Schulich School of Law
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | CANADA B3H 4H9 | +1 (902) 494-3495

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.)

LL.B. (Full-time)

The first year of the LL.B. curriculum is com­pulsory and provides students with a firm grounding in fundamental legal principles, techniques and methodology. All first year students must take contract law, criminal law, legal research and writing, property law, public law and torts. Second and third-year courses, apart from civil procedure, constitutional law, and a course in profes­sional responsibility, are optional. The school offers a broad range of optional courses. These courses include all those subjects recommended by the Provincial Barristers Societies to students intending to practice law, as well as a variety of specialty courses, which include international, ma­rine, environmental, electronic commerce, and health law subjects, from three prestigious institutes, the Health Law Institute, the Law and Technology Institute and the Marine Environmental Law Institute.

In cooperation with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Dalhousie offers a voluntary Judges' Clerkship Programme for third-year students. This program, which is offered in addition to regular courses and not for credit, allows qualified students to spend one week during the term in chambers with a supreme court judge, and offers valuable practical learning experience.

1. Full-time studies in law

The LL.B. class is designed to train students in those qualities which distinguish the educated lawyer, whether engaged in the practice of law, in government service or elsewhere. Among the qualities stressed are an understanding of the process of ensuring order in a complex and evolving society, precision of thought, an appreciation of the use of the English language in writing and speaking, thoroughness, and the avoidance of superficiality.

The full-time class extends over three academic years, from September to May. A student who has failed the work of a year may, subject to the limitations of space, be readmitted, but the class must be completed in four academic years. Any academic session in which a student has registered and has not formally withdrawn by the date of the first fall term examination constitutes an academic year. Where a student establishes, to the satisfaction of the Committee on Studies, that for medical or personal reasons, ability to pursue the class was significantly hampered, the Committee on Studies may rule that a student has not used up one of the four academic years.

The regular class requires the full time attendance of students. In the first year all subjects are prescribed; in second and third year most subjects are optional. Second and third-year students must complete at least 29 credit hours, including a major paper writing requirement, each year. Permission is required before any regular law student may undertake classes in another faculty of the university.

The policy of maintaining fairly small classes reflects the nature of teaching at the law school. Classes are conducted by the “case method” or otherwise but with emphasis upon discussion between teacher and students, based upon assigned materials and topics that students are expected to have considered in advance. Research and written assignments are required of all students. These may involve substantial time in addition to regular class periods. The work submitted is carefully examined and then critically assessed by the teacher concerned and whenever possible a detailed criticism is provided in an oral interview. 

In addition to class and writing requirements all students are required to participate in mooting exercises. Third-year students may be required to attend legal aid clinics, the law courts, and special lectures.

2. Degree requirements: Full-time programme

(a) First-year required classes

(b) Second-year required classes

  • LAWS 2061X/Y.05: Civil Procedure 
  • LAWS 2062X/Y.05: Constitutional Law 
  • An elective class with evaluation by major paper (i.e. a “paper” class)*. A student must include at least one major paper class per year. 
  • Additional elective classes to make up a full year of studies of approximately 15 hours per week in each term. A student must have a minimum of 29 hours and may have a maximum of 31 hours per year; each term's work must include a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 17 hours. Where a student chooses the maximum load of 31 hours, he or she must achieve a passing grade in all classes, subject to the normal requirements.

(c) Third-year required classes

  • LAWS 2099.02: The Legal Profession and Professional Responsibility 
  • Electives: As for second year, above

4. Class hours (second and third year)

Each student must complete a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 31 hours per year, and a minimum of 13, maximum of 16 hours each term. A student enrolled in the clinical class in criminal law may take 17 hours in the term in which the clinical class is taken. This is also true of the Legal Aid Clinic, with permission of the clinic director.

LL.B. (Part-time)

To accommodate the realities of life's demands (employment, families, etc.), we have instituted a part-time degree over seven years instead of the usual full-time three years. Students may complete their degree by either doing a full-time first year, with the rest of their courses spread over the six following years, or by doing a half-time first year, the other half in the next year, and the rest of the degree over five years.

(a) Full-time first year

Students may take their first year programme on a full-time basis, and thereafter apply to be admitted to the part-time programme for the remainder of their LL.B. studies. After first year, students in the part-time programme are required to complete a minimum of 58 hours over a maximum of six academic years, with a minimum class load of 8 hours in each academic year. Part-time students must complete at least one optional class involving a major written paper in each 29-hour block over the period of part-time study.

Students who enter the programme after completion of first and second years on a full-time basis are required to complete their minimum of 29 hours over a maximum of three academic years, with a minimum class load of 8 hours in each academic year.

(b) Half-time first year

Part-time students who choose to do first year on a half-time basis are required to complete 17 hours of the first-year programme in their first year, completing Contracts and Judicial Rule-Making, Tort Law and Damage Compensation, Fundamentals of Public Law and credit of Legal Writing. The remaining 15 hours of the first year programme consisting of Property in its Historical Perspective, Criminal Justice: the Individual and the State, Orientation to Law, and the remaining 2 credits of Legal Writing must be completed in the second year. Thereafter, students in the part-time programme are required to complete a minimum of 58 hours over a maximum of five academic years, with a minimum class load of eight hours in each academic year. Part-time students must complete at least one optional class involving a major written paper in each 29-hour block over the period of part-time study. The faculty encourages part-time students, wherever possible, to do first year on a full-time basis.

Please note that the regulations requiring that students successfully complete the work of second year before advancing to third year apply to part-time as well as full-time students.