[3][4] The law school traces its origins back to the 1820s, and it counts the first Canadian prime minister (Sir John A. Macdonald) among its graduates.

[6] Ontario lawyers were originally required to attend Osgoode Hall in order to practise in the province.

[7] In 1855, the Law Society began requiring members to attend lectures given at Osgoode Hall (the building).

[10] It relocated from the Osgoode Hall building in downtown Toronto to York University's Keele Campus in 1968.

[13] Its long and distinguished history has led to a lay prestige that is unmatched by any other Canadian law school.

The project had been majorly funded by a $2.5 million gift by Ignat Kaneff, and the building has been renamed in his honour.

Osgoode's Professional Development offices and classrooms are based at 1 Dundas Street West in Downtown Toronto, overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square.

The organization also funds the student newspaper, Obiter Dicta, along with over fifty student clubs, with notable examples including the Osgoode Hall Criminal Law Society and the Osgoode Constitutional Law Society (OCLS), which was founded in 2014.