reasons for transferring to Allard Law, including compassionate grounds in which the applicant has no control over the circumstances.

You will need to submit undergraduate transcripts, law transcripts, an LSAT score, a personal statement, a letter of good standing from your current law school, and two letters of reference from law professors with your application.

You may also review the UBC Calendar for more details.

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You can apply to enter the first year of the J.D. program if you graduated from a foreign law school and have been approved by the National Committee on Accreditation. If accepted, you will receive your degree after completing two years at the Allard School of Law (first year and one upper year).

You will need to submit all of your academic transcripts, an LSAT score, a personal statement, two letters of reference, and an evaluation letter from the National Committee on Accreditation with your application. 

If you have a foreign law degree, we recommend that you consider applying for the Master of Laws (Common Law) (LLM CL) program or the Distance Learning program.

You may also review the UBC Calendar for more details.

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The Joint Legal Education Program is in the process of being renewed. Students interested in pursuing the program should carefully review the information below and follow the instructions to apply. If there is a change to the program status that will impact the 2024-2025 cycle, Allard Law will contact all students who have submitted applications for 2024-2025.

The Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia and the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law Joint Legal Education Program is the result of an agreement entered into by Allard Law and HKU in 2008. Students who successfully complete the program are able to pursue the professional qualifications required to practice law in both Hong Kong and Canada.

You will need to submit all of your academic transcripts, a personal statement, two letters of reference, and a letter of permission with your application. 

You can view the full HKU/UBC Application Form (PDF) and HKU/UBC Course Selection Guide (PDF) for more information.

If you are currently studying at an approved law school, you can ask your school for permission to complete one year or one term of your second or third year at the Allard School of Law.

The Admissions Committee may give preference to applicants who:

• would have been admitted to the first year of legal studies at Allard Law at the time of being admitted to their present institution;
• have achieved satisfactory academic performance at their current law school; and
• have compelling reasons for attending Allard Law, including compassionate grounds in which the applicant has no control over the circumstances.

You will need to submit a letter of permission from your current law school, your undergraduate transcripts, law transcripts, an LSAT score (unless your current law school does not require an LSAT score for admission), a personal statement, and two letters of reference from law professors with your application.

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