Université du Québec à Montréal
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What's Happening
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56
Accepted 2024
Accepted yesterday. CGPA 3.64, LSAT 160, strong softs and references -
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Clerkship Interviews: 2025-2026
Thanks for your advice! I have a trial clerkship lined up (at the ONSC) which I will be completing from 2025-2026 (my articling year). I am planning to apply to the Fed Courts, appellate courts (ON and BC) and the SCC next year and see what happens. I did not interview at any appellate courts this year. I only received ONSC interviews, FC interviews, and BC interview first round. Any advice for what I can do between now and when I apply in 3L to improve my chances of getting an appellate clerkship? Would you say that having publications would improve my chances? I am trying to raise my GPA and do better but sometimes it can be hard with tricky and time-constrained exams and the curve... -
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Entering 1L Advice
Just finished 1L and in hindsight, there are several things that I regret not doing (many of which were explicitly recommended on this forum). 1. Rest the summer before 1L. I was extremely burnt out coming into 1L. If you can afford to, I'd highly recommend not working and just chilling at least during the month of August before 1L starts. 2. Bouncing off the first point, I recognize that this is definitely easier said than done but try to address any mental health challenges before starting law school. Whether that means identifying healthy coping strategies or learning to set boundaries or learning to effectively prioritize, it cannot be understated how important protecting your mental health is. If you think you may need accommodations, apply for it! I didn't realize that I would qualify until speaking with an upper year a week before exams. 3. Start seeking mentorship before 1L - I realized late into 1L that I was interested in a specific field that I didn't really know existed prior to 1L. I only realized my interest when speaking with upper years later in the year. I would highly recommend connecting via linkedin with upper years at the law school you're attending, especially ones pursuing areas of law that you're interested in. It will give you a better understanding of whether it's actually right for you and if so, what extracurriculars/opportunities are available at your law school to build relevant experience. 4. Get any medical/dental/banking appointments out of the way before you start 1L. 5. Others may disagree, but I found that prioritizing lectures over readings was a much more efficient use of time. 6. Consider participating in a moot. I have never thought of myself as someone who'd enjoy mooting. I only tried it because a friend couldn't find a partner. It ended up being the highlight of my 1L experience. -
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Finished law school, feeling defeated
I do not think there’s anything not normal about how you’re feeling. We all process things in different ways. If it persists after a few weeks, consider seeking professional help. Poor mental health management among lawyers and judges is well documented. Take care of yourself. Congratulations. -
56
Accepted 2024
Waitlisted on April 10th, got offer of admission through email and portal today April 19th. LSAT 163, B20 3.7ish, applied access. Provisionally accepted today as well. Good luck to all those waiting on an A, the waitlist is moving!! 😊 -
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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.- 1
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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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