Bond has strong links with Canada and has been training Canadian lawyers for over 20 years. There are currently over 150 Canadian students studying law at Bond University and an active Canadian Law Students' Association. There is a rapidly expanding group of Bond Law Canadian alumni working as partners and senior practitioners in Canada andworldwide.
Bond has three intakes per year, January, May and September. Students are able to apply anytime and the LSAT is not required. If you have questions about application dates or would like to apply please refer to the contact details listed below under Further Information.
Information Sessions in Canada
We hold information sessions across Canada in June and November each year so that you can discover more about life at Bond University.
June information sessions will be held in the following locations:
Toronto Sunday, 9 June 2013 Hyatt Regency Toronto 4.30-6.30pm
Calgary Tuesday, 11 June 2013 Sheraton Eau Claire 7.30-9.30pm
Edmonton Wednesday, 12 June 2013 Fairmont Hotel MacDonald 7.30-9.30pm
Vancouver Thursday, 13 June 2013 Marriott Pinnacle 7.30-9.30pm
To register for one of these events, please contact Stuart Floyd, International Regional Manager on stfloyd@bond.edu.au. Stuart is based in Toronto, Ontario full time and can also be telephoned at +1 (416) 558-5353.
Which Bond program is for me?
Bond’s law programs are designed to equip you for a career in the legal profession, business, industry or government. The combination of excellent teaching, small classes, international perspective and extensive legal skills program provides an exciting learning experience that both challenges you academically and prepares you practically for a legal career.
The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and the Juris Doctor (JD) are both professionally recognised degrees. While the LLB is a recognised law degree, the JD is the preferred legal qualification with which to enter the legal profession in Canada. Entry to the JD is restricted to graduate students while the LLB is only available to students who have not yet completed a Bachelors degree. Canadians who possess a prior degree in any discipline can only enrol in the JD.
The compulsory law units for the two Bond degrees are the same.
The LLB comprises 32 subjects in total, including 19 compulsory law units and 4 compulsory non-law units.
The JD comprises 24 subjects in total, all being law units, with 19 of the units being compulsory.
How do I gain professional admission in Canada?
To practice law in Canada, you will need to complete articles and a bar admission course. To be eligible for articles and a bar admission course in any of the common law provinces (ie excluding Quebec), a graduate of an Australian Law program will need a Certificate of Qualification (CQ) from the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The NCA issues a CQ to international qualified applicants confirming that the applicant has an understanding and knowledge of Canadian law and knowledge equivalent to that of a graduate of a Canadian common law program.
Application for a CQ is made to the NCA at the end of your Bond Law degree. Once a Canadian law student receives a final graduation certificate from Bond; and applies to the NCA, it currently takes about 3 months for the NCA to issue a CQ; or to advise which extra challenge exams the graduate must complete in Canada. In order for the NCA to issue the CQ, assessment criteria must be met. For more information on the assessment criteria see the NCA policies and guidelines.
Meeting the NCA requirements
The threshold for CQ assessment is whether the applicant has a law degree equivalent to an approved three year Canadian common law degree. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking into account the particular circumstances of that individual's educational and professional background.
Due to the pre-law education component of the of the assessment policy it is strongly recommended that Canadian students wishing to gain professional admission in Canada enrol in the JD program. Applicants who have not successfully completed a minimum of two years fulltime (or equivalent) post-secondary education in a discipline other than law might be required to demonstrate competency in up to seven additional subjects. This requirement may be waived by the NCA depending on the legal background of the applicant. Please review the NCA policies and guidelines for more information.
For all applicants, demonstrated competency in core subject areas is required. This includes four Canadian specific subjects:
These four subjects required by the NCA are offered at Bond Law as elective subjects. The NCA will not recognize poor academic performance as part of the applicants’ request for a CQ. Poor academic performance constitutes a failing grade or a grade within 5% of the passing grade in the relevant institution. At Bond Law this means a final subject mark below 55% will not be deemed acceptable by the NCA.
Our Canadian staff
Dr. Sara Smyth is an Associate Professor and Director of Bond's Canadian Law Program. She received her PhD from Osgoode Hall Law School, LLM. from the University of Toronto and LLB from the University of Victoria. Dr. Smyth also served as a law clerk at the British Columbia Court of Appeal, practised law in Vancouver and is a former Assistant Professor of SFU, Vancouver. She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and teaches Canadian Criminal Law.
Professor John Wade has a LLM from UBC; and has taught at the law schools at Osgoode Hall, University of Manitoba, and University of Calgary. He lives for half of the year in Vancouver, meets with Canadian alumni, and teaches CLE courses and workshops across Canada for the Canadian Bar Association and other organisations.
Lisa Bonin is an Adjunct Teaching Fellow. She has practiced as a litigator for a leading national law firm in Toronto, is admitted to practice in New South Wales and teaches Foundations of Canadian Law and Canadian Constitutional Law. Lisa holds an LLB from Osgood Hall Law School, a BA from University of Toronto and is completing a LLM.
Mariette Brennan is a Senior Teaching Fellow. She holds a PhD in Health Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, LLM. from the University of Essex and LLB. from the University of Ottawa. She is also a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. She teaches Canadian Constitutional Law and Foundations of Canadian Law.
What are the requirements for entry to Bond Law?
Admission decisions are made on an overall assessment of the application, with prior academic performance being the primary consideration. We generally expect Canadian applicants to have at least 70% (or GPA equivalent) undergraduate averages as a minimum requirement.
How do I apply?
Students may apply to Bond University online or via one of our Canadian agents:
Canadian citizens can fund their Bond University degree in a variety of ways. Click here for more information.
Further information
Canadians interested in studying at Bond are invited to contact Stuart Floyd, International Regional Manager on stfloyd@bond.edu.au. Stuart is based in Toronto, Ontario full time and can be telephoned at +1 (416) 558-5353.
Disclaimer: Important information for students wishing to practice law outside of Australia Information provided by or the Faculty of Law relating to requirements for practising law in jurisdictions outside of Australia is provided for informational use only. It should not be relied on without specifically confirming admission requirements with relevant authorities in the jurisdiction in which you wish to practice. Bond University and the Faculty of Law make no warranty, representation or undertaking whether express or implied, nor do they assume any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information provided regarding the practice of law outside of Australia. Bond University and the Faculty of Law accept no liability, whether direct or indirect, for any loss or damage a person suffers because that person had directly or indirectly relied on any information provided regarding the practice of law outside of Australia. It is the responsibility of any student wishing to practice law overseas to investigate and confirm their eligibility (or otherwise) to do so.
