Why UCalgary Law?
We know that you have many options when choosing a law school in Canada. Here are just some of the reasons why UCalgary Law should be at the top of your list.
Top 10 reasons to choose UCalgary Law
- One hour from the beautiful Rocky Mountains!
- Small class sizes
- The Calgary Curriculum
- Holistic admissions process
- Clinics and mooting opportunities
- Connection with Calgary legal community
- Being practice-ready
- Articling placement rate
- Family/friends said it was a great school
- Competitive tuition and living costs
I chose the University of Calgary for it's community. The legal community in Calgary is small and collegial, and this culture starts at law school itself. Everyone is incredibly friendly and driven, it's hard to imagine these three years with another group of people.
Thomas Nguyen
current JD student
We see you as a person, not a number
We select students based on more than academic excellence. We look at the entire person and consider all experiences and achievements. We recognize that great students are measured by more than their marks.
All the students in your class are also chosen for that something extra. You will be part of a thriving student body that is bright, diverse, and engaged in their learning community. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, creating an extraordinary learning atmosphere.
Meet the Class of 2027
The legal profession in Canada and around the world has entered a period of tremendous change. Lawyers in today’s markets need a wider range of skills and knowledge than lawyers from the past. Our innovative approach to teaching gives you the best education for the legal marketplace of tomorrow.
The Calgary Curriculum gives you the competence you need to understand the concepts, methods, analysis, reasoning, and critical perspectives to excel in legal practice. Our innovative teaching practices also help you translate that knowledge into action.
Opportunities to use your practical skills
We strive to provide you with extensive opportunities to get real-life legal experience. Our clinical programs provide opportunities to develop practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
Our unique courses position us as leaders in experiential education, in a variety of areas, and new courses allow you to stay current. Recent new course offerings include:
- Reconciliation & Lawyers
- Corporate & In-House Counsel
- Alberta Utilities Commission Clinical
- Marketing & Client Development
At the end of your degree, you'll take part in our Trial Advocacy course, which takes everything you’ve learned and lets you apply it in a mock trial in front of judges.
You may also take part in our Mooting & Debating program to hone your negotiation, advocacy and debating skills. Competitions take place across Canada, and in some cases, internationally.
Law students gained hands-on experience in administrative tribunals through internship with AUC.
Brian McNulty
Summer positions and articling placement rates
Our articling placement rate is typically the first or second highest of any law school in Canada. These high rates have held strong, even during challenging economic times. Our Career & Professional Development Office knows the Calgary legal market best, and you will enjoy unprecedented access to that market during law school.
Our students often receive more articling placements in the Calgary legal market, as well as the most offers for first- and second-year summer placements and internships in the Calgary legal market than any law school in Canada. In 2022, our students received more than half of positions offered in the national Calgary market first-year recruit for summer 2022 positions. The next highest law school had approximately 9% of the market.
We also have strong connections to markets across Canada. A third of our students are from outside Alberta, and maintaining strong relationships with legal communities across the country is a priority for us. Our career advisors will work with you to help you pursue your legal career in any field and in any community across Canada and internationally.
5-year articling placement rates*
Class of 2023: 99% (1 non-report, 1 not seeking)
Class of 2022: 98% (0 non-reports; 3 not seeking)
Class of 2021: 98% (4 non-reports; 4 not seeking)
Class of 2020: 98% (1 non-report; 2 not seeking)
Class of 2019: 100% (2 non-reports; 1 not seeking)
*Articling placement rates are calculated by taking the number of students who have secured articles out of those seeking. Those not seeking articles and non-reports are not included in the calculation.
Meeting and getting to speak with practitioners, professors, and upper year students helped me get a broader understanding of the many different career paths available in the legal profession. These interactions also gave me insight into the deep camaraderie within the school and the profession as a whole.
Daphne Wang, JD’19
Work across the country
UCalgary Law graduates are eligible to article in any Canadian province (except for Quebec, which is a civil law jurisdiction). We have students from across Canada every year who want to work in their home province. The Career and Professional Development Office is well-versed in, and well-connected to, opportunities at home and across the country. We offer annual firm hops in Vancouver and Toronto, as well as a boutique and small firm event in Vancouver. We also host on-campus interviews for employers from Toronto and Vancouver. In recent years, we’ve helped students get back to Victoria, Winnipeg, Kamloops, Halifax, Saskatoon, Ottawa, and more.
Certification in Common Law in French
Offered in partnership with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, this program allows students with competencies in French to gain skills in French legal writing and advocacy, opening doors to more career opportunities, while helping to increase access to justice in both official languages.
Explore the law school
Murray Fraser Hall
Murray Fraser Hall is home to UCalgary Law.
Bennett Jones Law Library
Explore the law library at UCalgary Law.
Video tour of Murray Fraser Hall
Take a quick video tour through Murray Fraser Hall, home of UCalgary Law.