General
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What's Happening
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Insurance Defence Salary
I've been seeing $92k-$115k as the general range in Toronto. Can only speak to bonus structure at one or two places but there seems to have been a bit of a positive shift in that direction too. -
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Finished law school, feeling defeated
Your only other post states that you secured an ONCA clerkship. I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous for you to fret over one exam at this point, after I can only assume you were at the top of your class throughout law school and then possibly (not even confirmed yet) performed less than perfectly on a single exam. -
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Finished law school, feeling defeated
Well, generally speaking people who finish law school are happy to be done and move on to whatever comes next. And they aren't usually too anxious about performance in the last term of 3L because barring some massive flop, it probably doesn't matter because they already know where they are going. Both of those observations, however, default to what I suspect is the real issue. Where are you going next? Have you secured articles, do you know what your intentions are following law school? I strongly suspect if you have a problem here it relates more to uncertainty regarding your next steps, rather than sorrow at having no further exams to write. -
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Finished law school, feeling defeated
Are you talking about the exam or law school as a whole? -
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Help! I want to be a solicitor but I have a clerkship lined up
I know of one person that clerked and came back as a corporate lawyer. He spent his summer in corporate and everyone knew he was going to come back as a corporate lawyer, but he clerked at the ONCA instead of articling. Movements between groups do happen but setting up to be a litigator only to switch post clerkship is a bit harder. -
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Finished law school, feeling defeated
Is this normal? I wrote my last final on Wednesday and I can't stop overthinking it and feeling I could have done better... -
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Insurance Defence Salary
Thought I would bump this old thread. Hireback season is upon us, thought I would ask what the ID shops are paying their first year lawyers. -
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Entering 1L Advice
Finishing up 1L now, and I would say to never compare yourself to others. Don't make a big deal about small things as so many things are sort of out of your control. Just go to class (I cannot stress that enough). People skip classes and rely on summaries and notes of others, but I have really only learned the most by being present in class to, at least, hear the information for myself. I am a mature student, so my outlook may be a bit different from others, but treat this like a graduate school experience. Going to a bar does nothing for your academics or your career; make contacts in a professional way. I never went to a bar with any of my classmates, and I have made contacts with current Crown prosecutors, leaders in non-profit organizations, two strong mentorships with current practicing lawyers, and a law clinic where I get practical experience in my area of interest. Take time to not be in school mode, but that can be whatever you find interesting or worthwhile. If you make room for something, you can include it within your day as a first-year law student. -
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Lower than competitive GPA would still love to get in to u Ottawa
The cGPA you have is still pretty strong. Also, looking at their website they look at all aspects of your application. So strong personal statement, references and autobiographical sketch can offset the cGPA. Looking at the accepted threads on this forum (which is a small sample of the overall class) there is some people with a much lower or around your cGPA that got in with LSAT scores of 164 to 174. So, I think if you aim for something in that range you will have a really good shot. But remember cGPA/LSAT are only a part of the assessment, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get like a 180 lol. -
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Entering 1L Advice
My number one piece of advice would be not to be afraid to ask for things -- be that career advice, notes, or a job. Most senior students and lawyers will be happy to help because they remember when they were in your shoes. I would also recommend trying to hone your writing skills. Even the best writers can improve, and I firmly believe that writing ability is what separates many of the top students from the rest of the class. Knowledge is important, but the best exam responses not only identify the issues, but also explain them clearly. I've improved my writing through practice and reading books on the topic. In particular, I've found Ross Garner's book Point Made helpful. Finally, it's important not to burn out. Law school is difficult, but it's frankly a cakewalk compared to most demanding jobs. There is enough time in the week to socialize and work out. I started treating law school as more of a 9 to 5 job this year, and it's really helped me.- 1
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Post-articling job search
This is one of the toughest moments to get a job in law, for sure. There are always many students in the market at this stage because every year lots of firms don't hire back 100% of their complement. Relying on postings is very likely to be unsuccessful, as you say. This is not unique advice, but you have to hustle and network. Uncover "unposted" openings before others do. Utilize all resources at your disposal, including your student director (if you're at a big firm) or your mentor / articling principal if you're not. Get them to set up coffee chats for you. Ask everyone you meet if they have one person they could arrange for you to meet. Prepare for these meetings with your "elevator pitch". -
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Entering 1L Advice
I had a good 1L experience. Met a lot of smart, driven and fun people from different walks of life in a very short time. Learned a lot in my classes, from my classmates and about myself. I'm assuming you want to do well, so I think the best piece of advice I can give is to remember why you are there: to get good grades and secure employment. In my opinion, too many 1Ls at some point forget that they're paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend a professional school for that reason. It's important to build good relationships (please go to a pub night or two or three) but it's not a popularity contest or an extra 3 years to party like you're in undergrad. In my experience, succeeding in law school requires you to cultivate a routine and headspace that will allow you to succeed and stay happy and relaxed while doing it. Socialize, yes, but eat well, sleep well, exercise, take some time for yourself and always get through your allotted readings for the day (or at least catch up quickly). Sometimes this will mean you have to turn down one or two invites to go out, distance yourself from classmates that pose distractions or are negative, and so on. So when faced with an invite to go out for a second night in a row or grab dinner for several more hours after class, remember why you are attending a professional school for tens of thousands of dollars. I also think that you should aim to network with lawyers early. Don't wait until OCI to start talking with people who are practicing at firms and in fields you may be interested in, who have been in your shoes and who will no doubt have experiences and tips to share with you 🙂- 1
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Legal field entry question
Have to echo the above: stop exploring largely irrelevant tangents and get your LSAT done and applications in. You will get a very good idea of what it takes to be a lawyer by going to law school (some aspects of it, at least). If you don't like it, leave after first year. Entering law school does not commit you to completing three years.- 2
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Entering 1L Advice
Hello there! I am wondering if anyone can offer advice, discuss their experience, share what they had learned in their first year of law school, and share what you wish you knew going in?
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