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42 topics in this forum
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- MOL
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- TheCryptozoologist
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- Mountebank
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- epeeist
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- СлаваУкраїні
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- BlockedQuebecois
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- Jaggers
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- BlockedQuebecois
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- Jaggers
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- MOL
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- CrimeAndPunishment
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- Pantalaimon
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- efrefgg
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- pinball
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- Kurrika
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What's Happening
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175
Course aux stages 2025
Dentons had a cocktail today no ? -
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
I would push back slightly on this point. The name brand recognition of McGill is not the only good reason to attend the university, from an international law perspective. The roster of exceptional professors who have had impressive international careers is part of the reason as well, again, assuming a strong interest in international law. For example, there are former International Criminal Court prosecutors as professors, current sitting arbitrators for the ICC in Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore, some profs have acted as lead drafters for ILO and UN Conventions and Treaties, I know of multiple professors who presented evidence for, or spoke at important in international fora like the UN, the OECD, the EU Parliament, etc. just during my time at the Faculty, multiple professors have chaired various UN Committees, and the list goes on. My point is that McGill has a roster of professors with significant work experience and connections in this area, who can help students navigate the very difficult path that is required to have a career in this area. McGill is also one of a handful of North American law schools that has been designated by the ICJ for the purposes of accepting clerkship applications for clerkship positions in the Hague at the Court, Montréal hosts a couple UN institutions, and the bijural and bilingual nature of the program lends itself well to work in international institutions. While I fully acknowledge that Dal is a fantastic school, and that the financial aid you have received from them is fantastic, and should most certainly factor into your decision, if you were to make a decision based solely on which school will open the greater number of opportunities for an international career, McGill is the clear choice between the two, in my opinion.- 2
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How important are grades post law school?
And his grades haven’t matter once in those couple of days! What’s your your point?- 1
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
I did not mean to imply that Dal was setting them up for failure. I brought this up since I know that many undergrad scholarships in Ontario are renewed only if you maintain a certain GPA, which is very difficult for the STEM majors (sadly speaking from experience). The law schools I applied to were offering scholarships but only for my 1L. I attended McGill despite them offering me no scholarships since their tuition was more affordable than the other schools, even with the scholarships. Anyways, Canada or US, it is always prudent to read the terms and conditions associated with any scholarships. And don’t forget to write a thank you letter if possible! -
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Accepted to Allard 2025
Congratulations! Did you receive an email or was it a portal update? What was the time stamp of the offer, if you dont mind me asking? Also, will you be accepting? -
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How important are grades post law school?
Didn't you finish articles ... a couple days ago?- 4
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Accepted to Allard 2025
BC resident. Just received my offer letter via email. LSAT: September - 164, January - 172 CGPA: 81.2% with drops (as per UBC Allard Law’s conversion tool) Discretionary applicant. Submitted on December 1. -
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
I think the issue here is you’re conflating an interest in international law with employment avenues towards international law. Practically every school has a roster of international law courses, or something adjacent to it, whether it’s clinical or extracurricular. So this isn’t really a special plus for Dal. If anything, McGill is still the intuitive choice for “international law” given the language requirement and civil law/JD degree.- 1
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Course aux stages 2025
Hi, did anyone hear back from Dentons? -
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
Have you perused Dal's offerings which relate to international law? I see they (like most other schools I've looked at) have plenty of upper year courses which adopt an international perspective on various areas of law (e.g., international human rights law). What stood out to me, though, was the massive number of international law classes which aren't typically available at other schools. There is an option to do international business law in the UK in the spring sessions: these opportunities seem more common (e.g. the London UK based international business law opportunity through UCalgary.) What stands out more is the less common option of being able to also do a Public International Law course in the UK. Dal has a clear focus on international law - a lot of it is maritime law/law of the sea, but I feel like this area of law would be as close of a fit as any for a uniquely international area of law at least in the sense that there are huge implications in that area when it comes to diplomacy, trade, and armed conflict. And you could earn a certificate in that area on route to your JD which, while the utility of it is probably pretty niche, it would be a unique thing that might be a fun thing to drop in conversations at dinner parties. There are also some unique courses with an international lens/focus that play on Dal faculty members' strengths in environmental and health law. I also see some practicum opportunities that have a clear international focus in this list I pulled. Courses I flagged after looking: Maritime Law and Practice Private International Law International Law Fisheries Law Law of the Sea Coastal Zone Management International Environmental Law International Trade Law Ocean Law and Policy International Human Rights Law Marine Environmental Protection Law Immigration and Refugee Law International and Transnational Criminal Law International Humanitarian Law/Law of Armed Conflict Law of International Trade and Shipping European Union Law Refugee Law and the Criminal Asylum Seeker Refugee and Forced Migration Law Theory and Practice of Mediation and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland International Commercial Arbitration International Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Practicum International Human Rights Law Advocacy International Investment Law I have no idea what McGill looks like for curriculum in these areas and I'm not going to take the time to pull and list out the offerings from both schools because I'm sure McGill is strong too if that's specifically part of why you applied there. But, to continue with that great analogy from @Naj you will easily make it to second base or further with the 'international law' imagined partner in that analogy if you go to Dal. It looks like you could build all of your electives in your JD only taking courses with some sort of international focus. Whether that would be a good idea is a different discussion, but it certainly seems possible at Dal as long as things line up for you with scheduling and when the faculty decides to offer these courses. As a last note, I lived in Halifax for quite some time. I did undergrad and grad school there. As anyone would tell you who has lived there, there is a huge Canadian Forces presence, Coast Guard, and a lot of Federal Government work going on in that city for it's size. I'm not trying to assume these would be places you might land which are rooted in Canada, OP, but rather I'm suggesting there is an opportunity there for you to get the sorts of experiences and exposures that could make you more competitive for jobs in Global Affairs or other areas of the federal government. It would likely be a less advantageous place to be for things related to international commerce, but I don't know how strong Montreal is for that either (outside of perhaps it being a bilingual city with presumably more French speaking countries doing business in it than Toronto.) It's also worth noting that Dal has multiple course codes for 'directed readings' and 'practicum' which are open ended so it would be a good city to find opportunities to earn credit getting the exposure you want, and I'm sure based on the course offerings that there are lots of faculty who could potentially supervise a directed readings course in a specific area you wanted to dig into. And I guess on that note, and I'm sure you have your reasons, but wouldn't Ottawa be an ideal place for you based on the location and the faculty and the courses they have on offer? To your question, and again I'm also an incoming student so take that into consideration when I say this - but Dalhousie seems to not only be a solid pick for the personal reasons you list, but it also seems like a damn good choice for you based on the opportunities and course offerings when I look at their courses. I think the only good reason McGill would win is the name recognition, and I'm of the opinion that isn't a good reason to pick where you go to school compared to the personal reasons you list and when Dal seems to have a lot going on in their academic calendar that should appeal to someone interested in international opportunities. -
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Best Law School for International Arbitration?
It could also help to look at the faculty for different schools and see if there are any specialists in international law. If you can find course schedules from previous years, you can also see whether relevant courses are available. If you are really interested in this area, I would recommend getting on the mailing list for the Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners (YCAP) - good way to find other arbitration professionals, see where their working/what their law school journeys look like. -
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
I'm open to correction but my understanding is that the horrible, predatory scholarships requiring deliberately unrealistic GPA requirements to renew are basically an American and not Canadian thing (although Canadian ones can require students to simply maintain good academic standing). I don't think Dalhousie sets people up to fail in that respect. -
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
Ok, but what are the conditions for renewing that Dal scholarship? How realistic is it that you get it renewed? I do not know you so I cannot answer those types of questions, but they are things to ask since nothing worse than starting 2L in a panic after losing out on renewing the scholarship. McGill has good financial aid that has come in clutch for me two years back to back now. If you want a career that goes international, McGill would have the edge with BCL/JD and being a bilingual program; however, I would also suggest learning a third language if you haven't already (being bilingual is not that impressive stuff at the UN according to a former SCC Justice that I met). I would compare the two school's international exchange program options since that would help you with your career ambitions. Personally,I chose McGill because I wanted to study in both FR/EN and like collecting degrees as if I am Thanos collecting his infinity stones. I also chose it because I really liked the student body's vibe: supportive yet driven. Capable of making fun of ourselves but also proud. My background is unconventional for a law student and I felt like I fit right in since McGill tries to pick a cohort with diverse academic backgrounds. The profs are also all amazing and have been nothing but supportive as I chase my ambitions. On a side note, I personally think it best to have a chance to live on your own (aka away from home) at least once as a student to 1) get that student experience and 2) build your independence and resilience before you join a law firm as an articling student (which will be busy af and stressful). I don't know if you lived on your own yet during undergrad, but there is a certain IDGAF energy you learn to develop when living on your own and going through tough times. Moving to Montreal from my hometown was one of the best decisions I made in terms of personal growth. I also love how much there is to do in MTL and that the transit system is functional. My only complaint is that McGill Law is at the top of a hill....which means you would graduate with nice calf muscles lol. Overall, congrats and your offers and scholarships! That is huge. Let me know if you come to McGill next fall, it would be my pleasure to answer any other questions! -
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McGill vs. Dalhousie
If want to work in Halifax after you graduate, Dal is by far the better choice.- 1
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