Help deciding on a law school: Osgoode, Queens, Western, Ryerson

[Lawstudent692419]

Hi everyone, 

I know that ultimately the decision on which law school to pick comes down to me, but I was hoping some of you might be able to help me narrow down my choices a bit. 
 

Right now, I’m not entirely sure what area of law I’d like to practice in. That said, I am interested in entertainment law, human rights law, and immigration law. I would like to be able to practice in Toronto. 

I’m deciding between Osgoode, Western, Queens, and Ryerson. Location isn’t too much of a concern, as commuting/living on residence are fortunately both an option for me. 

If anyone has any input that would be much appreciated! 
 

 

 

[VitalGiraffe]

You can't go wrong with any of them.

I would say that if you're undecided what law you want to do, then Osgoode would probably be the best option because it may keep more doors open/slightly better recruitment numbers. They also have a lot of clinics relating to human rights and immigration law I believe.

[Lawstudent692419]

4 minutes ago, VitalGiraffe said:

You can't go wrong with any of them.

I would say that if you're undecided what law you want to do, then Osgoode would probably be the best option because it may keep more doors open/slightly better recruitment numbers. They also have a lot of clinics relating to human rights and immigration law I believe.

Thanks for the response!

[QueensDenning]

I go to Queen’s but wish I accepted by Osgoode offer at this point. The tipping point that brought me to queens was the campus/student life, but I don’t like the Dean and the decisions that have been made throughout Covid. Also our OCI numbers were pretty shitty this year. 

[BlockedQuebecois]

Queens’ OCI numbers were dead average for that school this year. Between 2015 and 2021 Queens placed an average of 52.33 students through OCIs. This year they placed 52. 

[Pendragon]

What do you mean by human rights? From a practice standpoint, this usually goes with labour and employment law where you work on discrimination and harassment cases. There is a good chunk of firms and unions in this area that participate in the articling process. 

Most immigration lawyers are sole practitioners or work in small firms, so you typically have to network to get a job in this area. You won't find many immigration firms participating in OCIs or articling processes. 

Sports and entertainment law is a niche area of law practiced largely in Big law, in-house entertainment groups, and some entertainment firms. Almost no one gets into this area of practice. This is also completely different from human rights and immigration law. 

If you want to keep all your options open, Osgoode would be best. Queen's and Western are interchangeable, but Queen's is more known for labour and employment. I wouldn't even bother with Ryerson if you get into any of these three schools.

[Kimura]

Unless you're going into law school dead set on a particular practice area (i.e. criminal law) your interests are most likely going to shift over time. My own practice interests have changed three times throughout the course of law school, somewhat due to the opportunities coming my way and my openness to try new things. Keep an open mind, especially because it sounds like you're interested in a variety of areas. 

Take a look at the course offerings and curricular streams at each school. Oz has a great variety of clinics, intensives and course offerings. If you're interested in immigration, you can apply to the CLASP intensive to be an immigration division leader. I'd recommend Oz.