Ask an Upper Year

[Coffeecadet]

I recall the previous site having a thread where applicants and 1Ls (both incoming and not) could ask questions to upper year students. I found the thread quite helpful and so I figured I would revive it. 

Full disclosure, I'm no longer an upper year (having graduated) and so I'll defer to current students for more up to date answers. 

 

[Hegdis]

This is a great idea. Hope people contribute. 

[Ilovelamp]

Accepted to Calgary for fall 2022! Do any upper years have any suggestions as to neighborhoods to live in/not live in? Coming from NS and never been to Calgary! Also, I have heard Calgary is pretty vast, is it necessary to have a car? Trying to decide to sell mine or drive it cross country.

[OntheVerge]

Congrats! Calgary is a beautiful city, and while cold, it's one of the very few places in the world to have chinooks. Chinooks are warm winds that blow in from the mountains in the winter, bringing warmth and respite from the cold. It's not unusual for the temperature to fluctuate upwards of 20 degrees when one blows in. 

For living, the U of C is located in a good, safe, area with access to nearby amenities. The LRT station is located within walking distance of the university. However, Calgary is known for it's urban sprawl and unfortunately the transit wasn't designed to get people from one side to the other. Instead, it was designed to get commuters in and out of the downtown core. So compared to the TTC, you won't be able to get across the city as easily without a car. I'd suggest that if your car can do the cross-country drive to take it with you. That way you'll have an easy way to go see the mountains and other great road trips on weekends. 

Neighbourhoods around U of C are pretty good, although some are older the further away you get. But Varsity, St. Andrews, University Heights, Brentwood, are all relatively close-by and are older suburbs. If you can swing it, look for places to live in Parkdale, Kensington, West Hillhurst/Hillhurst, Bridgeland, as they're more central and "inner city". They're close to pathways along the river (for running, walking, cycling), it's a short walk downtown over the peace bridge, and Kensington area is a trendier place to live. Lots of pubs, cool boutiques, and interesting places to see. It's also more walkable than a lot of areas in Calgary.

You'll notice that Calgary is divided in quadrants. Every address ends with NW, NE, SW, or SE. All of the places I mentioned are located in the (inner/central) NW, as that's where the University is. You can look in other quadrants, but you should know that there is a real stigma attached to "NE" Calgary, and generally speaking, more crime occurs in that area. Try to stay away from the outer suburbs (the far edges) of each quadrant, as your commute time will increase drastically. Even without traffic, it can take upwards of 45 minutes driving across the city, so you want to limit the distance as much as possible. 

Hope that helps!

Disclaimer: I didn't go to law school at U of C, but went for undergrad and lived in Calgary for most of my life before moving to TO a few years ago. I actually lived in the Kensington area, thus my strong recommendation.

Edited February 16, 2022 by OntheVerge

[DanaeOkay]

I highly recommend Kensington and adjacent Sunnyside! Living here without a car has been fine, all stores you need are generally within walking distance. Taking the LRT to school takes about 15 minutes. Great river access and feels very safe. 10/10!

[Ilovelamp]

Thank you! So helpful 🙂

[qsizzle]

17 minutes ago, Ilovelamp said:

Thank you! So helpful 🙂

Hey,

I've lived in Calgary my entire life and moved to about a 15min walk from UofC when I got in.

If you live at or near the university like I did, you definitely do not need a car. I went my first 2 years without one and was able to walk to get groceries, attend school, and get home no problem. Alot students live in this area and have no vehicle. But it's more convenient for sure.

 

[rinse-repeat]

Thanks for starting this great thread!

Just accepted to Calgary and strongly considering attending. I'd be coming from out of province and I am curious about residence as a housing option. Does anyone have experience with living in residence (I'm looking at the upper year/graduate student residences)? What is the availability like (do you have to apply early to get a spot)? Is it better to live off campus? 

Edited March 2, 2022 by rinse-repeat

[ellewoodswannabe]

I was just wondering if any current students or alumni could provide me with any insight on their experience with criminal law offerings at Calgary. It is a top choice based on location, but not sure how well it matches up with my hope to become a prosecutor. 

[Coffeecadet]

On 3/1/2022 at 6:04 PM, ellewoodswannabe said:

I was just wondering if any current students or alumni could provide me with any insight on their experience with criminal law offerings at Calgary. It is a top choice based on location, but not sure how well it matches up with my hope to become a prosecutor. 

I can't speak directly to this as I didn't pursue crim, but my understanding that going to UofC would position you well for being a Crown in Alberta - at least as well as anywhere else would. 

While I don't think the criminal course offering are overly extensive - e.g. criminal law, criminal process, advanced criminal law, evidence, int'l criminal law - there's enough to give you a good introduction to the area and to demonstrate an interest in the area to Crown recruiters.  

Likewise, the school's Student Legal Assistance clinic gives you a good chance to take on some criminal files and, if you pursue it, even trial work. Again, this is a good way to demonstrate interest in the area. 

Lastly, there are some great criminal law profs at UofC, most of which seem to have good contacts with the criminal bar - so that may be of interest, too. 

Again, I don't know a ton about this but anecdotally I do know several people that did the above and were able to get articling roles with the Crown. 

Hope this helps. 

[ellewoodswannabe]

2 minutes ago, Coffeecadet said:

I can't speak directly to this as I didn't pursue crim, but my understanding that going to UofC would position you well for being a Crown in Alberta - at least as well as anywhere else would. 

While I don't think the criminal course offering are overly extensive - e.g. criminal law, criminal process, advanced criminal law, evidence, int'l criminal law - there's enough to give you a good introduction to the area and to demonstrate an interest in the area to Crown recruiters.  

Likewise, the school's Student Legal Assistance clinic gives you a good chance to take on some criminal files and, if you pursue it, even trial work. Again, this is a good way to demonstrate interest in the area. 

Lastly, there are some great criminal law profs at UofC, most of which seem to have good contacts with the criminal bar - so that may be of interest, too. 

Again, I don't know a ton about this but anecdotally I do know several people that did the above and were able to get articling roles with the Crown. 

Hope this helps. 

Thank you, this is very helpful!

[Zarathustra]

Most people who did SLA ended up doing crim or family law, so hang out with that crowd if you are set on doing crim.

[thelawwon]

I wonder if any upper years could provide some information regarding immigration and refugee law, human rights, and indigenous law courses offered. Any insight would be great. Thanks in advance! 

[Pantalaimon]

On 3/5/2022 at 10:31 PM, thelawwon said:

I wonder if any upper years could provide some information regarding immigration and refugee law, human rights, and indigenous law courses offered. Any insight would be great. Thanks in advance! 

There's a course list organized by subject area available here, although it varies a little from year to year as practitioners become (un)available and certain faculty take sabbaticals or are offered course relief from teaching. For example, in my 3L year there was a survey IP course that everyone wanted to get into but it looks like it went away again. Your areas of interest would align with international and public law, generally; it's worth noting that most courses under natural resources, energy & environmental law touches on Indigenous considerations, since much of the natural resources practice involves consultation and negotiation with Indigenous peoples.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Pantalaimon
Quoting to prompt a notification

[elars]

On 3/1/2022 at 5:35 PM, rinse-repeat said:

Thanks for starting this great thread!

Just accepted to Calgary and strongly considering attending. I'd be coming from out of province and I am curious about residence as a housing option. Does anyone have experience with living in residence (I'm looking at the upper year/graduate student residences)? What is the availability like (do you have to apply early to get a spot)? Is it better to live off campus? 

I'm a 3L about to graduate and I lived in the graduate residence (Crowsnest Hall) in my 1L and 3L years. I never had an issue getting a room but I always applied early. Both times, I got a 1 bedroom dorm.

 

I would describe living in residence as having huge pros and huge cons.

 

Pros:

- Proximity to campus/classes. This was amazing and my primary motivator for living in residence.

- Better than the undergraduate dorms. In the case of Crowsnest Hall, the building is much newer than the undergraduate residence buildings that were built decades ago.

- Not that expensive. About $1,111.00 a month.

- Met some very good friends in the building who were also in law school. We all became very close because we had classes together and lived in the same building.

- Maintenance is good. Any problems you may have with your room (plumbing, lights, temperature, etc.) can be submitted to residence and they take care of it free of charge.

 

Cons:

- Small. The dorms are about half (or two-thirds) the size of a normal apartment. This is the biggest negative about living in residence. The rooms can feel VERY small if you're not used to it.

- No in-room laundry. You have to go to the laundry room on the first floor, and there is always a battle to find a free machine unless you do it at an early/late time.

- You may feel like you're "stuck" on campus. Going to class and living on campus can feel claustrophobic to some people.

- Parking is super expensive. If you don't have a car this isn't an issue, but I paid for a parking pass and the parking lot we get kind of sucks. No plug-in's, and only half of the stalls are covered, so there is always a competition in the winter for the covered stalls.

- There are fire drills one a semester that always take place in the middle of the night (like 1am or something) and you have to walk outside in the cold. This was very annoying but I suppose it wasn't that big of a deal in retrospect.

 

Overall, I loved being in residence because I am the type of person who hates commuting and I primarily wanted to focus on schoolwork so living on campus helped. Bonus points for the amazing friends I made who were also in my program. If that's what you're looking for, I'd highly recommend Crowsnest Hall. However, if the small rooms would drive you crazy (and yes, they are small), or if you think you'd feel stuck on campus if you lived there, then I wouldn't recommend Crowsnest Hall.

 

[rinse-repeat]

7 minutes ago, elars said:

I'm a 3L about to graduate and I lived in the graduate residence (Crowsnest Hall) in my 1L and 3L years. I never had an issue getting a room but I always applied early. Both times, I got a 1 bedroom dorm.

 

I would describe living in residence as having huge pros and huge cons.

 

Pros:

- Proximity to campus/classes. This was amazing and my primary motivator for living in residence.

- Better than the undergraduate dorms. In the case of Crowsnest Hall, the building is much newer than the undergraduate residence buildings that were built decades ago.

- Not that expensive. About $1,111.00 a month.

- Met some very good friends in the building who were also in law school. We all became very close because we had classes together and lived in the same building.

- Maintenance is good. Any problems you may have with your room (plumbing, lights, temperature, etc.) can be submitted to residence and they take care of it free of charge.

 

Cons:

- Small. The dorms are about half (or two-thirds) the size of a normal apartment. This is the biggest negative about living in residence. The rooms can feel VERY small if you're not used to it.

- No in-room laundry. You have to go to the laundry room on the first floor, and there is always a battle to find a free machine unless you do it at an early/late time.

- You may feel like you're "stuck" on campus. Going to class and living on campus can feel claustrophobic to some people.

- Parking is super expensive. If you don't have a car this isn't an issue, but I paid for a parking pass and the parking lot we get kind of sucks. No plug-in's, and only half of the stalls are covered, so there is always a competition in the winter for the covered stalls.

- There are fire drills one a semester that always take place in the middle of the night (like 1am or something) and you have to walk outside in the cold. This was very annoying but I suppose it wasn't that big of a deal in retrospect.

 

Overall, I loved being in residence because I am the type of person who hates commuting and I primarily wanted to focus on schoolwork so living on campus helped. Bonus points for the amazing friends I made who were also in my program. If that's what you're looking for, I'd highly recommend Crowsnest Hall. However, if the small rooms would drive you crazy (and yes, they are small), or if you think you'd feel stuck on campus if you lived there, then I wouldn't recommend Crowsnest Hall.

 

This is super helpful, I applied to Crowsnest and reserved a studio there but based on this I think I'll switch to a 1bd if I can. Thank you so much for the insight!!

[elars]

On 4/8/2022 at 12:48 PM, rinse-repeat said:

This is super helpful, I applied to Crowsnest and reserved a studio there but based on this I think I'll switch to a 1bd if I can. Thank you so much for the insight!!

Good choice. The one bedroom is much better than the one bedroom studio. My friends who had the studio in 1/2L switched to the standard one bedroom for 3L and they did not regret it.

[Ev.91]

Is working part time during 1L feasible? I worked as a server/bartender 3 or so nights a week through undergrad. How does the law course load compare? 1L in particular sounds like it is heavier than the other years. Should I plan not to be able to work?

[legallyblonde101]

I am an upper-year transfer to U of C, so I can't say for certain what it will be like for you as a 1L at U of C, but I worked 5-6 hours a week during 1L at Usask and I found it manageable. You absolutely need to be organized and have good time management skills to pull it off though. Also, sometimes conflicts arise with networking events, as those tend to be in the evenings, so think about how much networking matters to you before making a decision. 

On 3/15/2023 at 11:22 AM, Ev.91 said:

Is working part time during 1L feasible? I worked as a server/bartender 3 or so nights a week through undergrad. How does the law course load compare? 1L in particular sounds like it is heavier than the other years. Should I plan not to be able to work?

Edited June 7, 2023 by legallyblonde101
wanted to quote

[Youarekittenme]

Does the Faculty of Law have an exam bank? Do profs provide access to their previous exams and sample answers? I'm interested in being able to practise and self-assess before taking final exams if this is a possibility but I haven't found anything online.

[sa4206]

13 hours ago, Youarekittenme said:

Does the Faculty of Law have an exam bank? Do profs provide access to their previous exams and sample answers? I'm interested in being able to practise and self-assess before taking final exams if this is a possibility but I haven't found anything online.

No exam bank, but your profs will post past exams on D2L a few weeks before exams. Not all profs post sample answers/solutions. 

[007sk]

Hi folks - I'm currently debating what tech to get ahead of 1L. Would appreciate if someone could share their experience with note takings. Did you hand write, type or use an iPad/apple pencil? What did u find easier and why? 

Also - What note taking app would you recommend? I used OneNote in undergrad but I don't really love it so I'm looking to explore other options.

[elars]

On 8/3/2023 at 2:45 PM, 007sk said:

Hi folks - I'm currently debating what tech to get ahead of 1L. Would appreciate if someone could share their experience with note takings. Did you hand write, type or use an iPad/apple pencil? What did u find easier and why? 

Also - What note taking app would you recommend? I used OneNote in undergrad but I don't really love it so I'm looking to explore other options.

Most law students type their notes. There is simply too much material to try and keep up while handwriting your notes. I started out trying to handwrite notes and then quickly switched over to typed (in Microsoft Word).

Another very important thing to realize is that the exams are mostly (if not always) open-book. If your notes are typed, then you can easily use the search function to look for keywords in your notes (which you can't do with handwritten notes). Also, some exams allow for copy and paste from your notes into the exam software (it depends on each professor and the rules they set), so typed notes could give you another advantage in that regard.

In my opinion, there's little upside to handwriting your notes. Although handwritten notes are typically a better way for most students to learn material in both high school and undergrad, I would argue that law school is different in that the exams are almost always a massive time crunch. Try and save as much time as you can!

[Protean]

Hello,

Can someone tell me if the books bought in law school are all available in pdf version as well? I don't like reading from physical books much and would much rather use my Kindle or laptop 

When you buy law books, do they provide you with some sort of soft copy as well or is it just the physical copy? In this day and age, it's something that should be done if it's not already the case

[elars]

On 8/9/2023 at 7:05 PM, Protean said:

Hello,

Can someone tell me if the books bought in law school are all available in pdf version as well? I don't like reading from physical books much and would much rather use my Kindle or laptop 

When you buy law books, do they provide you with some sort of soft copy as well or is it just the physical copy? In this day and age, it's something that should be done if it's not already the case

I can't remember 100%, but I think most textbooks did not come with a PDF version. But perhaps things have changed in the last year or so.