Peter A. Allard School of Law (University of British Columbia)
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What's Happening
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Waitlist 2024
Wailisted today. Received email and then portal update. Stats: LSAT 160 (Jan 2024) Multiple writes Letter Assigned: A- Category: Access -
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Building criminal law competency without having previous experiences
You can find this offensive or not, but you acknowledge it's the reality. I personally have the experience of being put in situations where I was asked to do things well above my pay grade on matters of serious import, and it certainly gave me a first hand appreciation of the access to justice problems in certain geographical areas that you allude to. There were times where I felt that I wasn't good enough and the clients deserved better. And I have been 100% crim-focused since the minute I first set foot on a law school campus. Still, it is what it is. And there are some positions that will hire another equally inexperienced person if the OP doesn't apply. It's a systemic issue and nothing is going to change for the worse just because I advise someone without criminal law experience that such positions with such hiring standards exist. -
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Building criminal law competency without having previous experiences
After brushing up on the basics, I'd do two things: (1) go to arraignment court a lot, and (2) contact legal aid and let them know you're interested in accepting certificates (at least in my jurisdiction they keep an internal roster for clients to consult). For arraignment court days, I would show up early with my Code and offer to speak with anyone that doesn't have counsel. I'd explain what's going to happen that day and, if I have the time, the bare minimums about their charge (e.g., "you're charged with assault. Assault is a hybrid offence, meaning the Crown can proceed by summary conviction - less serious - or by indictment - more serious. If the Crown proceeds by summary conviction, there is maximum punishment of two years' incarceration, a $5000 fine, or both upon conviction. There is no minimum punishment. What's going to happen when you go into court is ..."). This is a very easy way to start drumming up business. For a lot of us, gaining experience is about knowing our competency level and scope of our criminal practice. Starting off, you'll accept a lot of legal aid certificates and your files will focus on low level or as-close-to-transactional criminal files as you can find: assault simpliciter, theft under $5000, mischief, impaired operation, breach of undertaking/release order, possession of property obtained by crime, and simple CDSA possession until you become more proficient. You'll take on these files for the first year or two until you've cut your teeth and can responsibly accept clients facing more serious jeopardy. The most serious files are culpable homicide files and, I really don't care what people say or think about this, but I won't touch them until I have ~8-10 years criminal experience. You absolutely need to have a working relationship with a mid-level or senior defence counsel. If you don't know anyone, reach out to your law society and asked to be connected with a practice mentor. My principal was 35+ years at the bar, my current office has a mid-level and senior criminal lawyer, and we have another 40-year veteran in the community I rely on for advice and precedents when I've exhausted what I can figure out for myself. It's really easy to isolate yourself as a criminal lawyer, and because none of us know everything we need to know all the time, it's really important to be intentional about mentoring and being mentored. I wanted to respond to the above specifically because the idea that someone not competent enough to get practice experience locally can simply accept a remote position is infuriating. To be clear, CH, I know you're not suggesting that but there's a mentality that flows from the reasoning that really rubs me the wrong way. There's a serious access to justice issue for our northern communities (and largely Indigenous clients) and the experiences told to me by colleagues that accepted some of those positions are horrifying. Articling students running contested bail hearings/conducting substantive hearing, <5th year calls running homicide cases, having "senior counsel" with <10 years' experience. There are good offices, for sure, but take a few minutes to look at the combined experience of the legal aid bar in communities like La Ronge and The Pas. I feel for those communities who have to accept parachute newbies who view them as little more than a stepping stone before their real career starts. -
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Waitlist 2024
Waitlisted for single today B2/L2 - around 3.7 GPA and 161 LSAT I've been accepted to Queen's so I'll most likely be rejecting if I happen to get off the WL. -
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Chances for Osgoode/Queens?
I agree that people shouldn't ask about hypothetical chances with no LSAT score, but I disagree with the way you framed it. Everyone should aim for a 180 on the LSAT. It doesn't matter that this is unrealistic. It's foolish for people to set arbitrary targets that are anything less than "the best score I can possibly get." -
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Waitlist 2024
Waitlisted Today. Stats Below: GPA (L2): 4.0 LSAT (Highest): 149 Category: General Category of Admission -
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Would it be a mistake to only apply for articling positions in Toronto/the GTA rather than also applying in Ottawa/Northern Ontario?
If the criteria are basically "crim and in the GTA" I have very little doubt you'll find a position. I don't think you need to (or even should) restrict yourself to nothren Ontario or Ottawa. Also, you're taking about deadlines, that's a formal recurit thing. A lot of employer you would be interested in don't do the formal articling recruit. So you really don't need to worry about those timings. -
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Discretionary 2024
I was moved to General but was not waitlisted as far as I can see. Did your status change to say waitlist? -
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Rejected 2024
portal updated to “not offered admission”, no email, letter dated today (april 29) cgpa: 3.48 b2: 3.64 l2: 3.56 lsat: 157 (only jan 2024) -
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Rejected 2024
First R cGPA: 3.59 LSAT: 160 I applied via the mature applicant category. -
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Discretionary 2024
Anybody else on the waitlist under the D category? My stats are 3.8 gpa and 164 lsat. Not counting on my chances too much at the moment. -
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Finished law school, feeling defeated
I think it's only human nature to feel nostalgic and perhaps a bit sad about such an important chapter of your life coming to a close. I did. I wouldn't call it "defeated", but I can understand why OP might. The solution is to throw yourself into articling / your clerkship. The feeling will quickly pass.- 2
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Would it be a mistake to only apply for articling positions in Toronto/the GTA rather than also applying in Ottawa/Northern Ontario?
Hi everyone, I would really appreciate your thoughts on this question. For several reasons, I have a strong preference for returning to Toronto/the GTA for work. However, the deadline to accept an articling offer in Ottawa/Northern Ontario is ahead of the application due date for most Toronto/GTA positions. If I were to be offered a position, I would have to decide whether or not to accept it before I would have the chance to be considered in Toronto/the GTA. I realize articling is only one more year, but I am concerned that it would hurt my reputation and burn a bridge if I didn't accept a hire-back offer at the end (if I were to be offered a position). I have also heard it can be challenging to be hired as a first year associate, so I would ideally like to article at a place where I might be hired back and where I would like to stay long term. So far, my grades are all As and Bs (with a few more grades in the B range than the A range). I have some law-related work experience and will have a law job this summer (but it doesn't lead to an articling position). I'm attending a mid-tier Ontario school. I am most interested in criminal law but I plan to apply to positions in a variety of practice areas to increase my chances of being hired somewhere. My priority is getting licensed, regardless of where I need to move to make it happen. Obviously, I realize that my odds of getting something will be better if I send out more applications. I'm just wondering if only applying to Toronto/GTA jobs would seriously jeopardize my chances of landing somewhere. Thank you to anyone who answers 🙂
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