The Diplôme de Français Juridique is a 3-year limited enrollment program offered in conjunction with the JD program. It is administered by the Faculty of Law in cooperation with the Department of French.

Open only to students registered full-time in the Faculty of Law, this program is designed to meet the needs of students who have a background in French and who wish to achieve a high level of fluency in written and spoken French for professional reasons.

Application to this program may be made by applicants to the first year of the JD program. Application forms are available from, and should be submitted to, the Faculty of Law.

The only entry date for the program is at the commencement of a student's JD program.

Applicants must meet with the Director of the program at the commencement of the JD program. They will be informed by the Director if they are admitted. Applicants may be required to take the classification test administered by the Department of French.

The program is administered on behalf of the Faculty of Law by a Director appointed by the Faculty of Law.

The program is designed to be completed at the same time as the JD program. Students who complete the program and the JD program are entitled to receive the JD degree and the Diplôme de Français Juridique. Throughout the program, a student is deemed to be registered in the Faculty of Law.

In the first year, students complete the regular first year JD program (with the exception of (i) Foundations of Canadian Law and (ii) Legal Ethics and Professionalism) and take French 2900 (Language-Grammar).  In exceptional circumstances, a student who has not taken French 1900E or French 1910 may be permitted by the Director to take French 1910 instead of French 2900, in which case the latter course must be taken during the summer following first year, in addition to the regular summer program described below. 

 

A student who has already taken French 2900 may be admitted to the program, in which case another French course selected by the Director, in consultation with the Department of French, will be substituted for French 2900.

During the summer following Year 1, students attend Western's Trois-Pistoles Summer School and take French 2410E (French Canadian Civilization).

In second year, students take, Foundations of Canadian Law, Legal Ethics and Professionalism, three upper-year core curriculum law courses, at least two credit hours of elective couses, a January Term law course, Law 5735 (Français Juridique) and six credit hours in Law or law-related courses taught in French, whether in the French Department, the Faculty of Law, or any other department of the University with the approval of the Director.

During one term, students must attend the Faculty of Law, Laval University in The University of Western Ontario/Laval University Law Exchange program, and take the courses approved by the Director.

During the other term, students must take the remaining two core curriculum law courses and elective courses in the Faculty of Law, totalling at least six credit hours.

The normal progression standards applicable to the JD program apply to the program.