Table of Contents
MESSAGE FROM THE GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR ........................................................... 2
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND CATEGORIES ...................................................................................... 3
THE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA ............................................................................................................. 3
LLM ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
DIRECT ENTRY TO LLM WITHOUT AN LLB/JD .............................................................................. 3
PHD ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
DIRECT ENTRY TO THE PHD WITHOUT AN LLM .......................................................................... 4
ENTRY INTO THE PHD BY ADVANCEMENT ................................................................................... 4
THE PART-TIME LLM PROGRAM ...................................................................................................... 4
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................................. 5
LLM DEGREE ......................................................................................................................................... 5
THE MAJOR RESEARCH PAPER (MRP) .......................................................................................... 5
PHD DEGREE ......................................................................................................................................... 6
THE DISSERTATION:............................................................................................................................ 6
PORTFOLIO THESIS AND DISSERTATION: ................................................................................... 6
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT:............................................................................................................. 7
COURSE OFFERINGS............................................................................................................................... 7
THE FIVE STUDY GROUPS FOR 2012 – 2013 ARE: ....................................................................... 7
COURSE ENROLMENT ........................................................................................................................ 8
LIST OF COURSES................................................................................................................................ 8
COURSES NORMALLY OFFERED (INCLUDING COURSES CROSS-LISTED WITH
OSGOODE): ............................................................................................................................................ 8
INTEGRATED COURSES ....................................................................................................................10
OTHER GRADUATE COURSES OFFERED THROUGH THE GRADUATE PROGRAM AT
OSGOODE..............................................................................................................................................12
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES COURSES IN OTHER DIVISIONS AT YORK ................13
RESEARCH CENTRE AND GRADUATE DIPLOMAS ........................................................................13
TUITION AND LIVING EXPENSES ........................................................................................................17
SCHOLARSHIPS/FELLOWSHIPS/ASSISTANTSHIPS — INTERNAL .......................................19
TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES.................................................................................................................23
INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS .........................................................................24
APPLICATION DETAILS ..........................................................................................................................37
APPLICATION DEADLINES AND TIMELINES FOR OFFERS ......................................................37
APPLICATION PROCEDURES ..........................................................................................................37
PREPARING THE APPLICATION ......................................................................................................38
CONTACTS AND INQUIRIES ..................................................................................................................42
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
MESSAGE FROM THE GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
I hope that you will consider joining the Graduate Program at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Osgoode is rightfully proud of its intellectual standing among law schools internationally,
the breadth and depth of its graduate course offerings, and the quality of its library. It
attracts outstanding students with diverse and worthwhile research projects. Osgoode
provides a vibrant intellectual community that welcomes new approaches and intellectual
challenges.
Osgoode is a research intensive law school with 70 faculty members. We have
approximately 130 graduate students in the PhD and research-stream LLM programs,
with perhaps 80 in residence at any time. Graduate Program faculty and staff work hard
to create a sense of community for our students.
Graduate students can draw upon a wealth of expertise in support of their own studies.
Osgoode’s faculty members produce world-class scholarship. All students are assigned
an individual supervisor before beginning the program. All students participate in Study
Groups, where current literature related to a major area of law is canvassed in-depth.
Many other seminars and workshops are held during the academic year in addition to
the regular course offerings, to provide an immensely rich and stimulating environment
for research.
Osgoode also hosts several renowned research centres and units, dealing with
transnational human rights, crime and security; feminist legal studies; comparative law
and political economy; intellectual property; and business and law. It is also home to the
Osgoode Hall Law Journal, one of the world’s leading law reviews.
The Graduate Program at Osgoode makes a serious effort to provide graduate students
with opportunities to teach and publish, in preparation for academic careers. Over four
hundred alumni of the program have distinguished themselves in academia,
government, private practice and other arenas; in North America and internationally.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like further information.
Sincerely,
Graduate Program Director
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ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND CATEGORIES
THE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
Admission to both the research-stream LLM and the PhD programs is on a competitive
basis. Members of Osgoode’s faculty closely evaluate application files that are related to
their own areas of expertise, before making recommendations to assist the Graduate
Program Director in making the final admissions decisions. All decisions to admit an
applicant are subject to the approval of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
AMONG THE FACTORS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION ARE:
(1) academic record, including both transcripts and awards (usually a B average or
better);
(2) quality and strength of letters of reference;
(3) merits of the statement of proposed research;
(4) research capacities and potential as revealed by previous academic writing and
qualifications;
(5) compatibility with faculty resources (notably, the availability of a qualified supervisor
and the sufficiency of library holdings in the proposed area of research);
REGULAR ADMISSION INTO THE LLM AND PHD PROGRAMS
Normally, an applicant requires an LLB or JD in order to be admitted into the LLM
program, and an LLM to be admitted into the PhD program. Such applicants are
considered regular-admission students.
LLM
To be eligible for admission to the LLM Program, candidates normally must possess an
academic degree in law, having achieved a level of proficiency which, in the opinion of
the Graduate Program Director, makes successful completion of graduate studies likely.
Normally this will be at least the equivalent of a B average, although the majority of
applicants admitted have an average in the A grade range. Candidates must also
possess the ability to work with legal materials in the English language.
DIRECT ENTRY TO LLM WITHOUT AN LLB/JD
A limited number of places in the LLM program are available to candidates with
outstanding academic records, but without an academic degree in law. Such students
normally have completed a graduate degree in another discipline, and studies that are
related to law.
Students entering the LLM program in Law who do not have an LLB or JD must attend
the non-credit course entitled Introduction to Graduate Legal Studies. They may also be
required to take additional courses, at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director
on the advice of the student’s supervisor.
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PhD
To be eligible for admission to the PhD Program, candidates normally must possess a
graduate academic degree in law, having achieved a level of proficiency which, in the
opinion of the Graduate Program Director, makes successful completion of graduate
studies likely. Normally this will be at least the equivalent of a high B average, although
the majority of applicants admitted have an average in the A grade range. Candidates
must also possess the ability to work with legal materials in the English language.
DIRECT ENTRY TO THE PHD WITHOUT AN LLM
Normally, an LLM is a precondition to admission to the PhD. Students without an LLM
should apply to the LLM. If accepted, they can subsequently apply to advance to the
PhD after their first year of study. Applicants admitted under these two provisions must
be approved by a sub-committee of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at York.
ENTRY INTO THE PHD BY ADVANCEMENT
Students applying to advance to the PhD program must have the support of their
supervisor(s) and must complete one of three conditions prior to admission. The
conditions are: (1) completion of the LLM (2) completion and defence of an extended
and critical literature review and plan for the PhD (approx 70 pages) (although an LLM
degree is not awarded under this option) or (3) completion while in the LLM program of
one or more articles accepted for publication in scholarly journals or books of high repute
(an LLM degree is awarded if the scholarship is defended in an oral examination). Only
students offered the opportunity to advance may on achievement of one of these
conditions advance to the PhD.
Application information on advancement, including the conditions for advancing, is sent
to LLM students early in their second academic term.
THE PART-TIME LLM PROGRAM
The present guide concerns only the PhD and research-stream LLM. Individuals who are
interested in the part-time LLM program should consult the website of the Osgoode
Professional Development Program of Osgoode Hall Law School at
http://www.osgoodepd.ca or contact the program at 416-673-4670 or admissionsopd@osgoode.yorku.ca
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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL FEATURES OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAM AT
OSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL
The Graduate Program in Law offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) and researchstream Master of Laws (LLM) degree. Both degrees involve coursework but are primarily
focused on research. The production of a thesis or a major research paper for the LLM
degree, or a dissertation for the PhD degree, under supervision of a faculty member is
the single most important component in attaining each degree. In the case of a thesis or
dissertation, the student must defend their scholarship in oral examinations before
examining committees.
Each student obtains guidance from a supervisor, and in the case of candidates for the
LLM thesis or the PhD dissertation, a supervisory committee as well. For the LLM thesis,
the committee comprises the supervisor and at least one other member, usually an
Osgoode faculty member. The supervision committee for PhD candidates comprises the
supervisor and two other members. The supervisory committee approves the thesis or
dissertation outline prepared by the student, and it recommends the thesis/dissertation
for examination. In general, committee members assist the supervisor in providing
guidance and feedback.
The requirements of the LLM and the PhD are set out below.
LLM DEGREE
Presently, LLM students must take at least three courses, one of which is the Graduate
Seminar and another is a Study Group, during the first year in which they are in the
program. The third course is of their choice. Students entering without an LLB or JD may
be required by the Graduate Program Director to take additional courses on the advice
of their supervisors.
A passing grade for graduate level work in any course is a B.
THE THESIS:
An LLM thesis is an extended piece of writing that reflects original research conducted
by the student. An LLM thesis length is expected to be between 125-150 pages plus a
bibliography (about 40,000 words of text), and must be defended in an examination. It is
expected that the thesis will be of publishable quality, meaning that either a significant
portion of the LLM thesis or a distilled version of the entire thesis must be regarded as
publishable as an article or chapter in a book.
THE MAJOR RESEARCH PAPER (MRP)
As an alternative to the thesis, LLM candidates may complete an MRP of some 60 – 70
pages in length (about 20,000 words) and two additional courses (five in total, including
the compulsory Graduate Seminar and a Study Group). The MRP is graded by the
supervisor and a second marker normally from the graduate program in law. Unlike the
case of an LLM thesis, there is no oral defence for an MRP candidate.
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TIME TO COMPLETION:
The expected time for completion of the LLM degree is one year (three academic terms),
with the maximum time allowance being four years (12 terms).
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT:
Students should note a York University residency requirement for the LLM degree of two
terms. Residency requires students to be geographically available to visit the campus
regularly, to attend classes and generally to be present at the University.
PHD DEGREE
PhD students normally must take at least three courses, one of which is the Graduate
Seminar (the student may, with approval of the Graduate Program Director, substitute
the Graduate Seminar with another course if they completed this Seminar in the LLM
program). PhD students must also participate in a Study Group of their choosing (this is
the second course). Participation in the Study Group is required in the first year of PhD
studies and in the second and third years thereafter, provided PhD students are
registered full time. Participation in a Study Group is optional for PhD students in
subsequent years of their program of study. A third course is chosen by students.
PhD students must submit an extended dissertation proposal, of some 60 – 70 pages
length, normally by the end of their third semester. This proposal is examined by the
student’s supervisory committee. Except under circumstances requiring a delay, the
examination and any required revisions to the extended dissertation proposal outline
must be completed before a student is allowed to continue in the PhD program in Year
2.
THE DISSERTATION:
A PhD dissertation is an extended piece of work completed for the doctoral degree. It
reflects both a substantial contribution to an existing literature and, at the same time,
original research. A PhD dissertation length is expected to be between 300-350 pages
and a bibliography (approximately 100,000 words). It is expected that the dissertation
will be of sufficiently high quality to warrant publication by an academic publisher, and/or
in venues, of repute.
PORTFOLIO THESIS AND DISSERTATION:
LLM thesis candidates may submit one or two articles published or accepted for
publication in lieu of a conventional thesis for examination.
PhD dissertation candidates may submit between three to five articles (depending on the
length and ambition of the articles.
Further explanation of the portfolio thesis and dissertation may be found at
http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/programs/graduate-studies/program-details/thesisdissertation-mrp
EXPECTED TIME TO COMPLETION:
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The expected time for completion of the PhD degree is three years (nine terms), with the
maximum time allowance being six years (18 terms).
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT:
Students should note a residency requirement for the PhD degree of two terms. For
students entering the PhD program without an LLM, the residency requirement is
increased to four terms; for students advancing to the PhD from the uncompleted
Osgoode LLM, terms completed during the LLM will count for two terms, leaving two
further terms of residency. Residency requires students to be geographically available to
visit the campus regularly. Students should note a York University residency requirement
for the LLM degree of two terms, to attend classes and generally to be present at the
University.
COURSE OFFERINGS
Study Groups – All new LLM and PhD students and all full-time continuing PhD students
are required to participate in a Study Group. Students may choose from four of five
Study Groups offered each year. The Study Groups provide an intellectual community
for graduate students. They are essential for a true graduate education in law. It should
be noted that most graduate programs have more course requirements but, at Osgoode,
participation in the Study Groups serves a similar purpose. Through the Study Groups,
students are exposed to and engage with legal scholarship that is thematically related to
their own research, such that their eventual degree is reflective of more than the
students’ own research. Study Groups are not structured as courses, but instead
function as reading and discussion groups.
The Study Groups meet for two hours weekly for a total of 20 sessions over the fall and
winter semesters. Successful participation in a Study Group involves regular attendance
(attending a minimum of 75% class attendance), reading assigned materials and active
engagement with discussions (no written work is required).
THE FIVE STUDY GROUPS FOR 2012 – 2013 ARE:
Regulation and Governance: (Professor Dan Priel)
Theoretical Perspectives in Legal Research: (Susan Drummond)
Law and Social Justice: (Professor Sonia Lawrence)
Law in a Global Context: (Professor Peer Zumbansen)
The schedule of the study groups and descriptions of the topics to be covered will be
provided to all students, new and continuing, before September registration each year.
Students who wish to write a graduate level paper (up to 10,000 words) in connection
with their participation in a Study Group may seek permission to do so from the faculty
member leading the group.
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COURSE ENROLMENT
Newly registered students in the Program must also be enrolled in the required
coursework during the entering Fall and Winter terms. Any exceptions to this must be
approved by the Graduate Program Director and may affect both the student’s standing
in the Program and also entitlement to funding.
LIST OF COURSES
LLM and PhD students may select from a wide range of courses, of which there are
several types.
One type of course is known as a “Study Group”, as discussed above.
Secondly, students can enroll in graduate level courses, for advanced specialization in
specific areas of law. One graduate level course that all students must take is the
Graduate Seminar. A wide range of graduate law courses are also available in the parttime LLM program offered by Osgoode Professional Development.
Thirdly, there is the option of “Integrated courses”, which are offered to both JD and
graduate students.
Finally, there is a miscellaneous collection of other course options, such as an
Independent Research paper, taking a JD-level course for graduate level credit, and
even taking courses in other faculties at York or other universities.
COURSES NORMALLY OFFERED (INCLUDING COURSES CROSS-LISTED
WITH OSGOODE):
Introduction to Graduate Legal Studies- GSLAW 6149 0.0
This course is intended for students who have no previous studies in law, or who feel the
need of a refresher course on legal research methods. It includes sessions with
Osgoode’s research librarians as well as classroom instruction. These are supplemented
by assignments completed electronically, for which students receive feedback.
Students without law degrees entering Graduate Programs in Law are required to take
the Graduate course in Legal Research and Writing, which is normally taught on an
intensive basis over one week.
Graduate Seminar in Legal Research - GSLAW 6610 3.0
(September through January)
All incoming students participate in the Graduate Seminar in Legal Research. It is the
core course in the Graduate Program at Osgoode. It is designed to work in tandem with
and complement other courses. The Seminar provides a venue for developing critical
assessments of the law and dealing with research and writing strategies, while
facilitating students’ own progress with their research and writing of theses and
dissertations. Along with the Graduate Law Students Association, the Graduate Seminar
provides an opportunity for all first-year students to come together.
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COURSES OFFERED AT OSGOODE AVAILABLE TO GRADUATE
STUDENTS
Western Legal Histories - GSLAW 6601 3.0
(This seminar is the same as GSHIST 6060 3.0)
Law grows out of past law; law changes by escaping (or discovering) past law.
Particularly in common law countries, law is in constant and paradoxical dialogue with
history as well as current issues. The seminar explores the deep roots of legal systems,
precedent, the authority of “elders”, custom and context, and a selection of substantive
doctrines. Research interests of seminar members help determine which substantive
areas (from criminal, evidence, labour, contract, tort, family law) are emphasized in any
given year. The approach is interdisciplinary and comparative, bringing the perspectives
of several disciplines to the seminar.
Feminist legal Theory GSLAW 6630 (not offered 2012-2013)
(This seminar is the same as GSWMST 6702 3.0 LWLAW5180 3.0)
This seminar considers recent development in feminist legal theory. Attention will be
given to questions of diversity and anti-essentialism in feminist legal studies, the
intersection of race and gender and challenges from post-structural theory to feminist
engagement with the law.
Democratic Administration - GSLAW 6680 3.0
(This seminar is the same as GSPOLS 6155 3.0.)
The study of democratic administration is premised on a commitment to the progressive
extension of people’s capacities to govern themselves collectively. However, many of
the principles of public administration were developed prior to the democratization of the
state. During the 1990s, citizen political apathy, cynicism and alienation from the state
was met with a neo-liberal response that has drastically altered the state public service
through downsizing, out-sourcing, privatization, and “new public management”
approaches that apply business administration tools to public administration. Currently,
however, there is increased citizen demand for participation in the policy-making
process, a higher standard of public service ethics and accountability, and there have
been some innovative responses from the state to address important public policy
issues. This course investigates the bureaucratic impediments to increased democracy,
the promise and limits of recent attempts by governments to overcome such
impediments, and the possibilities of citizen empowerment.
The seminar will include readings on both the theory and practice of democratic
administration.
Applied Research Methods: Policy and Regulatory Studies - GSLAW 6690
3.0 Not offered 2012-2013
(This seminar is the same as GSENVS 6180 3.0 and GSCOCU 6312 3.0)
This seminar provides students with the opportunity to develop the research skills
required for policy and regulatory research, and a critical appreciation of their
appropriate use in the design of their own research.
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INTEGRATED COURSES
GSLAW 6130 3.0
ICT Colloquium (Integrated with LWLAW 5810 3.0)
For graduate students who have the appropriate background expertise, this course
provides the opportunity for extended discussions related to International, Comparative
and Transnational Law.
Prerequisites for Graduate Students: At least two JD or graduate courses, plus
MRP/thesis/dissertation research in the subject area.
GSLAW 6143 3.0
Advanced Securities (Integrated with LWLAW 5280 3.0)
This advanced seminar deals with the policy and practice of securities regulation in
Ontario, in part by comparative analysis with other security regulation systems. The
seminar will begin with a discussion of the philosophies of securities regulation and the
role of the investor in changing markets. Specific seminar discussions will focus on
issues currently being addressed and debated by securities regulators in Ontario and
elsewhere, including: expansion of the civil liability regime, public and private
enforcement of securities law; the role of compliance approaches to securities regulation
enforcement; the potential for national securities regulation in Canada; globalization of
securities market, regulation of investment funds, legal issues related to on line
investing; and the role of securities regulation in corporate governance in the post-Enron
era.
Prerequisite:
Appropriate background experience (normally two courses at the JD level) plus
MRP/thesis/dissertation research in the subject area.
GSLAW 6144 3.0
Family Law Policies (Integrated with LWLAW 5120 3.0)
This seminar focuses on family law policies and processes of family law reform. It
explores critically underlying assumptions about families and family law in relation to the
legislative and judicial development of family law policies and dispute resolution. The
seminar assumes that students have a basic knowledge of family law in Ontario, and
examines recent and proposed reform proposals in the context of fundamental theories
and social policies. The seminar will focus initially on reading about theories and policies
in family law, using one or more examples to explore the impact of the processes for
family lawyers and their clients. Students will be expected to participate actively in these
discussions, and to make a brief presentation on assigned materials. In addition,
students will choose a topic for a research essay that examines the policy process in
relation to a specific issue of family law reform, linking the course materials and
discussions to their essay topics.
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Prerequisites:
Advanced expertise (normally including completion of at least two JD courses in family
or related law) plus MRP/thesis/dissertation research in the subject area.
GSLAW 6145 3.0
Intellectual Property Theory (Integrated with LWLAW 5430 3.0)
This seminar explores the theory surrounding the protection of creative intangibles under
the legal category of ‘intellectual property’. The emphasis is upon exploring the
fundamental theoretical premises, principles and policies that underpin IP systems.
Over the last two decades, the power of IP rights-holders has expanded dramatically. It
is important, therefore, to analyze the justifications for IP rights and their limits. The
various theoretical foundations, and critiques of IP include theories based in: Lockean
labour-desert, German idealist personality rights, economic utilitarianism, democratic
governance, cultural studies, feminism, human rights and post-structuralism. The
objectives of the seminar are: to develop students’ understanding of the theoretical
framework for IP protection; to further students’ awareness of the practical and political
significance of IP law, and to encourage students to critically evaluate the normatic
bases of IP rights. Students will read and discuss a growing body of challenging
academic scholarship about intellectual property theory.
Prerequisites:
Advanced expertise (normally including completion of at least two JD courses in
Intellectual Property, Copyright, Patents or Trademarks) plus MRP/thesis/dissertation
research in the subject area.
GSLAW 6146 3.0
Labour Employment Law and Policy Colloquium (Integrated with LWLAW 5250 3.0)
Employment and labour relations have been transformed in the past twenty years and
the pace of change is accelerating. The inter-related phenomena of globalization,
restructuring, neo-liberalism and feminization have contributed to these changes. One
result is that employment and labour law are in a state of flux, but arguably have not
adequately responded to the challenges posed by the changing reality of the labour
market. In order to assess existing law and to devise appropriate reforms, labor scholars
and lawyers need to be aware of how the labour market operates and the changes it is
undergoing.
This seminar provides a forum to discuss contemporary policy issues in Canadian
employment and labour law. It provides students with an opportunity to conduct research
on a topic of their choosing. Policy annals and evaluation will be emphasized, including
both theoretical and empirical perspectives. The seminar will discuss a variety of
statutory schemes, including minimum labour standards and collective bargaining. As
well, depending on the research interests of the students, the seminar will consider
common law as well as international law developments.
Prerequisite:
Appropriate background experience (normally two courses at the JD level in labour law
or related field) plus MRP/thesis/dissertation research in the subject area.
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GSLAW 6147 3.0
Tax Law and Policy Colloquium (Integrated with LWLAW 5330 3.0)
The goal in this course is for students to bring together the knowledge and skills they
have developed on tax issues, to develop their critical thinking and writing abilities, and
to actively encourage the production of new knowledge in the tax field. Although the
precise content of the seminar will vary from year to year, it will involve an examination
of current research in tax law and policy. It will foster the high level of scholarly and
professional sophistication needed to support thesis/dissertation research in the area. At
the end of the seminar, students should have the ability to write publishable tax
commentaries.
OTHER GRADUATE COURSES OFFERED THROUGH THE GRADUATE
PROGRAM AT OSGOODE
Independent Research – Fall Term GSLAW 6010 3.0
The student develops and conducts a research project under the supervision of a faculty
member. Often this course is taken with the student’s supervisor.
Independent Research – Winter Term GSLAW 6020 3.0
The student develops and conducts a research project under the supervision of a faculty
member.
GSLAW 6030 3.0 Guided Study: (Name of JD Course)
Where justified in the view of the supervisor and the Graduate Program Director,
students may be permitted to enroll in undergraduate JD courses or seminars at
Osgoode to fulfill Graduate Program requirements. Enrolment in JD courses is subject to
space availability and approval by the JD Program & Records Office, Osgoode Hall Law
School. The onus is on the student to get the approvals. In such cases, a graduate level
research paper is required of graduate students to fulfill the course requirements (not
write the JD exams). In no case may a candidate take a course in the JD program that
overlaps substantially with previous work.
GSLAW 6033 0.0 Guided Study: (Name of JD Course Non Credit)
Where justified in the view of the supervisor and Director of the Graduate Program,
candidates may be permitted to enroll in undergraduate JD courses or seminars at
Osgoode for audit purposes only. Enrolment in JD courses is subject to space
availability and approval by the JD Program & Records Office, Osgoode Hall Law
School. The onus is on the student to get the approvals. With permission of the course
director the student attends the course as non-credit with no expectation of grade. They
are not obliged to do course work affiliated with the course.
Directed Readings GSLAW 6040 3.0
The student and faculty member jointly develop a set of readings, determine a method of
evaluation (which typically is a final research paper or a series of short research
memos), and adhere to a schedule of regular meetings to discuss these readings.
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FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES COURSES IN OTHER DIVISIONS AT
YORK
COURSES IN OTHER DISCIPLINES
In view of the interdisciplinary nature of much LLM and PhD work at Osgoode, students
are encouraged to take graduate courses offered by other graduate programs at York. A
number of the departments at York involving cognate disciplines to law are widely
regarded as amongst the very best graduate programs in Canada. For an overview of
the wealth of courses offered throughout York by the Faculty of Graduate Studies visit:
https://w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.
AVAILABILITY OF PART-TIME LLM COURSES
In addition to the research-stream LLM, Osgoode’s Professional Development Program
(OPD) also offers a coursework-based part-time LLM. Upon arrival at Osgoode,
research-stream LLM and PhD students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with
the part-time LLM courses that will be offered for the academic year in question in order
to see whether any courses would usefully feed into their thesis or dissertation work.
Note that not all specializations offer courses in any given year. A student can only
enroll in an OPD course with the approval of OPD staff and the Graduate Program
Director.
THE PART-TIME LLM PROGRAM WEBSITE IS http://www.osgoodepd.ca.
Students are encouraged to explore the offerings in other Graduate Departments and
Faculty and to enroll in one or more of them if doing so will further their research.
ATLAS
Under Osgoode’s leadership, a group of leading universities founded a pioneering global
legal education consortium focused on the interconnected themes of Transnational Law
and Governance, Comparative Law and Globalization. Participating students continue to
pursue doctoral studies at their home university, but all participating schools will include
the Atlas initiative in their doctoral programs. Admission to the Atlas initiative is by a
competitive application process. Professor Poonam Puri is presently Osgoode Hall’s
contact person for the Atlas program.
The content of the Atlas initiative involves students extended communication with their
student counterparts at the other schools, and a summer “Agora” where these same
students meet for an intensive three-week exchange of ideas and perspectives. The first
“Agora” in 2008 was hosted by Osgoode. In subsequent years Osgoode students will
participate at the other universities, each of which will host the “Agora” in turn.
RESEARCH CENTRE AND GRADUATE DIPLOMAS
At York University, there are over twenty specialized research centres that provide
valuable opportunities for students to become involved in interesting and advanced
research, either on an informal basis or as associates (with those centres that confer
such status on qualified graduate students). Osgoode students quite frequently find
associations with research centres to be invaluable for their programs.
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Some of York’s research centres offer Graduate Diplomas in their area of specialization
(for example, the Graduate Diploma in Refugee and Migration Studies, the Graduate
Diploma in International and Strategic Studies, the Graduate Diploma in German and
European Studies, and the Graduate Diploma in Latin American and Caribbean
Studies). Diplomas are awarded in association with a graduate degree (i.e., for Osgoode
students, the LLM or PhD). Students are typically required to attend a mandatory
Diploma seminar, take an additional course beyond that required by their graduate
degree program, and write their thesis or dissertation on a topic substantially involving
the research field of the centre.
THE JACK AND MAE NATHANSON CENTRE ON TRANSNATIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS, CRIME AND SECURITY
Director: Professor François Tanguay-Renaud
The focus of the Nathanson Centre is the development of a cross-disciplinary program of
research and project initiatives in order to enhance knowledge of issues related to a
variety of transnational phenomena that are now, and for the foreseeable future, rapidly
changing, (and challenging) society, law and governance. York researchers - from Law,
Criminology, Political Science, Law & Society, Sociology, Geography, Environmental
Studies, Business, Philosophy, Health and beyond - are active in the evolving scholarly
and policy debates. The Centre seeks to harness that critical mass of talent and energy,
along with developing a network of Centre associates from universities around the world
and from non-university sectors, by focusing on three thematic pillars - human rights,
crime and security. Consistent with an emphasis at the university on pan-York
collaborative research and associated initiatives, the renewed NC mandate includes the
objective of productive cooperation with several other York research centres whose
mandates are complementary. The involvement of Osgoode and other York graduate
students and, eventually, of qualified upper-year JD students in Centre activities is an
essential dimension of the Centre’s work.
The Centre seeks as much as possible to make its contribution by studying, seeking to
understand, and constantly querying the relationships between crime, security and
human rights, as informed by transnational perspectives.
http://nathanson.osgoode.yorku.ca.
INSTITUTE FOR FEMINIST LEGAL STUDIES
Director: Professor Sonia Lawrence
The Institute for Feminist Legal Studies was established to support and promote
research and teaching about issues of concern to women and feminist approaches to
law. It provides programs and other activities for faculty, graduate students and JD
students with an interest in feminist legal studies, and promotes connections with
feminist legal scholars and centres for feminist legal studies in other parts of Canada
and internationally. The Institute also provides support for research activities for faculty
and graduate students with an interest in feminist legal studies. Website
http://ifls.osgoode.yorku.ca
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COMPARATIVE RESEARCH IN LAW AND POLITICAL ECONOMY NETWORK
(CLPE)
Director Professor Peer Zumbansen
http://www.comparativeresearch.net
This network was created in 2004 and is funded by the Canada Foundation for
Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust and Osgoode Hall Law School. The
successful application secured a comprehensive infrastructure grant to accompany the
funding received from the Canada Research Chairs Program of the Federal Government
(http://www.chairs.gc.ca), to support the Canada Research Chair in the Transnational
and Comparative Law of Corporate Governance. Assisted by a board of editors from five
departments across York University and an Advisory Board consisting of scholars from
Universities worldwide, the CLPE Network is directed by Professor Peer Zumbansen.
The CLPE’s mandate is to enhance the interdisciplinary examination of the intersections
between law and political economy. The CLPE provides a forum and research portal for
scholars working in Law, Business, History, Sociology and Political Science with an
interest in governance and regulation. Drawing on a wealth of experience and know-how
in various fields through its editors, advisors and its collaborators at other research
institutions the CLPE is a meeting point for worldwide researchers, policy analysts and
practitioners in these areas. The CLPE organizes annual international scholarly
conferences.
In conjunction with Osgoode Hall, CLPE publishes the first-ever, interdisciplinary working
paper series in law and political economy. The Osgoode Hall CLPE Research Paper
Series constitutes a prime source for comparative and interdisciplinary work done in law,
business, political science, history, and sociology. The Series is available on
www.comparativeresearch.net and is being distributed worldwide through the Social
Science Research Network at http://ssrn.com.
In most years, the CLPE Network invites Researchers from Canadian and other
Universities to conduct interdisciplinary research at Osgoode Hall Law School. The
Fellows are given assistance to their work through computer support and access to all
physical and virtual library facilities. Office space depends on availability. To support
their travel and accommodation, CLPE Fellows are eligible for a modest stipend, which
is distributed on need basis. CLPE Fellows are integrated into the intellectual life of the
Law School and the University. To inquire about the CLPE Fellowships, please contact
the Director at clpe@osgoode.yorku.ca.
LAW COMMISSION OF ONTARIO
A newly reestablished Law Commission is hosted by Osgoode. Students may have
opportunities to work on research of interest to the Commission.
http://www.lco.cdo.org/en
RESEARCH CENTRES HOUSED ELSEWHERE AT YORK UNIVERSITY
Listed below are some of the York University research centres that are most likely to be
of relevance and interest to Graduate Program in Law students (including for purposes
of pursuing a Graduate Diploma alongside the LLM or PhD).
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• Canadian Centre for German and European Studies (joint centre with the Université
de Montréal): http://ccges.apps01.yorku.ca/wp
• Centre for Feminist Research: http://www.yorku.ca/cfr
• Centre for Refugee Studies: http://crs.yorku.ca
• Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean: http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac
• Centre for Research on Work and Society: http://www.yorku.ca/crws
• York Centre for Health Research: http://www.yorku.ca/yihr/
• York Centre for International and Security Studies: http://www.yorku.ca/yciss
• York Centre for Practical Ethics: http://www.yorku.ca/ycpe
A complete list of all research centres at York University can be found at:
http://www.yorku.ca/research/about/centres.html
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TUITION AND LIVING EXPENSES
TUITION FEES FOR FULL-TIME STUDENTS
The annual fees for full-time students in the current 2012-2013 academic year are
$5524.98 (Domestic Students) and $12032.46 (International Students). At York,
graduate students are required to maintain continuous registration status and pay
associated tuition fees for three terms per year (fall, winter, summer) until completion of
the program.
FEE CHANGES:
The above tuition fees may change slightly each year. For the up-to-date tuition fee
schedule, visit the website http://sfs.yorku.ca/fees/courses/index.php
SUPPLEMENTARY ACADEMIC FEES:
Assorted supplementary fees, including those approved through student referenda,
currently total an additional $759.66 per year (three terms). Health Plan (Domestic
Students): All students must pay a premium for the National Student Health and Dental
Plan. Currently, the amount is approximately $341.06 per year, but may be higher for
next academic year, in 2013-2014.
HEALTH PLAN (INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS):
All international students must pay an additional health plan premium beyond the regular
$341.06 The additional amount is currently $756.00 for an over-all annual total of
$1,097.06 for international students but may be higher for 2013-2014.
REQUIRED MINIMUM FEES TO BE PAID
Students in the research-stream LLM Program must pay, at minimum, the equivalent of
full-time fees for three terms (even if they finish their studies within a shorter period)..
Students in the PhD Program must pay, at minimum, the equivalent of full-time fees for
six terms (even if they finish their studies within a shorter period). Students are required
to have paid these fees in full before being allowed to graduate. This rule is strictly
enforced by York University.
FAILURE TO REGISTER AND PAY FEES
If continuing students do not register and pay fees as required, the Faculty of Graduate
Studies may withdraw them from the Program. The deadline for registration fees in each
term is as follows:
• Fall term
• Winter term
• Summer term
September 8
January 8
May 8
A late registration charge of $200.00 will be assessed under the Faculty of Graduate
Studies regulations for students who register after the deadline. Students will be charged
interest of 1% per month on all outstanding balances.
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CONTINUING REGISTRATION
Every graduate student must maintain continuous registration (i.e. register and pay fees
for fall, winter and summer terms) until the dissertation, thesis or major research paper
submitted has been accepted for the award of the degree.
After the minimum period of residency is completed (see Section 3 of this Guide for the
residency periods), students may petition to change their status from full-time to parttime and pay the part-time registration fee per term. York regulations stipulate that a
change of status to part-time must be for a minimum of two terms, if students intend to
subsequently return to full-time status.
BUDGETING FOR ANNUAL LIVING EXPENSES
The following chart of estimated living expenses is an approximation of the expenses
that should be budgeted for. The chart is intended only as a guide. The figures are
estimations only and are based on the cost of living for a single student. Note that choice
of housing is the single most significant factor in determining a student’s overall
expenses, and that off-campus housing of reasonable quality may be considerably
harder to secure at rents comparable to York campus housing rents. Also, note that the
calculations do not include the highly variable cost of transportation to Toronto.
ANNUAL ESTIMATED LIVING EXPENSES
(Does not include tuition and supplemental fees)
Tuition and Supplemental fees:
http://sfs.yorku.ca/fees/additional/index.htm
Rent and Utilities
$9,500
(12 months at $750-$800/month)
Rent based on $700 /month rent for shared accommodation and $100/utilities)
Food ($400/month)
$4,800
Books
$1,000
Miscellaneous Living Expenses
$2,000
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Financial support for Graduate students in Law falls under the York University’s
Graduate Student Support Funding Policy. Financial support for graduate students at
York University is made up from a variety of sources such as external and internal
scholarships and assistantships (Graduate Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and
Teaching Assistantships.)
All sources of funding, including external awards and teaching positions including course
directorships are usually considered in the University’s allocation of minimum funding
guarantees. Thus a student who receives a scholarship is likely to receive a partial “top
up” award, but the scholarship is included in York’s calculation of its minimum
guarantee.
Students are normally not permitted to receive additional funding through York
University, such as through Research or Teaching Assistances, above and beyond the
minimum guarantee. York regulations permit a maximum of ten hours of work on
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campus per week. PhD candidates receiving financial support from York University are
normally expected to hold a teaching assistantship position as a way of contributing to
their funding package.
LLM students who are in their second year may register as part-time, not full time status.
Part time status students (whether in the LLM or PhD programs) are not permitted to
hold a teaching assistantship.
In cases where students have another offer of acceptance from another university,
Osgoode will endeavor to meet or better the offer, using its own endowment funding to
do so. Special needs of applicants are also considered for these awards.
More detailed funding information is provided when a recommendation offer of
admission is sent to each applicant.
THE BASIC FUNDING PACKAGES FOR 2011-2012 WERE:
New Master’s students were not guaranteed minimum funding. Funding was available at
the discretion of the Graduate Program Director and was an average of $9,000.00 per
student with an additional $4,000 scholarship available to top students.
NEW ENTRY DOCTORAL STUDENTS ARE GUARANTEED MINIMUM
FUNDING AS FOLLOWS:
In the most recent academic year, domestic PhD students received $20,218 for the first
year of study. International students received $20,593 for the first year of study.
All applicants should make reasonable efforts to secure funding from external agenciesboth prior to coming to Osgoode and as continuing students-and other sources,
including personal savings and family support. External awards include those from the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Viscount
Bennett Fellowship, and the Province of Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS).
Students who hold a SSHRC are permitted to hold a maximum of ½ TA position (135
hours of work) under York University regulations.
SCHOLARSHIPS/FELLOWSHIPS/ASSISTANTSHIPS — INTERNAL
The following scholarships and other financial awards are also available.
ARTHUR BRUNSKILL FUND
This fund was established by the friends and colleagues of the late Arthur Brunskill,
Registrar of the Ontario Labour Relations Board for more than 20 years, to encourage
the study of Labour Relations Law. The annual income, of approximately $500, will
provide a fellowship for a student enrolled in the Graduate Program at Osgoode Hall
Law School who is pursuing research in Labour Relations Law.
HON. WILLARD Z. ESTEY GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
The Hon. Willard Z. Estey Graduate Fellowships in Law are supported by an endowment
gift from the Honourable Willard Z. Estey as supplemented by Osgoode Hall. The
fellowships are awarded to outstanding law graduates who require financial assistance
to pursue graduate studies at the Masters or Doctoral level at Osgoode Hall Law School
in preparation for careers in the legal profession, in the judiciary, or as law teachers and
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scholars, and who demonstrate aptitude for leadership and a commitment to use their
knowledge and expertise for the greater good. The Estey Fellowship Fund supporting
these fellowships was matched by the Ontario Government and accordingly these
fellowships are available only to Ontario residents.
HARRY W. ARTHURS FELLOWSHIP
Harry W. Arthurs was Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School (1972 - 1977) and President of
York University (1985 - 1992). He established these Fellowships upon his retirement in
2005 and they were generously supported by many colleagues, students, and friends.
The Fellowships will be awarded to highly qualified candidates with excellent academic
records who propose to pursue doctoral degrees in the broad field of public law, with
preference being given to candidates proposing to undertake interdisciplinary work. All
entering and continuing doctoral candidates are eligible. At the discretion of the Director
of the Graduate Program in Law, recipients may be considered for a second or
subsequent award. Recipients demonstrate financial need.
JOHN W. GRAHAM FELLOWSHIP
The John W. Graham Fellowship was established by Edward S. Rogers in honour of
John W. Graham, Q.C., Class of 1936, noted for his distinguished contributions to the
development of broadcasting in Canada. The fellowship will be awarded annually to an
outstanding student registered in the Graduate Program in Law who is undertaking
research in the field of communications law. Preference will be given to students who
wish to teach in the field. The number of awards will be determined annually. Value of
the award per student is up to $20,000.
HARLEY D. HALLETT GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
Established by the will of Elizabeth A. Hallett in memory of her husband, His Honour
Judge Harley Donald Hallett, the Harley D. Hallett Scholarship Fund supports graduate
scholarships for full-time graduate students. Recipients are selected on the basis of
academic background, and potential for successful completion of graduate study and
financial need. Under the terms of the bequest from the Hallett estate, preference will be
given to those applicants concentrating on business law or criminal law.
Hallett Scholarship recipients are eligible to be considered in subsequent years, the
amount of the awards may differ from (the) previous year(s). Eight-five per cent of the
scholarship money is limited to Ontario residents.
MARY JANE MOSSMAN GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship was established in recognition of the contribution of Osgoode Professor
Mary Jane Mossman to issues of legal scholarship and education, particularly as they
relate to concerns of women. The total value of the scholarship is valued at $15,000,
and may be awarded to one or more students who are enrolled in the full time or part
time thesis graduate studies at Osgoode Hall Law School. Both men and women
students are entitled to apply. The scholarship is intended to promote thesis work that is
related, either nationally or internationally, on issues concerning feminism and law,
gender and law, or human rights. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of
academic achievement and /or other relevant activities or projects.
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This application requires a letter of application, a CV, and a copy of the student's thesis
proposal. The Graduate Program will supply letters of reference for new applicants, but
in progress students must arrange to submit a letter of reference from the current
supervisor of their graduate thesis. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2011, and
applications should be forwarded to Lisa Bunker, Manager, Graduate Program in law,
Osgoode Hall Law School.
NATHANSON GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
The Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security awards
several graduate fellowships to selected incoming students whose thesis or dissertation
work is closely tied to the research themes of the Centre. A fellowship recipient will be
eligible for a fellowship in subsequent years, but it is exceptional that a Masters student
will receive a second year of Fellowship funding. In the case of incoming PhD students,
a fellowship may (but will not necessarily) be awarded, from the outset, as tenable for
two years.
The value of a fellowship is typically in the region of $3,000-$5,000 (and may constitute
“top up” funding). Fellows receiving a full fellowship will be expected to contribute to the
research community and infrastructure of the Nathanson Centre - for example, through
involvement in substantive writing and editing of a periodic newsletter, helping maintain
bibliographic databases on the website, assessing and editing working papers to be
published by the Centre, assisting in the organizing of Nathanson workshops or
conferences, presenting their own work at one or more workshops throughout the year,
and so on. The letter that offers a Fellowship will specify the conditions of the offer.
Smaller financial awards may be made to graduate students who have other sources of
funding, but who the Centre wishes to invite to participate in its activities. While the
amount of the awards are related to a student’s overall funding needs, the decision to
give an award is based on a combination of merit and fit with the Nathanson Centre
research programs.
To express interest in being considered for a Nathanson Fellowship, please indicate this
both on the application form to the Graduate Program and by directly contacting the
Nathanson Centre at nathanson@osgoode.yorku.ca. Fellowships are awarded on a
rolling basis, and typically decisions will be made at the start of the fall term after an
interview with the Director.
HELENA ORTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship honours the life and work of Helena Orton, a lawyer with a special
commitment to pursuing equality for women, whose tragic death in 1997 cut short her
career and her life's work.
The scholarship is valued at up to $5,000. Students in full time or part time thesis
graduate studies, either at Osgoode Hall Law School or the Graduate Program in
Women's Studies at York University, are eligible. The scholarship is designed to further
Helena Orton's work, and is thus available for graduate work that explores "relationships
between law and social equality." Both men and women students are entitled to apply,
and some preference will be given to students whose work focuses on workplace issues
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of benefit to women. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of academic
achievement and a demonstrated commitment to equality issues.
This application requires a letter of application, a CV, and a copy of the student's thesis
proposal. The Graduate Program Office will supply letters of reference for new
applicants, but in progress students must arrange to submit a letter of reference from the
current supervisor of their graduate thesis. The deadline for applications is usually in
early March each year, and applications should be forwarded to Lisa Bunker, Manager,
Graduate Program in Law, Osgoode Hall Law School.
NICOL KINGSMILL FELLOWSHIP
This fellowship was established by the friends of the late Nicol Kingsmill, Q.C. It will be
awarded to a graduate student enrolled at Osgoode Hall Law School who is pursuing
research in Administrative Law. The value of the award is $500.
NEWTON W. ROWELL GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN LAW
Newton Wesley Rowell (1867 - 1941) graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1891.
He went on to a distinguished career as a Canadian jurist and statesman. He was
elected to the Ontario legislature in 1911 and then served in the Canadian House of
Commons from 1917 - 1921. In 1936 he became Chief Justice of Ontario, and in 1937
he was appointed by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to head the Royal
Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations. His grandson, the Honourable Henry
N.R. Jackman, has endowed this scholarship to honour Newton Rowell’s memory and
contribution to Canada.
IP OSGOODE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
IP Osgoode awards up to two graduate fellowships to selected incoming students whose
thesis or dissertation work focuses on intellectual property, technology, privacy and
related issues. The number of awards will be determined annually.
The value of each fellowship is $5,000. Fellows are expected to contribute to and
participate in IP Osgoode’s activities. Recipients are selected on the basis of the nature
of proposed thesis or dissertation work, potential for excellence in intellectual property
scholarship, and overall fit with IP Osgoode’s research activities.
IP Osgoode at Osgoode Hall Law School explores legal governance issues at the
intersection of intellectual property (IP) and technology. IP Osgoode cultivates
interdisciplinary, comparative and transnational research, collaboration, policy-thinking
and practice. Its current Director is Professor Giuseppina D’Agostino.
SCHOLARSHIPS – EXTERNAL
JOSEPH-ARMAND BOMBARDIER CANADA GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS –
The prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier scholarships are available at the Master
and Doctoral levels from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada (SSHRCC). The Masters scholarship Master’s program offers non-renewable
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twelve month awards valued at $17,000 and only tenable at recognized Canadian
universities to applicants who will be registered as full-time students at the Masters level
in a discipline supported by SSHRC. The PhD scholarship offers $35,000 per annum for
36 months. Subject to satisfactory progress and certain conditions they are tenable for
first to third year inclusive. This application is concurrent with the SSHRC Doctoral
fellowship application and with the same application materials.
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA
(SSHRCC) DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
In addition to offering the Joseph-Armand Bombardier scholarships, SSHRC offers
Doctoral Fellowships. These are currently valued at $20,000, and are awarded to
Canadian or landed immigrant students in the social sciences and humanities, including
law, who are registered in programs leading to a Doctoral degree or equivalent. Further
information may be obtained from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Room 283 York
Lanes, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, or Fellowships Division, Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 350 Albert Street, P.O. Box
1610, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6G4. Information is available on the Web at: www.sshrc.ca.
PROVINCE OF ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS (OGS)
Approximately 1,200 scholarships, currently valued at $5,000 per term or $15,000 per
year, are awarded primarily to Canadian citizens or permanent residents (although a
small number are available to students in Canada holding student authorizations).
Preference may be given to Ontario residents. Students in all disciplines are eligible.
Outstanding grades in most courses, especially in the later years and the areas of
concentration, are required.
For the 2012-2013 Ontario Graduate Scholarship students are urged to apply online
using OSAP website http://osap.gov.on.ca. New features of online application include a
function for students to enter their Statement of Interest or Plan of Study, List of
Significant Academic Accomplishments, and/or List of Other Scholarships. Students can
print their personalized OGS application package, which is required in order to be
entered into the competition. Important details of the OGS program may be found on the
OSAP website under “Other Information”.
VISCOUNT BENNETT FELLOWSHIP
Under the terms of a deed of gift made to the Canadian Bar Association by the Right
Honourable Viscount Bennett, the Viscount Bennett Fellowship has been established.
The sum of at least $20,000 will be paid annually as a fellowship for post-graduate study
in Law at an institution of higher learning to be approved by the Scholarship Committee.
The fellowship is open to a person who has graduated from an approved law school in
Canada or who, at the time of application, is pursuing his or her final year of studies as
an undergraduate student at an approved law school. Osgoode Hall Law School has
been approved by the Committee. The fellowship is for one year and is not renewable.
The deadline is December 15. Applications can be obtained from: c/o Stephen Hanson,
Senior Director of Communications, The Canadian Bar Association, 50 O’Connor Street,
Suite 902, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6L2. Phone 1-800-267-8860.
TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
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Many students take advantage of the opportunity to teach while at Osgoode. Indeed, all
PhD students in the graduate program in law are ordinarily expected to hold a Teaching
Assistant position as a condition of their funding. LLM students do not hold Teaching
Assistanship positions unless there is no PhD student available for the position.
Osgoode hires instructors for its Legal Research and Writing Program and to work with
first year JD students. Graduate students in Law may also teach in the York graduate
programs in Criminology, Law and Society, Philosophy and Business.
Teaching applications are received at the same time as applications to the Graduate
Program. The Graduate Program will assist with sending teaching applications to the
appropriate department but students who have been admitted must also send their
teaching applications to all eligible programs requiring TAs.
INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME
The Graduate Program in Law is enriched by the presence of a number of students from
countries other than Canada. However, it may be difficult for international applicants to
assess the desirability and feasibility of pursuing graduate legal studies at Osgoode
because these applicants are unfamiliar with conditions in Canada and with Canadian
legal education. Applicants are encouraged to contact the program for important
information prior to submitting an application. Please send an email to
gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca. It is hoped that the following information will assist such
applicants.
LEGAL EDUCATION IN CANADA
Almost all Canadian students enter a first degree (LLB or JD) program in law with prior
university training in another discipline. During the course of their LLB or JD Program,
Canadian law students typically learn techniques of legal research, analysis and writing.
Thus, students generally arrive at graduate school with the capacity to undertake
serious, advanced research and a major writing commitment.
The potential ability to cope with such a writing commitment should therefore figure both
in an international applicant’s decision to seek admission and in Osgoode’s decision to
offer him or her a place in the program. The Graduate Program at Osgoode requires that
applicants have high competence in the use of the English language and an aptitude for
legal research. Applicants should provide as much evidence of their ability to meet these
requirements as possible.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST
If applicants do not live in an English-speaking jurisdiction or do not have a degree from
an institution that provides instruction in English, they are required to submit proof of
their proficiency in English. To do this, they may sit one of several examinations,
including the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the York English
Language Test (YELT). Applicants relying on TOEFL must sit the test that includes the
Test of Written English (TWE) component; for TOEFL, the minimum acceptable score is
600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based), iBT 100, as well as 5 on the TWE
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component. Applicants relying on YELT must score in Band 1. Applicants must arrange
to write one of these tests on their own.
For information on the TOEFL and YELT tests, contact:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
http://www.ets.org/toefl Tel (USA): 609-771-7100
Tel (Canada): 416-289-5000 (Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario)
E-mail: toefl@ets.org
York English Language Test (YELT)
http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/graduate/apply_now/yelt.html
Tel: 416-736-5812 for information on test dates, procedures and out of town bookings;
Tel: 416-736-5599 for information on test procedures
E-mail: yelt@yorku.ca
An alternative test is the UK-based International English Language Testing System
(IELTS). The minimum acceptable score is 7.5 out of 9. Contact:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Tel (UK): 0161-957-7755
E-mail: ed@britcoun.org
LLM APPLICANTS FROM INDIA, PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH
At present, the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) of York University requires applicants
from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to have a second-class honors Masters degree in
order to be considered for a Masters program at York, including the LLM. The Graduate
Program in Law may nonetheless recommend to FGS admission of applicants without
this formal qualification by applying to a special FGS sub-committee.
IMMIGRATION STATUS AND WORK
Students from abroad enrolled in Canadian universities must obtain appropriate visas for
entry into Canada. The Graduate Program at Osgoode urges applicants to explore
relevant requirements at an early date with the nearest Canadian Consulate or
immigration office.
Full time students may work up to an average of 10 hours per week on campus,
including Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Assistantships (Research
Assistantships being exempt from this limitation). However, on-campus work
opportunities are limited and applicants should not depend on securing a position to
finance their studies.
SEEKING EXTERNAL SOURCES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Although the Graduate Program in Law has at its disposal a range of sources of funding,
competition for these is keen. Accordingly, applicants are strongly urged to explore other
possibilities, particularly the Commonwealth Scholarships or scholarship offered by your
own government to promote study abroad. In some cases, Canadian government
assistance programs may provide funds for students falling within their defined scope.
Needless to say, the Graduate Program at Osgoode will do everything possible to help
deserving students, within its available resources.
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PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA
Students considering permanent settlement in Canada must seek landed immigrant
status. However, if their ultimate aim is to secure admission to the legal profession in
Canada (in contrast, for example, to the university academy), applicants should seek to
enroll in a Canadian LLB or JD program rather than a graduate (LLM or PhD) program.
The governing bodies of the legal profession in the various Canadian provinces tend not
to regard a graduate degree as relevant for admission to the Bar. Further inquiries on
this point must be addressed to the appropriate provincial governing body for the legal
profession. In Ontario, the relevant body is the Law Society of Upper Canada
(http://www.lsuc.on.ca).
CORRESPONDENCE
Experience suggests that international applicants are sometimes prejudiced by delays in
the dispatch of references and other documentation from their own countries. The
Graduate Program at Osgoode therefore urges applicants to impress upon their
referees, and upon officials of universities and other post-secondary institutions, that
such documents should be sent promptly and by first-class airmail. International
students should be aware that the University requires two (2) official copies of
transcripts, and in some cases official certificates.
The Graduate Program at Osgoode does attempt to respond quickly to all
correspondence. However, replies may sometimes be held up either because of the
necessity of obtaining internal committee and administrative decisions, or by postal
delays. Please be assured that every effort will be made to minimize such problems.
The relative difficulties of international communication do make it highly desirable that
applications from abroad be submitted as early as possible.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
FACULTY RESEARCH AND SUPERVISORY INTERESTS
FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBERS
One of the strengths of Osgoode’s Graduate Program in Law is that applicants are
admitted only after a faculty member has considered the file and agreed to act as
supervisor. The fit between an applicant’s planned thesis or dissertation topic and the
expertise of available supervisors is thus a very important aspect of the admissions
process. For this reason, applicants are asked to pay close attention to the final section
of the Osgoode Graduate Program Application Form (see Section 12 of this guide),
which asks the applicant to suggest potential supervisors and provide brief rationales for
the suggestions.
For purposes of completing this section of the Application Form, the following very brief
biographies are intended to give applicants an overview of the research and supervisory
interests of the full-time faculty members of Osgoode and York’s Faculty of Graduate
Studies. More comprehensive profiles of each member of faculty can be found on the
Osgoode website at http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/faculty.
Harry W. Arthurs
OC, OO, BA, LLB (Toronto), LLM (Harvard), Hon LLD (Brock, Law Society of Upper
Canada, McGill, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Toronto, York), HonDLitt (Lethbridge), Hon. DCL
(Windsor) FRSC, FBA of the Bar of Ontario, President Emeritus, University Professor.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Globalization; labour law; corporate
governance; corporate codes; governance and community; effects of the New Economy
on institutions; legal profession; legal education; constitutionalism.
Margaret E. Beare
BA, MA (Guelph), Diploma in Criminology (Cambridge), PhD (Columbia).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Transnationalization of crime and law
enforcement; public and private policing; organized crime; women and the criminal
justice system; money laundering; policing strategies; gang violence; and, corrections.
For academic years 2007-2009, she has received a SSHRC grant to study Gangs and
Gang Violence.
Stephanie Ben-Ishai
LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Empirical, policy and comparative work in
bankruptcy, commercial and corporate law.
Benjamin Berger
BA with First-Class Honours (Alberta), LLB (UVic), LLM, JSD (Yale), of the Bars of
Ontario and British Columbia
Research and Supervisory Interests: Law and Religion; Criminal and Constitutional
Law and Theory; the Law of Evidence; Legal History; Judgment and the Judiciary; Law
and the Humanities.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Faisal Bhabha
LLB (Queen's), LLM (Harvard)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Constitutional law; equality and antidiscrimination; administrative law; ethics and professionalism; legal process; dispute
resolution; legal education.
W. Neil Brooks
BA (Alberta), LLB (British Columbia), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Tax; tax planning and policy; corporate and
international tax; financing the welfare state.
Ruth Buchanan
BA (Princeton); LLB (Victoria); LLM, SJD (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Law and development; globalization, social
justice and law; international economic institutions; social and legal theory; critical and
feminist approaches to international law; legal pluralism; law and film.
Annie Bunting
LLB (Osgoode), LLM (London School of Economics), SJD (Toronto), of the Bar of
Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: International human rights; women’s rights;
culture and legal anthropology.
B. Jamie Cameron
BA (British Columbia), LLB (McGill), LLM (Columbia), of the Bars of British Columbia
and Ontario
Research and Supervisory Interests: Freedom of expression and the press; freedom
of association; constitutionalization of criminal law; principles of fundamental justice;
comparisons between American and Canadian constitutional jurisprudence.
Mary G. Condon
BA (Dublin), MA, LLM, SJD (Toronto), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Securities law and policy; mutual fund
governance; pension regulation and policy; online investing; feminism and markets;
privatization; family firms; economic regulation; corporate law; financial services; sociolegal studies
Rosemary J. Coombe
BA (Hons), LLB (Great Distinction) (Western Ontario), LLM, JSD (Stanford University).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Intellectual property; social theory and law; law
and culture; legal theory; law and communication; legal pluralism; law and anthropology;
globalization and law, cultural rights.
Carys Craig
LLB (Edinburgh), LLM (Queen’s), SJD (Toronto).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Domestic intellectual property law and policy;
comparative and international intellectual property law and policy; philosophy and politics
of intellectual property rights; legal and political theory, including feminist theory;
communication and culture.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Giuseppina (Pina) D’Agostino
HonBA (York), LLB (Osgoode), MSt and DPhil (Oxford), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: International, comparative and domestic
aspects of intellectual property law; technology and science and how these interrogate
core areas of the law (such as intellectual property, contract, labour, health and privacy
law); copyright contract; legal reform, public policy and theories of intellectual property
law.
John N. Davis
JD (Toronto), MLS (Western Ontario), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Include conveyancing law; the law of remedies,
legal, constitutional, and first nations history; administrative law; legal language and
interpretation; information technology law; and copyright
Aaron Dhir
BA (Distinction), LLB (Dalhousie); LLM (New York University), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Corporate/commercial law; corporate social
responsibility; corporations and human rights.
Susan G. Drummond
BA, BSW (Dalhousie), BCL, LLB, MSW (McGill), DEA (Aix-Marseille), DCL (McGill).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Legal anthropology and legal pluralism;
comparative law; civil law; family law.
Tim Edgar
BA LLB (UWO), LLM (Osgoode), PhD (Deakin)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Taxation of financial instruments; tax law and
policy
D. Paul Emond
BA (Hons) (Toronto), LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Environmental law; urban and legal studies;
planning law; resources development law; dispute settlement.
Trevor C.W. Farrow
AB (Princeton), BA/MA (Oxford), LLB (Dalhousie), LLM (Harvard), PhD Candidate
(Alberta), of the Ontario Bar
Research and Supervisory Interests: Administration of civil justice, including legal
process, civil procedure, dispute resolution, professional ethics, legal theory, legal
education, rights and security, globalization and post-conflict development.
Shelley A. M. Gavigan
BA (Regina), LLB (Saskatchewan), MA (Toronto), LLM (Osgoode), SJD (Toronto) of the
Bars of Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Family law and the definition and regulation of
familial relations; criminal law; poverty law; children and the law; socio-legal history.
Benjamin Geva
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
LLB (Jerusalem), LLM, SJD (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Banking and financial laws; commercial
transactions; funds transfers and payment systems; negotiable instruments; secured
credit, and legal history (including comparative) of private law and commercial and
financial transactions.
Joan M. Gilmour
BA, LLB (Toronto), JSM, JSD (Stanford), of the Bars of Ontario and British Columbia.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Health law; legal governance of health care;
privatization and health care reform; legal regulation of alternative health care;
professional regulation of health care practitioners; torts; civil procedure; equality rights
and discrimination, disability and the law.
Ian Greene
BA (Hons) (Alberta), MA, PhD (Toronto).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Administrative law; judicial behaviour; courts
administration; political ethics; social science evidence on Supreme Court decisions.
Michael Giudice
BA (New Brunswick); MA, PhD (McMaster).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Philosophy of law and associated areas in
political and moral philosophy.
C. Douglas Hay
BA, MA (Toronto), PhD (Warwick) (cross-appointed with the Faculty
of Arts).
Research and Supervisory Interests: History of English and Canadian criminal law;
comparative history of criminal procedure; social history of crime; judicial biography;
history of employment law in England and the British Empire; English and Canadian
legal history.
Peter W. Hogg
OC, LSM, QC, LLB (New Zealand), LLM (Harvard), PhD (Monash), FRSC, Barrister and
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and Victoria, and of the Bar of Ontario,
University Professor
Research and Supervisory Interests: Constitutional law; Canadian federalism;
administrative law.
Allan C. Hutchinson
LLB (London), LLM (Manchester), LLD (Manchester), FRSC, Barrister of Gray’s Inn, and
of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Law and politics; legal theory; legal profession;
racism and the law; constitutional law; torts; jurisprudence; corporate governance; legal
profession; racism and law.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Shin Imai
BA (Yale), LLB (Toronto), LLM (Osgoode), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Aboriginal law; alternative dispute resolution;
clinical legal education.
Lesley Jacobs
BA (Hons), MA (Western), DPhil (Oxford).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Law and society; comparative law and public
policy (esp. income policy, health law and policy, human rights in countries on
the Asia Pacific Rim); empirical social-legal research; courts and social
policy; intersections between international human rights and trade law; and
theoretical work on social justice.
G. Thomas Johnson
BA (Hons)(York), BCL (McGill), SJD (Wisconsin), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Commercial law; secured transactions; land
tenure reform; property; bankruptcy and insolvency; project financing; and law and
development.
Shelley Kierstead
LLB (New Brunswick), LLM (Toronto), PhD (Osgoode)
Research and Supervisory Interests: family law, access to justice, dispute resolution,
conflict of laws, legal process.
Sonia Lawrence
BA, MSW, LLB (Toronto), LLM (Yale)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Equality rights; anti-discrimination; welfare and
welfare administration; law and poverty; race and the law; law and culture; constitutional
law; intersections of law and social work; public interest lawyering.
Jinyan Li
BA (UIBE, China), LLB (Toronto), LLM (Queen’s), DJur (Osgoode), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Taxation law; International Tax, Advanced
Corporate Tax, and Chinese law.
Michael Mandel
LLB (Osgoode), BCL (Oxford), of the Bar of Ontario
Research and Supervisory Interests: International Criminal Law; Comparative
Constitutional Law.
John D. McCamus
BA (Western Ontario), MA, LLB (Toronto), LLM (London),FRSC, of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Private law; restitution; contracts; privacy;
access to information; public law and policy.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Ian A. McDougall
BA (Simon Fraser), LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Aerospace Law, energy regulation and policy;
natural resources; corporate takeovers and acquisitions; investitures; commercial
negotiations; business associations; consumer law; corporate finance; Canada-US
business relations; constitutional law; property law; administrative law
Kent McNeil
BA, LLB (Saskatchewan), DPhil (Oxford), of the Bar of Saskatchewan.
Research and Supervisory Interests: The rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada,
Australia and the United States in relation to sovereignty, land, constitutional matters,
self-government; fiduciary obligations, and treaties.
Ikechi Maduka Mgbeoji
LLB (Nigeria), BL (Lagos), LLM, JSD (Dalhousie).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Comparative intellectual property law; collective
security and intervention in civil and international conflicts; third world approaches to
international law; law of patents; indigenous peoples and intellectual property law;
biodiversity and international environmental law; trademarks law; the history of public
international law and international institutions; torts.
Patrick J. Monahan
BA (Ottawa), MA (Carleton), LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Constitutional law; Canadian federalism;
administrative law.
Janet Mosher
BMusA (Western Ontario), LLB (Queen’s), LLM (Toronto), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Law and poverty; woman abuse; the
intersections of welfare policy and violence against women; legal process; legal ethics;
evidence; access to justice; law and social change.
Mary Jane Mossman
BA (Hons) (McGill), LLB (Queen’s), LLM (London), LLD (Law Society of Upper Canada),
of the Bars of New South Wales and Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Women and the Law/Legal Professions; Family
Law, Social Assistance and Economic Dependency; Property Law, including Trusts and
Pensions; Access to Justice and Legal Aid.
Roxanne Mykitiuk
BA (Alberta); LLB (Toronto); LLM ( Columbia), JSD (Columbia) member of the Alberta
Bar
Research and Supervisory Interests: Legal construction and regulation of disability
and gender in health law and policy; reproductive and genetic technologies; feminist
bioethics; cultural and social implications of biotechnology; legal regulation and
construction of childhood; family law; children and the law; health law reform; disability
studies; feminist theory; law and epistemology; health and globalization; construction of
the body and legal regulation.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Obiora Chinedu Okafor
LLB (Hons), LLM (Nigeria), LLM, PhD (British Columbia).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Public international law and policy; international
human rights law and policy; refugee law and policy; immigration law and policy;
international legal theory; international institutions; international legal history; statehood
and self-determination; legitimate governance; human rights in Africa; Nigerian law;
postcolonial theories; Third World approaches to international law.
Lisa C. Philipps
LLB (Toronto), LLM (Osgoode), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Taxation law and administration; national and
transnational fiscal policy; gender and economic governance.
Marilyn L. Pilkington
BA (Hons) (Alberta), LLB (Toronto), LLD (Law Society of Upper Canada), of the Bar of
Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Constitutional law, litigation and remedies;
evidence; legal education and the legal profession; governance of not-for-profit
corporations; administrative tribunals; enforcement of securities laws.
Dan Priel
LLB (Hebrew), BCL, MPhil, DPhil (Oxford)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Legal theory, private law (especially tort law and
restitution), legal history
Poonam Puri
LLB (Toronto), LLM (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Corporate law; securities law; bankruptcy law;
criminal law; the economics of litigation; business associations; law of corporate
management; criminal law and corporations; legal profession and innovation in legal
fees.
Sean Rehaag
BA (Hon)UBC, BCL/LLB (McGill), PhD (Toronto)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Immigration and Refugee Law, International
Law, Human Rights, Gender and Sexuality, Legal Theory, Legal Pluralism, Legal
Process, Clinical Education
Bruce B. Ryder
BA (Western Ontario), LLB (Toronto), LLM (Columbia)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Federalism; constitutional law; equality rights;
freedom of expression; censorship; sexuality and the law; Aboriginal rights; Quebec
secession.
Hengameh Saberi
LLB (Tehran), LLM (Tehran), LLM (McGill), SJD (Harvard)
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Research and Supervisory Interests: International law,international legal theory and
history, jurisprudence, disability law and human rights, philosophy of pragmatism, and
Islamic political and legal thought
R. L. Liora Salter
BA (Toronto), MA (Simon Fraser), FRSC (cross-appointed with the Faculty of
Environmental Studies).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Interdisciplinary research; communications law;
standards regulation and public policy, environmental Law social science theory,
research methods.
Craig M. Scott
BA (McGill), BA (Oxford), LLM (London School of Economics), LLB (Dalhousie), of the
Bar of Ontario.
(Not available for supervisory duties for 2013-2014)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Theory and general doctrine of public and
private international law; international human rights law; constitutional human rights law;
transnational law and governance theory; transnational tort litigation; law and
globalization; law and transnational security; transnational regulation of multinational
corporations; law and the arts (visual arts, literature, theatre); interdisciplinary theories of
interpretation.
Dayna Nadine Scott
LLB (Osgoode), MES (York), Ph.D. (Osgoode), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Risk and regulation; local and global
environmental governance; sustainability; law and science; biotechnology policy; citizen
engagement; toxic torts; and trade and globalization.
Brian Slattery
BA (Hons) (Loyola), BCL (McGill), DPhil (Oxford), FRSC.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Indigenous rights; legal theory; constitutional
law; constitutional history.
Sara Slinn
BAH (Queen’s); LLB (UBC); MIR (Queen’s), PhD (Toronto), of the Bar of British
Columbia
Research and Supervisory Interests: Labour and employment law, constitutional law,
law and industrial relations.
Lorne Sossin
BA (McGill); LLB (Osgoode); MA (Exeter), PhD (Toronto), LLM, JSD (Columbia) of the
Bar of Ontario
Research and Supervisory Interests: Administrative law, legal process and dispute
resolution, constitutional law, the judicial process, legal ethics and the legal profession.
James Stribopoulos
BA (York), LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Columbia), JSD (Columbia).
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Research and Supervisory Interests: Criminal law; criminal procedure; evidence;
constitutional law; comparative constitutional law; and policing.
Kate Sutherland
BA, LLB (Sask), SJD (Harvard), of the Bar of Saskatchewan.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Tort law; feminist legal theory; law and
sexuality; law and literature.
David Szablowski
MA (Edinburgh), LLB (York), PhD (York)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Law and globalization; regulation and
governance theory, transnational law; administrative law; non-state regulation (including
market campaigns, CSR, certification institutions); global legal pluralism; extractive
industries; indigenous rights; Latin America; international financial institutions; multi-sited
ethnography and fieldwork-based research in the global South.
Francois Tanguay-Renaud
BCL, LLB (McGill), BCL, MPhil, DPhil (Oxon), of the Bar of Ontario
Research and Supervisory Interests: Analytic Jurisprudence; Criminal Law Theory;
Public Law Theory; Transnational and International Law Theory; Emergencies and the
Law; Just War Theory; Normative and Applied Ethics; Comparative Law; Indian and
Pakistani Constitutional Law.
Eric M. Tucker
BA (Columbia), LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Yale).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Labour and employment law and history;
occupational health and safety regulation; legal history.
Gus Van Harten
BA Hons (Guelph); LLB (Osgoode); MES (York); PhD (London School of Economics), of
the Bar of Ontario
Research and Supervisory Interests: Administrative and public law
David Vaver
B.A., LL.B.(Hons.), Auckland; M.A. (Oxon.); J.D. (Chicago)
Research and Supervisory Interests: Intellectual property law
Robert S. Wai
BCom (McGill), MPhil (Oxford), LLB (British Columbia), SJD (Harvard), of the Bars of
British Columbia and New York.
Research and Supervisory Interests: International trade regulation; law and
international relations; private law theory; international business transactions; conflict of
laws.
Janet Walker
BA (Hons), MA (York), LLB (Osgoode), DPhil (Oxford).
Research and Supervisory Interests: Conflict of laws; international commercial
arbitration; comparative civil procedure, and international commercial law.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
Edward Waitzer
LLB, LLM (Toronto), of the Bars of Ontario and New York
Research and Supervisory Interests: Corporate Governance,
securities regulation, law and economics
Wil Waluchow
BA, MA Univ. Western Ontario, PhD Oxford
Research and Supervisory Interests: General Jurisprudence, Philosophy of
Constitutional Law.
Garry D. Watson
QC, LLB (Melbourne), LLM (Yale), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Civil procedure; class actions; civil justice
reform.
Sharon A. Williams
LLB (Exeter), LLM, DJur (Osgoode), FRSC, of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: International law; international criminal law;
international and national cultural property law; extra-territorial aspects of Canadian
criminal law; the denaturalization and deportation of war criminals in Canada; crimes
against humanity.
Stepan Wood
BA (York), LLB (Osgoode), SJD (Harvard), of the Bar of New York.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Domestic and international environmental law;
corporate social responsibility, codes of corporate conduct, voluntary environmental and
social standards, environmental management systems, standardization, regulation,
governmentality, globalization, non-state actors, legal pluralism, social norms,
sustainability and sustainable development, international relations theory, climate
change.
Alan N. Young
BA (York), LLB (Osgoode), LLM (Harvard), of the Bar of Ontario.
Research and Supervisory Interests: Criminal law; arbitrary detention and the police
function; freedom of expression; law and obscenity, constitutional implications of denying
criminals literary profits; investigative powers of public inquiries; criminal law and cultural
minorities; constitutional and human rights dimensions of drug testing.
Frederick H. Zemans
BA (Hons) LLB (Toronto), of the Bar of Ontario
Research and Supervisory Interests: Access to Justice, Alternative Dispute
Resolution, Professional Ethics, Quality of Legal Services, Legal Services for Law
Income Persons
Peer Zumbansen
LLB (Frankfurt), PhD (Frankfurt), Licence en droit (Paris), LLM (Harvard), Habilitation
(post-doctoral, full-professor qualification) (Frankfurt)
Research and Supervisory Interests: His research focuses on comparative corporate
governance and political economy, legal theory and international law.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
APPLICATION DETAILS
APPLICATION DEADLINES AND TIMELINES FOR OFFERS
The application deadline is Friday, February 13, 2013. File review and decision making
will begin earlier, in December or January and continue until all places have been filled,
usually in April. For particularly well-qualified applicants, offers may be made before the
application deadline on a rolling basis and as soon as files are complete. Applicants
should strive to have their file complete by February 13, 2013. Late applications will be
received only at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director. All supporting
documentation (transcripts, references and results of English-proficiency tests) should
be sent as early as possible.
Recommendations for admission are forwarded to the York University Office of
Admissions, Faculty of Graduate Studies, for decision. The official offer of admission is
from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Program.
Once a first round of offers has been made, other applicants may be placed on a waiting
list for consideration at a later date. Applicants on the waiting list may not know the
status of their application until late summer, although it is rare for an offer to be made
after June.
Decisions regarding funding (under York University’s Graduate Student Support Funding
Policy) are normally, but not invariably, made at the time when offers of admission are
made.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The application is made up of the following required documents: Documents must be
submitted as hard copy. Electronic copies should also be submitted where noted.
• York University Graduate Application (completed on-line)
• Osgoode Graduate Program Application
• Residency information for the PhD or research-stream LLM program
• Application to be considered for Teaching
• Application for a Teaching Assistantship position (CUPE 3903 Unit 1)
• Curriculum vitae (submit electronic version if possible)
• Summary of proposal and keywords (submit electronic version if possible)
• Outline of proposed area of research (submit electronic version if possible)
• Two official copies of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.
• Two letters of recommendation using the Graduate Program in Law
Recommendation Form
• Two writing samples, in English (submit electronic version if possible)
• Proof of English proficiency (if required)
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THE APPLICATION BOOKLET CAN BE REQUESTED BY:
(1) writing to the Graduate Program in Law, (address found below) and requesting the
booklet be posted to you;
(2) e-mailing your request to gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca; or
(3) accessing and printing the forms directly from the Osgoode Graduate Studies
website at http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/graduate_studies/forms.html Once the
application is filed (see York University Graduate Application, above) submission of
electronic versions of documents can be sent by email to gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca.
PREPARING THE APPLICATION
Note the following: The York University Graduate Application Form
Applicants to all York University graduate programs, including the Graduate Program in
Law, must complete an electronic Graduate Application and pay the application fee of
$90 (subject to change for 2013) on-line by credit card (Visa or MasterCard).
TO APPLY ONLINE GO TO:
http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/graduate/apply_now/ Applicants should submit
supporting documentation such as research proposals, CV, and writing samples,
electronically as e-mail attachments, or on CD or DVD, as well as, sending the hard
copy with the application.
Where applicants do not have access to electronic means of transmitting applications
and other documents, these can be mailed.
THE OSGOODE GRADUATE APPLICATION FORM
(a) Please be sure to specify the category of admission, whether “Regular” or “Without a
Law Degree” (i.e. without an LLB or JD for the LLM or LLM for the PhD).
(b) Note the special importance of indicating possible supervisors at the end of this
application form. Please list up to three, giving a brief rationale for each suggestion.
Base your list not only on the “Research and Supervisory Interests” noted for each
faculty member in this guide (see Section 11) but also on any knowledge you may have
of a possible supervisor’s published work.
(c) It is essential that the application form contain accurate contact details, most notably
current and functioning telephone number(s), e-mail address, and any relevant fax
number. If any contact details change after submission of the application, please alert
the Graduate Program in Law.
RESIDENCY INFORMATION FOR THE PHD OR RESEARCH-STREAM LLM
PROGRAM
The Residency Information form is part of the required application materials. Contact the
Graduate Program Office if you have any questions regarding completion of this form.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
OUTLINE OF YOUR PROPOSED AREA OF RESEARCH
Given the nature of the PhD and research-stream LLM, this component is extremely
important and the Graduate Studies Committee places great emphasis on its quality.
LLM applicants should submit approximately 1200-1,500 words (3 to 4 pages), and PhD
applicants 1,500-2,500 words (5 to 6 pages). The outline should include a list of
references of literature related to the research area.
SUMMARY OF THE THESIS OR DISSERTATION PROPOSAL AND
KEYWORDS
The outline should be approximately 200 words (maximum 250 words); and after the
summary, a list of five keywords or short phrases that best describe your proposed
research or research activity, separating the keywords or phrases with a semi-colon.
Make sure the summary and keywords appear on the same page and as a separate
sheet of paper from other application components.
CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)
Curriculum vitae should normally be no more than three (3) or four (4) pages, but it can
be longer where an applicant’s record of achievement is particularly extensive.
TWO WRITING SAMPLES
The Program’s preference is for scholarly publications or academic papers written for a
university course or seminar; within that preference, we prefer work on, or closely related
to, law.
Each sample should be a minimum of approximately 5,000 words (15 double-spaced
typescript pages) and a maximum of approximately 10,000 words (30 pages). Please do
your best to avoid sending pieces much longer than 10,000 words; where the piece does
exceed 10,000 words, include a cover note detailing which pages are to be read in order
to limit the reading of the Graduate Studies Committee’s evaluation panel to a maximum
of 10,000 words per sample.
The written samples must be in English. Applicants whose only written work is in a
language(s) other than English are still required to submit two samples in English.
However, applicants may do this by (a) submitting the samples in their original language
and then (b) translating into English approximately 5,000 words (15 pages) of at least
one of the samples and 1,000-2,000 (3-6 pages) of the other.
TWO (2) REFERENCES
Recommendations should be sought from persons knowledgeable with respect to your
academic abilities in law or a related discipline. At least one referee must be someone in
a position to evaluate your potential for success in research-intensive academic work.
Recommendations should be sent both electronically and as a signed hard copy.
Note: Only two recommendations will be added to your file. If you request references
from more than two referees, please note in your application which recommendations
are preferred for assessment purposes.
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2013 – 2014 Application Guide
TWO (2) OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
Official transcripts of the applicant’s academic record are required from each postsecondary college or university attended, whether or not the applicant received a degree
from that institution. This includes transcripts from institutions that one may have
attended on a letter of permission. Official transcripts are those sent directly to the
Graduate Program in Law by the college or university (on the applicant’s request) and
not via the applicant. If an applicant is presently attending a university, she or he should
also arrange for an interim transcript to be sent immediately and one final transcript to be
sent at the end of the session. In some instances, official certificates or English
translations of transcripts may also be required.
The Graduate Program in Law may use copies of transcripts at the stage of evaluating
your file. Thus, in order to expedite the evaluation process for an application, it is helpful
if applicants send photocopies of all relevant transcripts with their application packages.
However, official transcripts must be received before your file can be considered as
“complete” and prior to any official offers of admission being made by York University.
PROOF OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Proof of English-language proficiency is required if the applicant does not live in an
English-speaking jurisdiction or does not have a degree from an institution that provides
instruction in English. See Section 10 of this guide for information on tests of English as
a foreign language, notably the TOEFL and the YELT.
APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED FOR TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
This application must be completed by applicant’s wishing to be considered for teaching
positions. See Section 9 of this guide for an overview of teaching opportunities.
Important Reminder: All application materials and supporting documentation must be
sent to the Graduate Program in Law at the exact address given below. Completion of
your file and consideration of your application may be delayed if the documents arrive in
the wrong university office.
A. Please submit the following documents as they become available:
• Osgoode Graduate Program application form
• Residency information for the PhD or research-stream LLM program
• Application to be considered for teaching
• Application for a Teaching Assistantship position (CUPE 3903 Unit 1)
• Curriculum vitae
• Summary of research proposal and keywords
• Outline of proposed area of research
• Two writing samples
B. Official transcripts, letters of recommendation and English-proficiency test scores
must be sent directly from the institution(s) and the referee(s) to the Graduate Program
in Law.
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C. If you have access to a computer and your material is available in an electronic form,
please submit materials, including CV and writing samples electronically to
gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca. Mark each item with your name and the degree program
(LLM/PhD) that you are applying for.
D. If you are mailing materials (and for transcripts and references, materials should be
mailed to:
Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
Graduate Program in Law, Room 4044
Ignat Kaneff Building 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3.
Canada
If you have any questions about the application process or your application,
Telephone:
(1) (4l6) 736-5046
Fax:
(1) (4l6) 736-5736
E-mail:
gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca
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Contacts and Inquiries
Osgoode Hall Law School
Questions regarding the PhD in Law or research-stream LLM are welcome. Please contact:
Graduate Program in Law
Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
Room 4044, Ignat Kaneff Building
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3
E-mail: gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca
Internet: http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/graduate_studies/index.html
Phone: 416-736-5046
Fax: 416-736-5736
Individuals who are interested in the part-time LLM
program should contact the Osgoode Professional Development Program of Osgoode Hall
Law School at:
E-mail: opd@osgoode.yorku.ca
Internet: www.law.yorku.ca/pdp
Details about the Graduate Law Students’ Association (GLSA) and the Graduate Students
Association (GSA), respectively, can be found at:
Internet:
http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/glsa and http://www.yugsa.ca/
Selected York University Programs and Services
Access York
Tel: 416-736-5144
Internet:
www.yorku.ca/able/disabilityservices/accessyork.htm
York University General Switchboard and Website
Tel: 416-736-2100
Internet: www.yorku.ca
York Housing
Tel: 416-736-5152
http://yorku.ca/scld/offcampushousing
(off-campus housing search engine)
http://www.yorku.ca/stuhouse/ (on-campus housing)
Libraries
Tel: 416-736-5150
Internet: http://www.library.yorku.ca/
The Centre (formerly The York Woman’s Centre)
Tel: 416-736-2100, ext. 33484
http://yorku.ca/ywc
York Lanes Health Centre
Tel: 416-736-5525
Internet: http://www.yorku.ca/scld/healthed/yorkhealthservices/ York Lanes Health Centre
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Counselling & Development Centre (CDC)
Tel: 416-736-5297
Internet: www.yorku.ca/cdc
Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD)
Tel: 416-736-5140 (Voice and Information Line) and 416-736-5263 (TYY)
Internet: www.yorku.ca/cds/pmds
Learning Disabilities Program (LDP)
Tel: 416-736-5297
Internet: www.yorku.ca/cdc/ldp
Mental Health Disabilities Program (PDP)
Tel: 416-736-5297
Internet: www.yorku.ca/cds/mdhs/index.html
York University Co-op Daycare
Tel: 416-736-5190
Internet: www.yorku.ca/daycare
Lee Wiggins Childcare Centre
(formerly The Student Centre Childcare)
Tel: 416-736-5959
Office of Student Affairs-Religious Organizations/ Scott Religious Centre
Tel: 416-736-2100
Internet: www.yorku.ca/scld/organizations/ifc/scott.html
Sports and Recreation
Tel: 416-736-5185
Internet: www.recreation.yorku.ca
York Lanes Mall (shops on campus)
Internet: www.yorku.ca/yorklanes/
Parking
Internet: http://www.yorku.ca/parking
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Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
Graduate Program in Law
Room 4044 Ignat Kaneff Building
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3
Email: gradlaw@osgoode.yorku.ca
www.osgoode.yorku.ca
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