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“New” Legal Process Requirement in Effect

Legal process changed from a first-year course requirement to an upper-year course requirement

2Ls, 1Ls, and future JD students now need to take an upper-year course dedicated to the study of legal procedures for a minimum of two credits. On March 22, 2023, the Faculty Council introduced an upper year legal process graduation requirement. 

Previously, Legal Process (LAW100H1) was a mandatory course in the 1L curriculum. It was replaced with the mandatory 1L course, Indigenous Peoples and the Law (LAW108H1S).

3Ls and 4Ls who already took Legal Process in their 1L year do not need to take another legal process course to graduate. 

Currently, nine courses satisfy the legal process course requirement. These include Civil Procedure (LAW260H1S), formerly known as Legal Process (LAW100H1), and more specialized courses such as Criminal Procedure (LAW232H1) and Constitutional Litigation (LAW237H1).

There are now seven upper-year course requirements, including three course requirements and four breadth requirements. Students must take Administrative Law (LAW202H); complete a competitive moot or the Upper Year Moot (LAW432); and complete Legal Ethics (LAW362) to satisfy the Ethics and Professionalism requirement. 

In addition, students must also take an intensive course during the January intersession in 2L or 3L; an International, Comparative, or Transnational Law (ICT) course worth at least two credits; and a Perspectives course worth a minimum of two credits. ICT courses involve the study of some non-Canadian law. The JD Academic Handbook describes Perspectives courses as “concerned with the nature, sources, and purposes of legal regulation in general rather than with the study of legal doctrine in a particular area.”

Some courses can satisfy your ICT or perspective requirement, or your perspective requirement or legal process course requirement. However, no one course can satisfy two upper year course requirements. 

Make sure you are on track to satisfy your upper year course requirements—Cognomos will not. 

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