Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (Lakehead University) vs Robson Hall (University of Manitoba)

[MichelleBA]

Hey everyone, 

I got offers to both Lakehead University and Robson Hall and am having a hard time deciding which school I want to go to.

I was wondering which school individuals would recommend. Perhaps, if you currently go to one of these schools, you could chime in and tell me what you like about the school/location. 

Or, if you were in a similar position, you could share what led you to make your decision. 

Would appreciate any and all insight!

 

[СлаваУкраїні]

The general rule for picking a school is that, all else being equal, you should go to school where you want to work. If you want to work in Manitoba, go to U of M. If you want to work in northern Ontario, go to Lakehead. If you want to work elsewhere/are unsure, post another comment and we can start walking you through other factors to consider.

[MichelleBA]

1 hour ago, Salazar said:

The general rule for picking a school is that, all else being equal, you should go to school where you want to work. If you want to work in Manitoba, go to U of M. If you want to work in northern Ontario, go to Lakehead. If you want to work elsewhere/are unsure, post another comment and we can start walking you through other factors to consider.

Thanks for sharing! At the moment I am unsure where I want to work - or moreso I'm open to working in both places. I was a little more concerned about which school would provide me the "better" legal education, what each school's specialty is, and the unique programs/opportunities I would get from each school. 

Also, if anybody could speak on the pros/cons of the standard articling process versus the IPC program at Lakehead. 

[СлаваУкраїні]

U of M is older and has a more established reputation, but I’m unsure if that actually results in a difference in teaching quality.

I’m not an expert in either school (or of the different articling programs), but the websites should have course listings and descriptions which might give you an idea of their speciality/unique programs and opportunities.

[SNAILS]

I applied to 6 of 8 Ontario law schools, and I do want to work in what people in the GTA would consider "northern" Ontario.  I did not apply to Lakehead because it is in the far, far north. I mean the really far north.

You probably considered that already. But it is the far, far north! 🥶 

[Carrot]

Hey there!
I was a U of Manitoba undergrad student/raised in MB so I thought I would respond. I think an important thing to consider is where you want to be living for the next 3 years (perhaps 4 with articling). Manitoba gets extremelyyy cold. Is that something you are used to or will be okay with? On average it would be slightly warmer in Thunder Bay (though -25 and -35 are both very cold). Another thing to consider is it’s very useful to have a car as a U of Manitoba student because busing can take a while depending on where you live. I’ve heard people call U of M a commuter university/campus. As for the articling, I know it can be very stressful and hard trying to find a place to do so. Not having to do this may be a big pro and something important to consider. Hopefully this helps you in some way! All the best.

[2345434]

Northern Ontario is actually one of the few areas of Ontario where U of M law grads are pretty plentiful, though Lakehead likely has a slight advantage there because it's actually in Northern Ontario. For southern Ontario, probably neither is ideal. U of M obviously has the edge in Manitoba, especially Winnipeg and plenty of U of M grads work in Saskatchewan and Alberta, but I'm not sure that going to Lakehead would prejudice your chances of getting a job in either of those provinces, either. In terms of educational opportunities, the U of M is larger and has more upper-year course offerings, but I don't think you can go wrong with either. U of M's tuition is also somewhat cheaper. Really, I think the most crucial factor is whether you'd prefer living in Winnipeg or Thunder Bay for three years.

Edited June 14, 2021 by 2345434
Forgot to add "chances of" before "your" in the second sentence.

[MichelleBA]

Just wanted to chime in and say that everyone's contributions to this thread are very much appreciated, and are greatly helping me make my decision. Thanks everyone!