McGill Universal Deadlines can be found in McGill's Important Dates website, with detailed information about the latest class schedule located under their key academic dates page.
Specific deadlines for the Faculty of Law
Summer 2025 Term
- Summer term classes starts are varied. Refer to Minerva for Course offerings and start/end dates.
- Add/drop & Withdrawal deadline: Refer to Minerva for specific dates assigned to each course.
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Summer Term Essay applications are due by May 6, 2025 by 15h00 (see SAO forms).
- *Note that it is the student responsibility to have your supervisor email the sao.law [at] mcgill.ca (SAO) approval to supervise your Term Essay no later than the Term Essay application deadline. If your supervisor does not approve, your Term Essay will be refused.
- Apply to graduate on Minerva before mid-June (date TBD): Deadline to apply to graduate on Minerva for all undergraduate students and graduate students in all non-thesis programs (certificates, diplomas, Master's non-thesis) who expect to complete their program requirements at the end of the Summer 2025 term (Fall 2025 Convocation).
Holidays & Office Closures:
- Victoria Day (Fête des Patriotes): May 19, 2025. Classes cancelled. Administrative offices closed.
- La Fête Nationale du Québec Holiday: June 24, 2025. Classes cancelled. Administrative offices closed. Libraries closed.
- Canada Day Holiday: July 1, 2025. Classes cancelled. Administrative offices closed. Libraries closed.
- Summer Fridays(2025) - Administrative offices closed.
- June 23 & 30, 2025
- July 11,18 & 25, 2025
- August 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2025
- January 2, 2026
Assignments & Examinations:
- All assignments must be submitted electronically before 15h00 unless otherwise stated by the instructor. Course work received after 15h00, without an approved extension, will be subject to a grading penalty
- Extension requests must be submitted via email to the Student Affairs Office, before the original deadline. See the SAO policy on Extensions. Late submissions will be subject to late penalties.
- All assignments submitted to the SAO are final. Students are not be permitted to submit any additional work or an alternative version. Only the initial submission to the SAO will be forwarded for grading. (With permission only, a subsequent submission will be subject to a penalty of a deduction of one grading unit.)
- Summer Term Essays are due via SAOAssignments.law [at] mcgill.ca on August 15, 2025 by 15h00 unless an earlier deadline has been imposed by the instructor. Late submissions will be subject to late penalties. (*Students starting l’École du Barreau in September will need to submit by 15h00 on date TBD.)
- Summer examinations: Refer to your course outlines
- Applications for deferred examinations and evaluations must be made through the Student Affairs Office. Supporting documentation is required. Students must inform the SAO, prior to or within forty-eight hours of the examination, of the reasons for requesting permission to write a deferred examination.
Fall 2025 & Winter 2026 Course Registration
For the 2025-2026 academic year, registration on Minerva will proceed according to the schedule set out below, starting with priority registration for 4L students. Priority registration is intended to facilitate access to small enrollment courses for upper year students in order to ensure equity among students. *Please note that these dates are subject to change*
Priority Registration period (restricted to 9 credits per term*) |
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On June 13, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., registration opens (limited to 9 credits per term*) for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 for returning 4L students. |
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On June 16, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., registration opens (limited to 9 credits per term) for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 for returning 3L, Exchange and Visiting students. |
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On June 18, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., registration opens (limited to 9 credits per term) for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 for returning 2L students. |
Open Registration period (credit limit raised to 16.5) |
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On June 20, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., registration opens to all Upper Years (2L+) with a credit limit of 16.5 per term. |
Waitlist Activation |
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On July 2, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., Law waitlists will open. |
First Year (1L) Registration period |
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On July 15, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., registration opens for 1L students. |
Registration in up to 18 credits |
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On August 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., registration opens for all years with a credit limit of 18 per term**. |
NOTE: Returning students who fail to register in at least one course by 14 August 2025 may continue to register after this date and until the end of the registration period, but with late registration penalties (see Student Accounts website).
NOTE*: Please note that the 9 priority registration credits include non-law courses (including major and minor courses).
Fall 2025 Term
The Fall 2025 term dates are August 27 to December 3, 2025 (see Key Academic Dates for more dates).
Date(s) |
Occurence |
August 25, 2025 |
Orientation Day for all First-year students |
August 26 – 30, 2025 |
Integration Week (which runs alongside Orientation) |
August 27, 2025 |
Upper-year classes start. |
September 1, 2025: Labour Day – No class. |
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September 2, 2025 |
First-year classes start. |
September 6, 2025 at 15h00 |
(Tentative) Fall Term Essay application forms are due (see SAO forms). |
September 9, 2025, at 23h59 |
Add/Drop Deadline |
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Deadline to opt in/out of the S/U grading option |
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BCL/JD Honours Program, Major, and/or Minor program application form due to the SAO |
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September 16, 2025 |
Course Withdrawal with Refund (grade of “W” on student transcript). |
September 22 - 26, 2025 |
Fall term verification week – Students MUST verify their record on Minerva and report any errors or omissions to the SAO. |
October 13, 2025: Thanksgiving Day Holiday – Classes cancelled & administrative offices closed. |
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October 14 – 17, 2025 |
Fall Break – No Classes. For makeup day information, please see below and McGill Key Academic Dates. |
October 20-24, 2025 |
Fall Law Focus Week Workshops – ALL classes suspended (except all 1L courses). |
October 28, 2025 |
Course Withdrawal with NO Refund deadline. Deadline to REMOVE S/U Option for Fall 2025 non-required courses. See description of McGill's Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option. |
November 15, 2025 |
The deadline to report an Exam Conflict – For more information, please see the SAO's Examination Policy webpage. |
December 2025 (TBD) |
Deadline to apply to graduate on Minerva – For all undergraduate students who expect to complete their program requirements at the end of the Fall 2025 term (February 2026 graduation). |
December 3, 2025 |
Last day of lectures. MAKEUP DAY - Regular Wednesday schedule will be replaced by a Monday schedule. |
December 4, 2025 |
Study Day. |
December 5 – December 19, 2025 |
Fall examination period runs (inclusive). |
December 15, 2025 at 15h00 |
Fall Term Essays, Honours progress reports and final papers are due, unless otherwise indicated. Late submissions will be subject to late penalties. |
December 19, 2025 at 17h00 |
The last date and time to upload a completed exam. Take-Home exams for both Undergraduate Students and Graduate Students must be downloaded and submitted within the examination period. Instructors may assign specific download and submission dates & times. |
December 20, 2024 at 17h00 |
The last date and time to upload a completed exam. Take-Home exams for both BCL/JD students and Graduate students must be downloaded and submitted within the examination period via ExamSoft. Instructors may assign specific download and submission dates and times. |
December 24 2025 – January 2, 2026: Winter holiday break. No classes are scheduled during this period and all administrative offices will be closed. SAO BLACKOUT PERIOD starts (ends Jan 15, 2026). |
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Important Reminders
Assignments & Examinations:
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All assignments must be submitted electronically before 15h00 unless otherwise stated by the instructor. Course work received after 15h00, without an approved extension, will be subject to a grading penalty
-
Extension requests must be submitted via email to the Student Affairs Office, before the original deadline. See the SAO policy on Extensions. Late submissions will be subject to late penalties.
-
All assignments submitted to the SAO are final. Students are not be permitted to submit any additional work or an alternative version. Only the initial submission to the SAO will be forwarded for grading. (With permission only, a subsequent submission will be subject to a penalty of a deduction of one grading unit.)
Winter 2026 Term
Date(s) |
Occurence |
| December 24 2024 – January 2, 2025: Winter holiday break. No classes are scheduled during this period and all administrative offices will be closed. | |
January 5, 2026 |
ALL classes resume, including 1L classes. |
January 6, 2026 at 15h00 |
Winter Term Essay application forms are due (see SAO forms) |
January 14, 2026 |
SAO BLACKOUT PERIOD Ends. (Begins on December 24, 2025) |
January 15, 2026 |
The application deadline for Outgoing Exchange/Study Away programs for Summer 2025, Fall 2025 or Winter 2026. |
January 20, 2026 |
Add/Drop deadline. |
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Deadline to APPLY the S/U grading option for non-required courses |
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January 26 – 30, 2026 |
The Winter term verification week – Students MUST verify their record on and report any errors or omissions to the SAO. |
January 27, 2026 |
Course Withdrawal with Refund (grade of “W” on student transcript). |
February 23 – 27, 2026 |
Winter Law Focus Week Workshops – ALL classes suspended (except 1st year courses). See course offerings list for more information. |
February 23 – March 6, 2026 (TBD) |
Fall 2025 Deferred & Supplemental Exam Period |
March 2 - March 6, 2026: Reading Break – ALL classes cancelled this week. |
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March 2026 (TBD) |
Deadline to apply to graduate on Minerva for all undergraduate students who expect to complete their program requirements at the end of the Winter 2026 term (Spring 2026 Convocation). |
March 10, 2026 |
Course withdrawal with WITHOUT REFUND for Winter 2026 courses on Minerva |
March 14, 2026 at 15h00 |
(Tentative) The deadline to submit Clerkship & Competitive Mooting Applications. |
March 15, 2026 |
The deadline to report an exam conflict. For more information, please see the SAO's |
April 2, 2026 |
(Tentative) Last day of Lectures for 1L students. |
April 3 – April 6, 2026 Holiday – No classes or exams. Administrative offices closed. |
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April 7 – 13, 2026 |
Study week for 1L students. |
April 14, 2026 |
Last day of Lectures for Upper-year courses. MAKEUP DAY - Regular Tuesday schedule will be replaced by a Friday schedule. |
April 15, 2026 |
Study days for all students. |
April 16 – 30, 2026 |
Winter examination period (inclusive) |
April 24, 2026 at 15h00 |
Winter Term Essays, Honours progress reports, Honours theses and final papers are due, unless otherwise indicated. Late submissions will be subject to late penalties. |
April 30, 2026 at 17h00 |
The last date and time to upload a completed exam. Take-Home exams for both Undergraduate Students and Graduate Students must be downloaded and submitted within the examination period. Instructors may assign specific download and submission dates & times. |
Important Reminders
Assignments & Examinations:
-
All assignments must be submitted electronically before 15h00 unless otherwise stated by the instructor. Course work received after 15h00, without an approved extension, will be subject to a grading penalty
-
Extension requests must be submitted via email to the Student Affairs Office, before the original deadline. See the SAO policy on Extensions. Late submissions will be subject to late penalties.
-
All assignments submitted to the SAO are final. Students are not be permitted to submit any additional work or an alternative version. Only the initial submission to the SAO will be forwarded for grading. (With permission only, a subsequent submission will be subject to a penalty of a deduction of one grading unit.)