Academic Requirements

  • Upper Year Research and Writing Requirement
  • Indigenous and Aboriginal Law Requirement (IALR)
  • Osgoode Public Interest Requirement (OPIR)
  • Praxicum Requirement
  • Notes on Course Registrations

Please read this section carefully before planning your year of study.

STUDENTS ENTERING FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM IN

FALL 2024 (OR LATER) must meet these degree requirements as found in the Academic Rules of the Student Handbook:

  1. Successfully complete a minimum of 60 credit hours over second and third years;
  2. In each of 2nd and 3rd year, successfully complete a seminar, course or other option satisfying the Upper Year Research & Writing Requirement described on page 1;
  3. Complete the 40 hour Osgoode Public Interest Requirement described on page 2;
  4. Complete a course or seminar that satisfies the Praxicum requirement described on page 3;
  5. Complete a course or seminar that satisfies the Indigenous and Aboriginal Law Requirement (IALR) described on page 2.
  6. Enroll in between 13 and 17 credit hours each term; and
  7. May not take more than two seminars per term.
  8. Students enrolled in a 15-credit clinical program may enrol in only four seminars over their second and third years.

STUDENTS ENTERING FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM IN FALL 2024 (or later) must meet these degree requirements as found in the Academic Rules of the Student Handbook:

  1. Successfully complete a minimum of 60 credit hours over second and third years;
  2. In each of 2nd and 3rd year, successfully complete a seminar, course or other option satisfying the Upper Year Research & Writing Requirement described on page 1;
  • Complete the 40 hour Osgoode Public Interest Requirement described on page 2;
  • Complete a course or seminar that satisfies the Praxicum requirement described on page 2;
  • Complete a course or seminar that satisfies the Indigenous and Aboriginal Law Requirement (IALR) described on page 2
  • Successfully complete the upper year Administrative Law (LW2010.04) course
  • Enrol in between 13 and 17 credit hours each term; and
  • May not take more than two seminars per term.

Note: Students in the Joint JD/MBA, JD/MES or JD/MA (Phil) should refer to Joint Programs on pages 63-67 for specific program requirements.

Upper Year Research and Writing Requirement

All students must complete two (2) upper year research papers pursuant to Rule A 3.6 of the Academic Rules of Osgoode Hall Law School by the end of third year. In each of their 2nd and 3rd years, students are required to enroll in a course, seminar or other option which satisfies the requirement.

Upper Year Research Requirement (Academic Rule A.3.6):

  1. Students will be required, in each of second and third year, to successfully complete one of the following:
    1. a seminar or designated course in which the student writes a research paper as the primary mode of evaluation;
    1. a research paper under Rule 4.4;
    1. a Research Program under Rule 4.5; or
    1. a major writing requirement in a Joint Program involving Osgoode Hall Law

School and another faculty or department of the University.

  • For the purposes of this Rule:
    • “seminar” includes a seminar taken in another faculty or department of the University under Rule 4.9 or, with the permission of the Assistant Dean (Students) or the Associate Dean (Students) in another University;
    • “designated course” means a course or clinical program designated by the Assistant Dean (Students) or the Associate Dean (Students);
    • a research paper constitutes the

“primary mode of evaluation” when at least 60% (or the equivalent) of the final grade in the seminar or course is based on the research paper;

  1. a “research paper” means a paper at least 7,000 words in length, excluding notes, bibliography and appendices.

Indigenous and Aboriginal Law Requirement (IALR)

All graduates of the JD program must have completed at least one course that fulfills the Indigenous and Aboriginal Law Requirement (IALR).

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the following courses qualify for the IALR: Indigenous Peoples & Canadian Law; Comparative Law: Indigenous Legal Traditions; Comparative Law: Indigenous Nation-building and Inherent Jurisdiction; and Law and Social Change: Indigenous Law Camp

A course fulfills the IALR when it meets the following criteria (Academic Rule A.3.9):

  • it is a lecture, seminar, or other for-credit course offering that carries at least three (3) credits;
  • the course content focuses primarily on Indigenous and Aboriginal legal issues and engages in a substantial way with all three of the following:
    • Indigenous law (law that stems from Indigenous communities);
    • Aboriginal law (non-Indigenous law, including Canadian law, as it pertains to Indigenous people);
    • Aspects of professionalism and/or practice skills related to serving Indigenous clients, which may include intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights and anti- racism.
  • The course is approved by the Associate Dean (Academic) in consultation with the Academic Policy and Planning Committee and with ultimate approval from York Senate.

Osgoode Public Interest Requirement (OPIR)

(Academic Rule A.3.7)

The Osgoode Public Interest Requirement (OPIR) is a graduation requirement for all JD students at Osgoode Hall Law School. Students are required to complete 40 hours of unpaid, law-related, public interest work over their three years at law school and will receive recognition for their work on their final transcript. A variety of placements are available including CLASP, clinical programs, student- sourced placements, Pro Bono Students Canada projects, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Securities Commission, the private bar and more. Placements may be done locally, nationally or internationally. Evaluation is done through either a short paper reflecting on the student’s experience or by participating in a moderated discussion group with other students.

For detailed information visit OPIR on the Osgoode website.

Praxicum Requirement

A praxicum is a course, seminar or clinical program that integrates legal theory with practice. Such offerings provide opportunities for experiential learning, a process which engages and fosters notions of reflective education. In turn, the purpose of such reflective education is to assist students to become reflective professionals. Courses, seminars and programs that qualify as meeting the praxicum requirement will be indicated as such in the Syllabus.

Praxicum Requirement (Academic Rule A.3.8) In either second or third year, each student shall successfully complete a praxicum designated course.

For the purposes of this Rule, “designated” means a seminar, course or clinical program designated as meeting the praxicum requirement.

Prior to filing of plans of study under Rule 3.2, the Programs & Records Office shall publish a list of seminars and designated courses fulfilling the praxicum requirement offered at Osgoode Hall Law School in the next academic year.

Notes on Course Registrations

  • Students are not permitted to enroll in a course or seminar where the time for the classes or exams of that course or seminar conflict with those of another course or seminar in which the student is enrolled.
  • Supervised research papers, mooting, senior editor roles with Osgoode-based law journals, lawyering competitions, courses in other faculties and courses at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law are

considered as seminars for enrolment purposes.

  • Students enrolled in a 15-credit clinical program may enrol in only four seminars over their second and third years.
  • A student may apply for approval to enrol in additional seminars by completing a More Than Two Seminars Approval Form and submitting it to the Programs & Records Office.
  • A student may not be enrolled in more than one 15 credit clinical program over second and third years;
  • Students must have taken all specified prerequisites for 4000-level courses and 5000-level seminars.

Students are expected to ensure that they are informed on the various regulations concerning academic dishonesty, in particular, that it is a serious academic offence (i.e. cheating) to submit the same or substantially the same paper to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without receiving the prior written permission from each instructor. Please refer to the Student Handbook posted on MyOsgoode for further details.

It is the responsibility of the student to comply with the academic requirements of the JD program.