Canadian JD curriculum
What you study in a Canadian JD
Twenty common-law schools across Canada plus McGill's bijural BCL/JD, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and Université de Sherbrooke in the civil-law stream. The first year is broadly standardised (Constitutional, Criminal, Contracts, Torts, Property, Legal Method, Indigenous law). Upper-year courses are partly elective.
First-year core
Constitutional Law
The Charter, the s.91/s.92 division of powers, the unwritten constitutional principles. Foundational at every Canadian law school. Often a full-year course.
Criminal Law
Criminal Code core: actus reus, mens rea, defences, sentencing. Charter procedure runs through it.
Contracts
Formation, performance, breach, remedy. Canadian doctrine + the post-Bhasin good-faith principle.
Torts
Negligence framework (Anns/Cooper), the 1978 trilogy on damages, and the social fabric of Canadian tort.
Property
Real property, personal property, equity, restitution. Pettkus / Kerr on cohabitation property.
Legal Research, Writing, and Method
Citation (McGill 9e), legal reasoning, statutory interpretation. Often paired with the substantive 1L courses.
Indigenous Law (mandatory at most schools)
Most Canadian law schools have made an Indigenous-law course mandatory in the wake of TRC Call to Action #28.
Upper-year doctrinal core
Administrative Law
Vavilov standard-of-review framework, Baker procedural fairness. Required at most schools.
Evidence
Mohan four-part test for expert evidence; Khelawon principled approach to hearsay.
Civil Procedure
Pleadings, discovery, summary judgment. Provincial Rules of Court.
Corporate Law
BCE on directors' duties + the oppression remedy as the all-purpose stakeholder vehicle.
Family Law
Compensatory spousal support (Moge), discoverability for childhood abuse (M(K) v M(H)).
Professional Responsibility / Legal Ethics
Required for graduation by most provincial bars. Doré on regulator engagement with Charter values.
International Law
Public international law, treaties. Suresh on the relationship between immigration and the absolute prohibition on torture.
Schools
After the JD
Articling — 8-12 months supervised practice with a principal. Provincially regulated; Ontario also offers the LPP (Law Practice Program) as an alternative.
Bar admission — Ontario barrister + solicitor exams; BC PLTC + qualification exam; Quebec École du Barreau; Alberta CPLED; etc. Each province has its own format.
NCA — for foreign-trained lawyers entering Canadian practice. Up to ~10 challenge exams in foundational subjects. See our NCA prep page for detail.