General
Who it's forApplicants who do not qualify for one of the other three categories.
Assessed holistically against the same criteria described above. No supporting category documentation required.
Lakehead University
Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
OntarioAdmissions
Application deadline
Nov 1
Through OLSAS
GPA basis
Cumulative
Calculated by OLSAS, nothing dropped
LSAT scores
Highest
As reported in the application year
Personal statement
8,000 ch.
Must engage the three mandate areas
Domestic tuition
$21,782
In province
Domestic tuition
$21,782
Out of province
International tuition
No international enrollment
Per year
Lakehead publishes no admissions statistics — deliberately
“We do not provide statistics on the median or average GPA or LSAT for any of our admissions cycles. We also do not have ‘cut-off’ points for admission.” The stated reason is that holistic review makes such statistics potentially misleading; they encourage “applicants with unique stories to apply since all file aspects receive consideration.” The one quantitative signal given is that competitive applicants “typically maintain a B+/A- average.”
The Integrated Practice Curriculum
Shapes what admission means hereThe Bora Laskin JD is a three-year, in-person, full-time program built around an Integrated Practice Curriculum (IPC). That structure drives an unusual set of admissions restrictions — Lakehead is the most closed of the Canadian law schools on several fronts.
International studentsNot accepted — Canadian citizenship or permanent residency required
Transfer studentsNot accepted, due to the IPC requirements
Advanced standingNot available, including for NCA candidates — the full three-year JD is required
Part-time studyNot available: “This may change in the future”
International exchangeNot available
Combined degreesNone — “we currently offer a JD degree”
How Applications Are Assessed
Holistic, with no weights
Lakehead uses “a holistic approach to admissions,” seeking “academically strong, well-rounded, and diverse candidates” through “thorough file reviews.”
No weighting is assigned to any component. There is no minimum GPA and no minimum LSAT. Whether interviews are used is not published.
Academic requirement
Applicants must “successfully complete a minimum of 3 years of full-time undergraduate studies at a recognized university,” or apply under the Mature category. A four-year degree is preferred, and you may apply during your third or final year.
Official transcripts from every post-secondary institution go to OLSAS — including for current Lakehead students.
GPA Calculation
Plain cumulativeWho calculates itOLSAS, on Lakehead’s behalf
What countsAll undergraduate grades, including summer courses
Dropping lowest gradesNone — no best-two-years, no drops
Master’s and college gradesNot included, though transcripts are still required for context
TrendsThe committee reviews yearly trends and transcripts, recognising difficult academic starts and program changes
In-progress studyUpdated transcripts sent to OLSAS after final winter grades trigger a recalculation
Limit on reassessmentApplies only to waitlisted applicants — rejected files are not reopened for new grades
Admission Categories
Supporting documentation required for three of fourIndigenous
Who it's forFirst Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants.
Supporting documentation is required. Lakehead “explicitly welcomes reflections on Indigenous-Black relations and racialized communities’ roles in reconciliation and environmental justice” in the personal statement.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)
Who it's forApplicants applying on the basis of equity, diversity, inclusion, or accessibility grounds.
Supporting documentation is required. Criteria are detailed on the OLSAS site.
Mature
Who it's forApplicants with “ten or more years of relevant work or non-academic experience demonstrating strong potential for law study success.”
Exempt from the three-year undergraduate requirement and from the academic-reference preference. Supporting documentation is required; criteria are on the OLSAS site.
One deadline for everyone
There are no per-category deadlines — all four categories share the November 1 OLSAS deadline.
The Personal Statement
8,000 charactersThe mandate areas
Unusually directive: your statement should address how the faculty’s three mandate areas align with your career goals.
- Aboriginal and Indigenous Law
- Environmental Law and Natural Resource Law
- Sole Practitioner / Small Town Law practice
What else to cover
- Your strengths, achievements, and preparation for law study
- Your interest in the faculty specifically
- Any anomalies in your academic record
- Non-academic accomplishments and relevant circumstances
Lakehead frames it as “the best cover letter you’ve ever written for the job you want most in the world” — take time, avoid spelling errors, ensure logical flow, and write authentically “rather than what applicants think readers want.” It “must be authored entirely by you.”
Application Components
What to submit
Personal statementMaximum 8,000 characters
ReferencesMinimum two — two academic preferred, or one academic and one non-academic
Mature applicantsExempt from the academic-reference preference
Autobiographical SketchWork and volunteer experience, research, extracurriculars, awards
TranscriptsFrom every post-secondary institution, via OLSAS
Category documentationFor Indigenous, EDIA, and Mature applicants
Choosing referees
A letter from a well-known lawyer, judge, or politician “probably” will not help. Letters work best “from someone who knows you and your passion for law/justice and your study habits.”
Send nothing directly
“Documents sent directly to the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law will neither be acknowledged, reviewed, kept, nor returned.” Everything goes through OLSAS.
Fees & Fee Waivers
What you pay
OLSAS base feeNot waivable
Lakehead university fee$115.00 — this is the only portion Lakehead waives
Transcript feesAdditional
Waiver eligibility and process
Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents applying to the first-year JD whose “income and financial support… during the year preceding your fee waiver request must not exceed the amount normally required to provide for your basic needs.” Bank accounts, RRSPs, and readily convertible assets count as income. The criterion is stated elsewhere as “absolute inability to pay.”
- Completed OLSAS Fee Waiver Form
- Cover letter with your OLSAS username, address, email, and phone
- Prior-year Notice of Assessment
- Current social assistance documentation, if applicable
- OSAP or provincial assistance Notice of Assessment
- Proof of citizenship
- Current LSAC fee waiver approval, if available
Submitted to law@lakeheadu.ca. Allow at least two weeks. “Incomplete applications will not be processed.” Waivers are not retroactive and apply to the current cycle only.
Dates & the OLSAS Cycle
- August 21Applications open on OLSAS
- October 20Fee waiver requests dueNot retroactive
- November 1Application deadline
- DecemberFirst-round offers typically go outRolling until capacity is reached, usually early summer
- April 1Acceptance deadline
- May – JuneWaitlist decisions
- June 1Deposit due$500, non-refundable, applied toward tuition
- July 2Provisional acceptances convert automatically to firm
Firm vs. provisional acceptances
An OLSAS quirk worth understanding: a firm acceptance at one Ontario law school removes you from consideration at all the others. A provisional acceptance keeps you open to other offers — until July 2, when provisional acceptances convert automatically to firm.
Waitlists
Waitlisted applicants “may send a Letter of Continued Interest to law@lakeheadu.ca.” The faculty “cannot disclose waitlist positions.”
All information on this page is drawn from Lakehead University’s official admissions pages. Requirements and deadlines change — always confirm with the school before applying.