The coursework-only option is aimed at law students who wish to specialize in a specific area of law, particularly one of the Faculty of Law's areas of strength - such as business law, criminal law, legal theory, and more. Students in this option may wish to develop an understanding of North American legal processes and laws, or to explore the common law at an advanced level. Students can customize an area of focus in the coursework-only LLM through their course selections and writing requirement.
All LLM candidates participate in the graduate seminar, Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship, with other graduate students. The seminar is designed to expose students to various approaches to legal scholarship, including law and philosophy, law and economics, feminism and the law, legal history, law and society, analytical jurisprudence and critical legal theory. Graduate students choose their other courses from those available in the JD program, which are posted on-line in the summer. Graduate students are expected to choose upper-level and seminar courses.
In addition to the Degree Requirements, we also offer an intensive course, Introduction to the Canadian Legal System, in late August for students who are new to Canada and/or common law. We also hold a mandatory, non-credit LLM Writing Workshop, with sessions on legal research and writing throughout the year. Students also participate in the Comparative Legal Systems Seminar, where international LLM students present research about the legal systems in their home countries.
The coursework-only LLM is usually undertaken on a full-time basis, beginning in September. In exceptional cases, with the permission of the Associate Dean (Graduate), students may apply to complete the program on a part-time basis.
Note: an LLM does not qualify foreign-trained candidates to practise law in Ontario, and LLM students are not permitted to take courses from the first year JD program. Contact the National Commitee on Accreditation for information on practising law in Ontario. See also information on NCA-related offerings at the Faculty of Law.
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