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What's Happening
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75
Top 5 Law schools in Canada?
Top 5 Law Schools: YouTube reddit.com/r/LegalAdvice Becoming a Sovereign Citizen: A Guide The streets Thomas Jefferson School of Law -
3
USask versus Dal versus UofC (potentially) Messy situation
So, just a jargon note, but "IP" includes both copyright work and patent work. I'm assuming based on your reference to STEM you're looking for patent work. In that case it depend on what letter of STEM your background is. With competitive law school grades and an engineering undergrad, you should be able to get interviews for patent work. I had a friend with a software engineering undergraduate who landed in Calgary on the patent agent track (although she's since moved on). For science degrees, it usually requires more than an undergraduate degree; often it requires a PhD. I don't have any idea on tech or math degrees. You can browse the lawyers at an IP boutique (for example, Smart & Biggar) to see their undergraduates and get a sense. For copyright work, obviously a STEM background is not particularly helpful (although I wouldn't say it hurts). Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the IP hiring, so I don't know whether there are hiring preferences for USask vs UCalgary vs Dalhousie. For Calgary big law you wouldn't lose anything going to USask over Dal. -
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Applying to Law School with 3 years of undergrad
Take the easiest electives possible, I loaded up on electives in my third year to get the highest cgpa possible and was accepted with only 90 credits. the class you take or even your major will not matter -
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Advice - Articling Interviews (Crown)
Hi everyone, Any interview tips for how to prepare for interviews with the MAG for crown attorney articling positions? Reading materials? Types of questions ? Thank you! -
10
Chance me (2026 admission cycle): Mature student, formerly incarcerated, cGPA 3.5/4.3, LSAT 178
I do not generally disagree with the cynical sentiment; but if you look at the decisions of the Tribunal, a good chunk are "current character" denials for contexts and reasons very relevant to OP. It would not be wise to proceed without recognizing that there may be a big (more like gigantic) pain in the ass at the end of law school. OP should be aware and prepare themselves accordingly. -
3
USask versus Dal versus UofC (potentially) Messy situation
Honestly you are right, but closing doors is so hard for me because I genuinely have interest in both and have done research/work in both. On top of that, giving up offers to law school for a chance at med seems naive to me. I do want the option of calgary biglaw open, and the other thing that’s swaying me towards UofS is the COL. My GPA was calculated really not in my favor for UofC (administrative stuff) but with my gpa now, i’m above competitive, which is why I felt somewhat confident regarding the whole transfer thing. Regarding the IP course offerings, given a background in STEM could I still pursue IP jobs as a UofS/UofC grad? What opportunities would I lose going to UofS versus Dal considering I want to keep biglaw (including environmental and IP) work open? Ideal career path as a lawyer is biglaw 2-3 years to in-house or an IP/Environmental Boutique in Calgary. Thank you for your advice, you breaking it down into the decision tree was very helpful. -
3
USask versus Dal versus UofC (potentially) Messy situation
Transfers are possible, but not something I would count on. Generally you'd need to meet the admission requirements of the new school to transfer in, so if you didn't get into a school as an applicant it's unlikely you'd get in as a transfer. For example, UCalgary describes it as: Dal and USask are about equivalent in terms of Calgary big law. We've hired from both schools, but they're always a minority compared to UCalgary or UofA. If you want Calgary big law, UCalgary is your best bet of the three. That said, do you want Calgary big law? You've expressed a preference for boutique work, not big law, so big law placement may be a red herring. It sounds like you may want to decide whether you want to pursue law or medical school, because trying to keep both doors open seems like it's leading to some decisions that you wouldn't otherwise make. For example, the only reason you seem to be considering USask over Dal is that it helps your med school application. That is a pretty bad reason to pick a law school. I know it's tough to close doors, but the choice between law or medicine is pretty fundamental. If you end up wanting to pursue law, you then need to decide if you want to pursue big law or not. If you don't, picking UCalgary because it has better big law placement is also a pretty bad reason to pick a law school. Take a look at the IP and Environmental course offerings at Dal, USask and UCalgary. UCalgary, for example, has pretty terrible IP course offerings (at least when I went from 2019-2021), but pretty good environmental/regulatory offerings. Ultimately, school choice is the last decision in your decision tree. Trying to make that decision without making all of the previous decisions is probably why you're feeling confused. -
10
Chance me (2026 admission cycle): Mature student, formerly incarcerated, cGPA 3.5/4.3, LSAT 178
@Pathos - It's not exactly a secret that the Law Societies are happy to collect fees from people who committed crimes against humanity 5 minutes ago by framing it as them being of good character now.- 1
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Chance me (2026 admission cycle): Mature student, formerly incarcerated, cGPA 3.5/4.3, LSAT 178
This is a really good post. I will just add that you will likely be called to the LSO for a Character Hearing to determine your eligibility. You can check past Hearing outcomes re: criminal records on the LSO Tribunal website and filtering results through "Licensing". I wouldn't recommend self-repping tbh. If it comes to this, as above, a lawyer is highly recommended. For your consideration: Representation/advice would be a huge additional expense on top of your law school debt; articling (in firm and potentially through the Law Practice Program) would also most likely be unavailable until resolution. Here's a relatively recent decision from the Tribunal that you might want to read through. I would focus on the "Good Character" factors from paras 57-63 https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onlst/doc/2024/2024onlsth122/2024onlsth122.html A bright spot from later in the decision: [114] The criminal conviction does not automatically disqualify the applicant from obtaining a licence. The law recognizes that people can change and improve themselves. Past actions are not necessarily indicative of current or future behaviour. We must decide whether the applicant is currently [LSO emphasis] of good character. It is emphasis on the present which is central to our task. -
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Advice - Interview for Crown Articling position
Hey! I applied extremely broadly to the first wave of 2026-27 articling recruitment that closed on the 14th in Ontario. My first interview offers are crown prosecutor positions. Does anyone have any advice for what to study for the interviews? What type of questions will they ask? Any reading materials that may help? Thank you! -
3
USask versus Dal versus UofC (potentially) Messy situation
Hi all, my situation is very confusing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. So basically I’m stuck between becoming a lawyer or psychiatrist. Recently decided I’m going to try for medical school so I can have both options and then make a decision. This will become relevant later. So all the schools I applied to and could go to were UofC, UofS, and Dal. UofS and Dal I got into, UofC I got waitlisted. My interests are in environmental law/IP law which as I understand are mostly in boutiques/big law. However, I want to practice in Calgary. The additional benefit of going to UofC would have been that I could live at home with my parents and save on costs significantly. However, Dalhousie law has been a long term dream of mine, their specialization in environmental law as well as living in Halifax really appeals to me. Also I’ve never lived alone, and would like to experience that. But my concern is 1) The cost, 22k per year for tuition plus COL will result in me being over 100k in debt, 2) prospects for calgary biglaw, is UofS better as it’s closer to the calgary market?, and 3) ability to practice in other provinces, I know I don’t want to practice in the maritimes. Another complicating factor is that i’m in province for UofS med, so if I accept the UofS offer I retain my “in-province connection”, and thereby increase my competitiveness for med. So basically here are my questions: If I get into UofC, should I go there because of the savings and direct access to the calgary biglaw market? Does UofS provide better access to the calgary biglaw market than dalhousie? Will I be at a disadvantage to go there if I am interested in environmental/IP law? Is the cost worth it for Dal? Do they have a successful enough biglaw placement that I could lateral from a firm their to Calgary/justify the costs with a big bucks big law job? Can I attend any law school and then transfer if I feel like it’s not the right fit? For example I go to UofS for a year save some money and then transfer to Dal or UofC? I’ve went through the transfer process in my undergrad already UofR to UofC, but is law school like impossible to transfer in/out of- is this a risky gamble? Going to UofS raises my competitiveness for med too, but if I don’t get into med/decide I acc would rather do law- am I stuck there? If you’re still reading at this point, first off thanks and second wtf do I do? -
6
Application status disappeared!
Thank you! I got the R today too, honestly pretty surprised, especially seeing folks with lower stats get in earlier. Not really sure what the criteria are at this point, but I guess we’ll never know. Keep your head up though, you’ve got an amazing career ahead! -
6
Application status disappeared!
Hope you get into your top choice! Congrats on all your As. Btw I got the R from Queens 😞 -
15
final wave / discretionary wave - 2025?
Thank you! I’m not sure yet, if I get into Oz, that would definitely be my top choice, but I’m not sure if anyone will make it off the waitlist this year. For now, I’m torn between UVic and UCalgary. -
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Chance me (2026 admission cycle): Mature student, formerly incarcerated, cGPA 3.5/4.3, LSAT 178
Sorry to contribute to derailing the thread, but I appreciate you saying this first because I felt the same. I have a lot of sympathy for people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and inevitably end up in the criminal justice system because they were set up to fail from an early age. From the OP's own characterization, they are an intelligent person (178 LSAT), and were educated (engineering degree) and privileged (NYC and Bay Street finance career) when they engaged in criminality. I was denied the ability to pursue certain career paths before I became a lawyer, for reasons that had nothing to do with my ethics or conduct. People with poor eyesight, people with physical disabilities, people with mental disorders, etc., are barred from various paths. I don't understand why very often the same people who find this acceptable seem to think it's somehow an injustice for people with demonstrated ethical issues (past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour) to be denied the ability to become lawyers, as if it's a right to be a lawyer. The OP is clearly an intelligent and capable person. This makes them more morally blameworthy for clearly calculated financial crimes of significant seriousness (given the sentence) and makes them someone who should be held to higher standards than the typical low-functioning person who becomes involved in our criminal justice system and who sadly, so often, nobody cares about. (@aegon - I appreciate that you didn't post this to be insulted so I'll leave it at that, but know that for every lawyer to comment this way here, a lot more of your professional colleagues are going to think this if you pursue this path, even if you manage to get called. I wish you the best of luck living a pro-social and fulfilling life but I'd be lying if I said that I hoped it was as a lawyer.)- 2
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