Admission to first year JD Program

Admissions decisions in the Index Score Category are solely based on the Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) and LSAT score, weighted equally. 

Category Requirements:

• Minimum of 60 credit hours of university degree level study
• LSAT score

The University of Manitoba Faculty of Law is concerned about systemic racism within the legal system and in particular the disproportionate impacts on Indigenous peoples. As part of promoting diverse and inclusive legal education, the Canadian Indigenous Category considers applications of Indigenous peoples in Canada (Metis, First Nations and Inuit) in a more holistic fashion. A panel consisting of Indigenous lawyers, faculty member and a student representative from MILSA (Manitoba Indigenous Law Students Association) will conduct an interview with each candidate during the assessment process. 

Category Requirements:

• Minimum of 60 credit hours (or 30 if 26+ years) of university degree level study
• LSAT score
• Personal Statement – your statement should reflect your connection to your Indigenous community that claims you as a member and how your identity as a First Nations, Métis or Inuit person has shaped your personal journey
• Résumé
• Three (3) Recommendation Letters – it is recommended at least one letter is from a representative of your Indigenous community 

This category is for qualified applicants whose skills, abilities and experiences may not be fully recognized through exclusive adherence to relative AGPA/LSAT performance.  This ensures a wide, inclusive range of demonstrated excellence within the student body. Applicants who have faced systemic and institutional barriers to education including Black students, racialized students, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and persons with other relevant lived experiences may apply through this category. This category is also for Mature Students (the Faculty of Law defines a Mature Student as someone over the age of 26 by September 1 the year admission is sought).  

Post-secondary coursework must be completed by September 1 in the year of application. 

Category Requirements:

• Minimum of 60 credit hours (or 30 credit hours if 26+ years of age) of university degree level study
• LSAT score
• Personal Statement – please see additional guidance regarding personal statements, including persons who identify as Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, and/or are members of another historically disadvantaged groups.
• Résumé
• Three Recommendation letters
• Supporting (Medical) Documentation (if applicable) is optional; please see Section 3: Application Process & Deadlines, C. Required Application Documentation 

Applicants questioning their suitability under the Individual Consideration category should contact lawadmissions@umanitoba.ca. 

Personal Statements are required for all applicants in the Canadian Indigenous category and the Individual Consideration category. A personal statement should be no more than 1500 words, double-spaced. While there are no specific guidelines on what to include in a personal statement, the objectives of the category should be kept in mind.

• For applicants in the Canadian Indigenous category, ensure your personal statement specifically addresses your connection to the Indigenous community to which you belong and/or identify with. We also encourage you to discuss how your lived experiences inform your motivation to study law, and how you hope to contribute to your community, the advancement of access to justice, or the legal profession.
• For all applicants in the Individual Consideration Category, your personal statement should address the way(s) you are positioned to undertake legal studies and to contribute meaningfully to the law school  and future legal profession. We also encourage you to discuss how your lived experiences inform your motivation to study law, and how you hope to contribute to your community, the advancement of access to justice, or the legal profession.  Lived experiences may include, but are not limited to:
  • extraordinary personal challenges;  
  • experiences in, difficulty of, and/or quality of the pre-law academic program;
  • family, community, and/or leadership responsibilities;  
  • social, political, economic or other factors.
• For applicants who identify as Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled and/or are from another historically disadvantaged group, if you wish experiences shaped by your identities to be considered, ensure your personal statement specifically addresses:
  • your identit(ies) or background and the ways in which these may intersect to shape your orientation toward law and community, and  
  • the ways your identi(ties), background and experiences position you to succeed and contribute meaningfully to our law school community and to the future of the legal profession. 

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