The scholarship of our faculty, robust legal clinics, programs and centres, and the calibre of our students and alumni make us a global top 20 school
Scholarly and student excellence are the foundation of everything we do at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. We are part of one of the world’s greatest research-intensive universities, located within one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities. U of T operates on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Our Faculty is housed within the historic Falconer Hall, Flavelle House and the newly constructed Jackman Law Building. Our world-leading scholars take a wide range of cutting-edge legal and interdisciplinary approaches, making for a vibrant intellectual community and learning experience.
As an internationally top-ranked law school our reputation rests on the caliber of our professoriate. They are the recipients of major research awards, advisors to expert panels and governments, authors of books, and contributors and editors to top-ranked journals worldwide. The breadth of our scholarship encompasses every conceivable area, from Indigenous Peoples and the Law to Law and Technology, and approaches range from Law and Economics, to Law and Philosophy, to Law and Society, to International Law and Policy, just to name a few. Innovative cross-category thinking is what U of T Law is known for in Canada and around the world.
JD students engage in a rigorous curriculum and research, and are active in pro bono legal services and manifold public interest groups. Downtown Legal Services, the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights, the International Human Rights Program in addition to newly established initiatives, the Future of Law Lab and Investor Protection Clinic, are but a few examples of more than a dozen in-house legal clinics, centres and programs. With support from our extraordinary alumni and donor community, we are fortunate to offer research, externship and fellowship opportunities for students to take part in the very best legal thinking and practice before joining the profession.
Learning extends well beyond our classrooms and centres. We offer a full calendar of in-house programming – guest speakers, legal seminars and workshops – our student body has established more than 50 extra-curricular clubs, ranging from intramural sports teams, advocacy groups, special interest topics and more. Student-focused offices, including the Indigenous Initiatives Office (IIO), are here to support you at every step of your law school journey.
We prepare our graduates to become exemplary leaders, at home and abroad in the legal profession, the judiciary, public service, academia, business and beyond. Master’s students (LLM) from around the globe join us in our scholarly endeavours and can concentrate their studies in one of four areas, Business Law; Criminal Law; Health Law & Policy; or Legal Theory. Our doctoral students (SJD) are on the pathway to becoming thought-leaders themselves, with many of our graduates pursuing academic careers across Canada and internationally. The innovative Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) is designed for professionals and executives who want to gain a deeper understanding of how Canadian law is applied in their area of practice and is centred around four areas of concentration: Business Law; Canadian Law in a Global Context; Innovation, Law and Technology; and Law of Leadership.
U of T Law strives to help address the inequities in the legal profession through a comprehensive bursary program and through programs such as LAWS – Law in Action Within Schools – Canada’s leading law school youth outreach program, and Black Future Lawyers, established to respond to the underrepresentation of Black law students.
I invite you to explore our academic programs (JD guide), centres and our website's news and calendar of events, to learn more about the many initiatives that bring our community and the public together at Canada’s top law school. We hope you will join us!
Sincerely,
Jutta Brunnée, FRSC
Dean, University Professor and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair
Associate Member, Institut de droit international
deansoffice.law@utoronto.ca
