OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law 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. 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.
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, or 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. Full-time studies are geared to applicants who are in a career transition period or who wish to take time away from work to focus on their studies. This is also the appropriate option for international applicants. While full-time students are welcome to work part-time during their studies, we encourage those working full-time to consider our part-time option if their legal status will enable them to.
Alumni Spotlights
Francisco Rojas
Francisco is counsel at the Royal Bank of Canada, one of the country’s largest financial institutions. While his practice back home centered on criminal law, through interactions with classmates, instructors and networking in his new professional environment, Rojas came to realize that banking and financial services were a more suitable direction for his legal career restart in Canada.
Sandeep Sandhu
Sandeep Sandhu has filled almost every role in the legal office at one time or other. Now a family and civil litigation lawyer at Parker Dubrule Szaszkiewicz LLP in Edmonton, she shares her path from receptionist to lawyer and how Osgoode’s LLM in Canadian Common Law helped shape her successful legal career in Canada
Student Services
As a full-time Professional LLM student, you’ll benefit from a wide range of student services designed to help you meet your academic and career goals.
Career Development: We understand that our full-time students are often interested in making a career transition after their studies, so we place significant emphasis on providing a range of resources, events, and one-on-one counselling to help our students meet their goals.
Academic Success: Full-time Professional LLM students come from across the globe and from many different professional backgrounds. To help you achieve academic success, we offer resources and counselling throughout your program.
Student Life: Our students are uniquely positioned to participate in student life on York University’s Keele Campus and through Osgoode Hall Law School groups and events, as well as in professional legal events and networking through the Osgoode Professional Development centre.
Our full range of services and more details about each one can be viewed below.
List of Services
Academic Services
Program Orientation
Introductory Courses
Workshops and Resources
Confidential Academic and Wellness Counselling
Career Support
Job Postings
Resources/Guides
Workshops and Events
Counselling
Campus Life
Student Social Activities
Osgoode and York U Extra Curriculars
Professional Networking Events
Information Session
Learn About the Program
Interested in our full-time Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law? In this on demand session, you will learn more about course offerings, degree requirements, what to expect during your studies and the steps to apply.
Additional Sessions for Internationally-Trained Lawyers
Drop in Advising Sessions
Sign up to join a virtual office hours session!
Attendees will have a ten minute 1:1 advising session with one of our Advisors. There are no scheduled appointment times for drop-in hours, attendees will be seen on a first come, first served basis. You should expect to wait in a queue (rather than being seen immediately), so make sure to have a comfortable chair and bring something to do while you wait (just like a real waiting room!) To attend this session, you will need a device that is compatible with Zoom, with a microphone/speakers and camera.
Degree Requirements
The Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law (Full-Time) is a one-year, intensive, in-person program that requires the completion of 36 credits over three terms. It is designed to support internationally trained lawyers in meeting the requirements of the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA).
Students develop a personalized study plan, selecting from a wide range of NCA-accredited courses. At least 18 of the 36 credits must come from Canadian Common Law courses. You may choose to complete all of your credits through Canadian Common Law courses, or you can include electives from other specializations and/or pursue an independent research paper aligned with your interests and goals.
Most students are assigned one or more required introductory courses as a condition of admission. The Admissions Committee makes these assignments on a case-by-case basis to ensure that you are set up for success in the program. Condition courses count towards your degree requirements.
Course Offerings:
Click the link below to view our planned course offerings for the upcoming academic year. This chart is updated twice a year – in May and November. Please note that while it reflects our current plans, course offerings, formats, and schedules are subject to change. Students gain access to detailed course information shortly after accepting their offer of admission.
What to Expect
After accepting your offer of admission, you’ll receive information about course schedules. 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. Full-time students have limited access to online courses (generally only when there isn’t an equivalent in-person option) and should expect to take all courses in-person and visit campus on a regular basis.
If you’re looking for a more flexible option, including courses delivered online through live video conferencing, consider applying to the part-time version of the program.
Application Dates
The Canadian Common Law specialization accepts new students twice each calendar year, in the Fall term and the Winter term.
Winter 2026
Application Deadlines:
International Applicants are Encouraged to Apply by: April 15, 2025
Final Deadline: September 15, 2025
Fall 2026
Applications Not Currently Open
Applications will open on October 01, 2025
Faculty
Program director
François Tanguay-Renaud
Instructors include
Michael Dineen
Laleh Hedayati
Natalie V. Kolos
Tuition and Fees
Full-time students pay in three installments over three terms.
You will be billed an installment for each term in which you enroll in courses. If you complete the program in fewer than three terms, you’ll be billed your remaining installment(s) at the end of your program. If you need more than three 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 (Ontario)
$7,601.58per term for 3 terms
$22,804.74total
Domestic (Out of Province)
$7,981.66per term for 3 terms
$23,944.98total
International
$17,657.34per term for 3 terms
$52,972.02total
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)
Writing sample
2 recommendations (academic and/or professional)
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 $140 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.