We are committed to supporting scholarly engagement and helping JD students take part in academic conversations beyond the classroom. The Student Conference Fund provides limited financial support to current JD students to help offset the costs of attending academic conferences and events.
Academic conferences can help you deepen your legal knowledge, engage with emerging ideas, and connect with peers, scholars, and professionals from across Canada and around the world. In some cases, conferences may also provide an opportunity to present your own original research.
What the Fund Supports
For the purposes of this fund, “academic” refers to conferences, symposia, workshops, or events with a primary focus on legal scholarship, legal research, or law-related disciplines. These events typically include scholarly talks, presentations, panels, or workshops that contribute to your intellectual and academic development.
This fund is intended primarily for academic conferences and events. Conferences or events whose primary focus is networking, career development, or community-building will generally not be funded unless they include a significant academic component.
If you are a member of an affinity group and are seeking funding to attend a conference focused on community-building, we encourage you to contact the Student Programs team to discuss other possible sources of support.
Funding Availability
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and funding is subject to availability. We encourage you to apply early.
The fund is replenished at the start of each academic year on September 1. Individual student eligibility also resets on September 1.
To access the Student Conference Fund, you must submit an application before attending the conference or academic event. Funding will not be approved retroactively for events that have already taken place.
Step 1: Submit the Student Conference Fund Application Form
You must submit this application form at least two weeks before the start date of the conference or academic event.
Late or retrospective applications will not be considered.
Step 2: Receive approval
Applications will be reviewed by at least two members of the Student Programs team and assessed in accordance with the guidelines below.
Where there are questions about the academic merit of a proposed conference or event, the Student Programs team may consult with the Associate Dean, JD Program and/or the Assistant Dean, Academic.
You will be notified of the outcome of your application, and the approved amount, if any, before the event.
Step 3: Submit for reimbursement after the event
If your application is approved, you must submit the following documentation to receive reimbursement, which will be sent to you through email:
- A completed Reimbursement Form.
- A completed Receipt Template Form.
- Copies of all itemized receipts related to eligible expenses.
- An image or screenshot of your bank or credit card statement showing the incurred charges, with all unrelated transactions redacted.
Reimbursements will be processed in accordance with the University’s Guide to Financial Management, and only after all required documentation has been received and verified. Processing times may vary depending on volume and the accuracy of submitted materials.
Key guidelines
- The Student Conference Fund is intended to support participation in academic conferences and events directly related to the study of law. Events must demonstrate a clear academic component.
- Each JD student may access up to $500 per academic year, from September 1 to August 31, for eligible conference or academic event attendance.
- Students who are presenting at a conference may be eligible to access up to $750 per academic year.
- You must receive approval before attending the conference or event.
- Funding is available only to current JD students. Students on exchange, students in joint degree programs outside the Faculty, or students not registered in JD courses at the Faculty during the time of the event are not eligible.
- Incoming exchange students are not eligible for the fund.
- Funding is disbursed while funds last. Once the annual allocation is depleted, no further approvals will be issued for that academic year.
- The fund and individual student eligibility limits reset annually on September 1.
- The fund may support up to three students attending the same conference. Requests are reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
- If more than three students are presenting at the same conference, the three-student cap does not apply. In these cases, all eligible presenting students may be considered for funding.
- A student may receive funding to attend the same conference only once during their JD degree.
Eligible expenses
Eligible expenses may include:
- Registration fees for conferences or academic events with a clear legal focus.
- Travel costs, such as flights, train, bus, or local transit.
- Accommodation expenses, where the event requires an overnight stay.
Ineligible expenses
The fund does not support:
- Alcohol or any purchases involving alcohol.
- Meals, unless they are included in the registration fee or hotel package.
- Personal expenses unrelated to conference attendance.
If you are unable to attend a conference or event due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances, the Student Conference Fund cannot cover expenses that have already been incurred. Only expenses tied to actual attendance are eligible for reimbursement.
To access the submission form, please click here.
We are especially grateful to the Students' Law Society for their role in creating and endowing the Student Conference Fund.