Law schools in Québec: admissions, tuition, and other info

Québec is a unique province in Canada. Not only is it a Francophone province, it’s also the only province in the country that uses the civil law system.

Studying law in Québec will bring a distinct experience and perspective on its legal education largely based on its Civil Code.

This article, which discusses the different law schools in Québec, may be used by applicants to any of its undergraduate or graduate programs.

What is a law degree called in Québec?

The law degree that is necessary to practice law in Québec is the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Licentiate in Law (LLL). This is based on Québec’s civil law – the main legal system in the province – as taught by most law schools in Québec.

The LLB or LLL must be differentiated from the Juris Doctor (JD) degree program. JD is based on Canada’s common law.

Civil Law vs. Common Law

Studying law in Canada is based on one of the two different legal systems in the country: civil law or common law.

Civil law is only practiced in Québec while common law is the legal system used in the other provinces of Canada.

This means that studying a civil law-specific degree or program will only allow the graduate to practice law in the province of Québec. Common law graduates cannot practice law in Québec unless they have also studied civil law.

Some law schools in Canada have ways to address this, such as offering a combined or joint degree or program. Others also offer programs where common law is studied in one law school, while civil law is studied in another.

For a quick understanding of civil law vs. common law, watch this video:

Refer to this complete list of Canadian law schools 2023/2024 for information on other law schools in the country that offer civil law, common law, or both.

What are the law schools in Québec?

There are currently five law schools in Québec that offer the LLB, joint JD/LLB, and other graduate programs:

• Université Laval – Faculté de Droit
• McGill University – Faculty of Law
• Université de Montréal – Faculté de Droit
• Université du Québec à Montréal – Faculté de science politique et de droit
• Université de Sherbrooke – Faculté de droit

Below is the discussion of these law schools in Québec, the degree programs it offers, the admission requirements or processes, and the opportunities it offers for its future students:

Université Laval – Faculté de droit

Located in Québec City, the Université Laval – Faculté de Droit (Laval University – Faculty of Law) is one of the oldest law schools in Canada.

Called ULaval for short, this law school offers the following law degree programs:

• Certificate of Law
• Bachelor of Laws / Baccalauréat en droit (LLB)
• Doctor of Laws (LLD)
• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Master of Laws (LLM) in Notarial Law

Its LLM program can be studied with or without the following concentrations:

• Business Law
• Environmental Law, Sustainable Development, and Food Security
• Fundamental Rights
• International and Transnational Law

Do not be confused between ULaval’s Certificate of Law and Bachelor of Laws. The Certificate of Law is much more like a short program, which can be completed in only 1 year and with only 30 credits.

On the other hand, the Bachelor of Laws is the pre-requisite degree for those who are aspiring to become lawyers.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to ULaval’s LLB, you must submit the following general requirements:

1. Eligibility for Québec residents:

• Holder of a diplôme d'études collégiales (DEC)
• Resume and cover letter

2. Eligibility for non-Québec residents:

• High school diploma and one year of university study
• Curriculum vitae and cover letter

McGill University – Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law of McGill University is one of the law schools in Québec which offers the BCL/JD Program.

Through this bilingual degree program, you’ll be able to learn both common law (JD) and civil law (BCL). This will then allow you to sit the bar of any Canadian province, as well as some US jurisdictions. The BCL/JD Program can be completed within three and a half years, or around four years.

In addition, the BCL/JD Program may be studied with a Joint Degree Program, which may be completed within four to five years. These Joint Degree Programs are:

• BCL/JD and Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• BCL/JD and Master of Social Work (MSW)

McGill’s Faculty of Law also offers the following graduate programs:

1. Master of Laws (LLM) in:

• • General Law – Thesis or Non-Thesis
  • Air and Space Law – Thesis or Non-Thesis
  • Environment – Thesis or Non-Thesis
  • Bioethics – Thesis-based

2. Doctor of Civil Law, with three options:

• • Law
  • Comparative Law
  • Air and Space Law

Admission requirements

To be eligible for McGill’s BCL/JD Program, you must meet the following requirements:

• 60 credits of university studies, a diploma of collegial studies (DCS) from a Québec College of General and Professional Education (CEGEP), or a French Baccalaureate from Québec
• advanced proficiency in either English or French, and be passively bilingual in one

While an LSAT score is not required, it will be considered if you’re going to submit one.

If you are applying for any of the applicant categories offered by McGill, you must still meet the above criteria, since these would be the minimum for all candidates.

Université de Montréal – Faculté de Droit

The Université de Montréal – Faculté de Droit is a Québec law school which offers Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and certain graduate studies, such as:

• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Master of Laws (LLM) in Comparative Common Law
• Master of Laws (LLM) in Comparative Private Law
• Master of Laws (LLM) in Notarial Law
• Business Law in a Global Context (LLM)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)

Université de Montréal’s LLB students may also obtain a graduate degree through simultaneous study during the third year. These joint LLB-graduate degrees include:

• LLB – Graduate Studies
• LLB – Common law

One of the unique offerings of Université de Montréal is its Juris Doctor (JD) in North American Common Law. This is a 32-credit graduate program where Québecois lawyer can study both the Canadian and US common law.

Admission requirements

To be admitted for Université de Montréal’s LLB, you must meet one of these requirements:

• hold a diploma of college studies (DEC) or an equivalent training
• completed the University’s study program Preparatory year
• hold a pre-university diploma
• completed at least 48 university credits
• completed the University’s Certificate in Law

Université du Québec à Montréal – Faculté de science politique et de droit

The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) offers its Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with the following concentrations:

• women’s studies
• Indigenous studies
• ethnic studies
• international communications

UQAM also offers other programs and graduate degrees related to legal education, such as:

• Certificate in Social and Labour Law
• Bachelor in International Relations and International Law
• Master of Laws (LLM) both as a thesis or non-thesis option

Admission requirements

As to the eligibilities of UQAM’s LLB, you must:

• prove mastery in the French language by passing its approved French tests
• hold a college diploma (DEC) or any of its equivalent

In addition, UQAM also offers other selection methods and criteria, such as:

• Experience basis
• University studies base
• Base studies outside Québec

Université de Sherbrooke – Faculté de droit

The Faculté de droit (Faculty of Law) of the Université de Sherbrooke (UDS) is one of the law schools in Québec that offers the Baccalauréat en droit (Bachelor of Law) and other graduate studies.

Its Baccalauréat en droit has several paths that applicants may choose from:

• un cheminement général (General Path)
• un cheminement coopératif (Cooperative Path)
• un cheminement en sciences de la vie (Pathway in Life Sciences)
• un cheminement avec maîtrise en administration des affaires (MBA) en régime coopératif (Pathway with MBA in Cooperative Regime)
• un cheminement avec diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées de 2e cycle en common law et droit transnational (Pathway with Juris Doctor)

If you’re interested in entering the bars of the other Canadian common law provinces, or the New York Bar, studying under the Pathway with Juris Doctor will allow you to do so.

Officially named as Bachelor of Laws with a degree in common law and transnational law, this pathway will be available during the 2nd year of the Bachelor of Law.

Aside from these degree programs, UDS also offers the following graduate programs:

• Doctorate in Law
• Master's degree in:
  • Law
  • Notarial Law
  • Health Law and Policy
  • Common Law and Transnational Law
  • The Practice of Criminal and Penal Law
  • Applied International Law and International Politics

Admission requirements

The admission requirements for UDS’s Bachelor of Law have two conditions: general and specific conditions.

The general conditions for admission to 1st cycle programs require applicants to have diplôme d'études collégiales (DEC). This is different from the specific conditions as required in each pathway.

Aside from the usual admission or applicant categories (discussed further below), UDS also offers the Intermediary category.

Under this category, you may apply for the Bachelor of Laws if you have completed 30 credits or more of an undergraduate degree program (LLB or LLL), other than a common law program.

The degree program may either be offered by another law faculty in Québec or by the civil law section of the University of Ottawa – Faculty of Law.

What are the admission requirements and process of law schools in Québec?

While each Québec law school has its own specific admission requirements and process, there are still some similarities across these schools.

For instance, most offer admission or applicant categories which you can choose from. This is to help you apply at your preferred school, even if you don’t meet some of the requirements.

The common admission or applicant categories among the law schools in Québec are as follows:

• University/General: those who have completed their undergraduate degree, or in the process of its completion, either from Québec or from another Canadian province
• Adult/Mature: those who have gaps in their educational history, or those who have interruptions in their undergraduate or post-graduate degrees
• Foreign: those who earned their undergraduate degree from another country, either with a civil law or common law study
• Indigenous: those who identify as members of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and other Indigenous communities

Knowledge or proficiency of the French language is also an important factor in the admission process of these Québec law schools. Since law schools in Québec mostly use French as the language of instruction, you must pass some language test as may be required by your preferred school.

How much does law school cost in Québec?

Below are the prescribed tuition fees of every Québec law school. These fees are subject to change per cycle or per academic year.

Scholarships and financial aids

If you’re financially struggling but want to pursue law in any of these law schools in Québec, there are ways to lessen the impact of these tuition fees.

You can apply for scholarships, awards, bursaries, and financial aid. While the names of these scholarships may be similar across the different law schools, their requirements may be different.

Some of these scholarships are automatically offered to applicants upon admission. Others are offered during the first or succeeding years, based on educational performance or other criteria.

How long is law school in Québec?

As with any other Canadian law school in other provinces, you will finish studying the LLB after three years of full-time study. This period may extend if you’re studying on a part-time basis.

After graduating from law school, you must then undertake the following processes to practice law in Québec:

• finish your four- or eight-month course or work placement at the École du Barreau (Québec Bar School)
• complete your apprenticeship or articling training period for six months

Get to know more about the law schools in Canada by checking out our section on Legal Education. This page features law schools of the other provinces, including other guides for future Canadian lawyers.