do law schools vary in difficulty

[Warner Huntington III]

are some law schools "harder" than others or is the workload roughly equal no matter where you go?

also i apologize if this is a dumb question

Edited December 4, 2021 by Warner Huntington III

[MapleLeafs]

You'll get varying answers, but the case can be made that it is harder to make Dean's List at more competitive schools (UofT, Osgoode, UBC) than others (Lakehead, Windsor). Since law school is graded on a curve, it makes sense that it's harder at the more competitive schools to get a higher mark since you're directly competing with more accomplished students 

[Pecan Boy]

Agree with the above re: difficulty of doing well. But since you asked about workload, I'll add that you're probably gonna be doing the same amount of reading, and learning the same stuff, wherever you go.

[LMP]

4 hours ago, Warner Huntington III said:

are some law schools "harder" than others or is the workload roughly equal no matter where you go?

also i apologize if this is a dumb question

Trouble is most people only ever go to own school. Having said that some transfer students I talk to claim that their current school is more difficult than their old one. Take from that what you will.

[Whisk3yjack]

As a Windsor student who has spoken to friends at better schools, my impression is that everyone learns the same thing in 1L and that in a vacuum there is little variation in the difficulty of say 1L contracts at law schools across Ontario. However, you are graded on a curve and there are certain advantages to being the big fish in a small pond.

[mistertubby]

3 hours ago, Whisk3yjack said:

Windsor student

 

3 hours ago, Whisk3yjack said:

everyone learns the same thing in 1L

except torts? 🤔

[BlockedQuebecois]

51 minutes ago, mistertubby said:

 

except torts? 🤔

Windsor doesn't teach their 1Ls torts so as to avoid the onslaught of fraudulent misrepresentation claims from their dual students. 

[QueensGrad]

8 hours ago, Whisk3yjack said:

As a Windsor student who has spoken to friends at better schools, my impression is that everyone learns the same thing in 1L and that in a vacuum there is little variation in the difficulty of say 1L contracts at law schools across Ontario. However, you are graded on a curve and there are certain advantages to being the big fish in a small pond.

I disagree that everyone learns the same thing. Some of my 1L classes at Queen's were far more in depth than what my contemporaries at U of T described to me (for example, we did basic trusts and common law mortgages in 1L property). I think this was partly a function of the Queen's 1L classes being full year. That is not to say the core content varies substantially (for example, I am pretty sure everyone does adverse possession, bailments, etc).

[Whisk3yjack]

3 hours ago, BlockedQuebecois said:

Windsor doesn't teach their 1Ls torts so as to avoid the onslaught of fraudulent misrepresentation claims from their dual students. 

Can't let the serfs learn to read lest they get dangerous ideas

30 minutes ago, QueensGrad said:

I disagree that everyone learns the same thing. Some of my 1L classes at Queen's were far more in depth than what my contemporaries at U of T described to me (for example, we did basic trusts and common law mortgages in 1L property). I think this was partly a function of the Queen's 1L classes being full year. That is not to say the core content varies substantially (for example, I am pretty sure everyone does adverse possession, bailments, etc).

We actually did basic trusts too, so maybe U of T was the easiest program all along

[HammurabiTime]

9 minutes ago, Whisk3yjack said:

Can't let the serfs learn to read lest they get dangerous ideas

We actually did basic trusts too, so maybe U of T was the easiest program all along

This must vary by prof. My 1L property course at UofT covered trusts in detail as well as mortgages.

[ruthlessfox]

7 minutes ago, HammurabiTime said:

This must vary by prof. My 1L property course at UofT covered trusts in detail as well as mortgages.

It completely varies by prof. 1L property at UofT is massively different depending on who is teaching it.

[OnlyResident]

29 minutes ago, Whisk3yjack said:

bailments

I did not learn this in 1L property law at UofT. 

[Kurrika]

33 minutes ago, OnlyResident said:

I did not learn this in 1L property law at UofT. 

 

Man are you screwed.   Probably didn't cover distraint either.

[erin otoole]

1 hour ago, QueensGrad said:

bailments

No bailments down at Windsor either... 

[mistertubby]

you guys took property?

[MapleLeafs]

the biggest waste of time in law school: learning the rule of perpetuities 

[BlockedQuebecois]

40 minutes ago, MapleLeafs said:

the biggest waste of time in law school: learning the rule of perpetuities 

Very true, considering how quickly it was replaced by the rule against perpetuities 

 

[OnlyResident]

2 hours ago, Kurrika said:

 

Man are you screwed.   Probably didn't cover distraint either.

Naw we learned distraints. 

[tiktok]

The students at top-tier law schools, such as U of T, McGill and UBC include many accomplished students, and since they are all graded on a curve, then yes, it is more difficult to break the average at those schools. 

[Apple]

I think all things considered, the workload is likely the same substantively (i.e., we all learn the same stuff for the most part). However, I think, the professors at a school can greatly impact a student's workload. A good professor can make the world of difference in how much time you need to spend learning a topic or matter. A professor who knows how to teach and guide students, in my experience, greatly reduced my workload in comparison to professor's who were not all too great at instructing. Osgoode for instance had some amazing professors, a lot of whom have been teaching for countless years and are leaders in the field they instruct in. As a result, I learned complicated topics in evidence, trusts, property and constitutional law very easily. As such, in my view, if a school has better faculty and that faculty is exceptional at teaching, I think the workload from one school to another can vary. Sure, students may be learning the same stuff, but how easily they can access the stuff may change as a result of an outstanding teaching faculty. 

I don't think OP is asking about whether it is easier to get higher on a curve at others schools, but if they are the answer is yes. Some schools have higher averages in general so it is far easier to get a higher grade as a result.  

Edited December 6, 2021 by Apple

[Conge]

IMHO, the quality of law schools across Canada is fairly consistent. It's the quality of the students, and therefore your competition, that will vary.