Why TRU law?

[diggity]

I'm wondering why applicants, current students, and/or grads chose TRU law school? I really like a lot of things when I research, especially smaller class sizes, but wanted more opinions!

[CracklePop]

It was the only school in BC that accepted me. I think that will be the answer for most students. 

[HarryCrane]

They accepted me, but the reason I applied is useful, I didn't apply anywhere I didn't want to go.

I had friends who went through the program, and they spoke extremely highly of it. Some of them had parents who were lawyers or law profs themselves, and were really impressed with the caliber of prof the school has. Prof Chambers for example is quite literally one of the worlds leading experts on Trusts, depending on who you have for Con Law in 1L, there is a couple weeks of lectures where like 60% of the cases you read the prof was involved with, if not lead counsel on. All the profs are incredibly passionate in addition to being brilliant.

The smaller class sizes make a difference. Most of the profs know who you are, and you get to know them pretty well. The sense of community is also a huge benefit. I've spoken to friends at other Western Canadian law schools and they are somewhat envious of it. Outside of their immediate friend group, they are not sharing notes or helping anyone. At TRU there is really no one in the faculty that you couldn't go to for help.

 

The downside is obviously the high tuition, and the school also relies on sessionals a bit more than others. Course selection is maybe not as robust as UBC or UofA. And still being a new kid on the block the school sorta gets discounted and assumed to be a bunch of kids with 154 LSAT scores (which may have been true at the start but it certainly is not the case now).

 

TL;DR TRU is a good school and the faculty does an amazing job at fostering a sense of community. Were a scrappy but a close bunch and you'll get a great education.

[NowOrNever]

If I have to go out of province I would choose TRU over Manitoba, USask, Windsor and Lakehead.

[CracklePop]

14 hours ago, NowOrNever said:

If I have to go out of province I would choose TRU over Manitoba, USask, Windsor and Lakehead.

I chose TRU over Alberta, Windsor, and Ottawa.

I think the reason people choose TRU depends on each person's circumstances and priorities. I would recommend reaching out to a current TRU Law student or alumni to find out more about the school and why they chose to attend. I am sure that most people that you reach out to would be more than happy to help because collegiality runs in our blood. You will definitely get more unfiltered information that will help you make a decision.

[diggity]

On 4/26/2022 at 2:25 AM, CracklePop said:

It was the only school in BC that accepted me. I think that will be the answer for most students. 

Lol, that is SO sad if that is the only reason why someone would choose TRU! 

 

On 4/26/2022 at 9:52 AM, HarryCrane said:

They accepted me, but the reason I applied is useful, I didn't apply anywhere I didn't want to go.

I had friends who went through the program, and they spoke extremely highly of it. Some of them had parents who were lawyers or law profs themselves, and were really impressed with the caliber of prof the school has. Prof Chambers for example is quite literally one of the worlds leading experts on Trusts, depending on who you have for Con Law in 1L, there is a couple weeks of lectures where like 60% of the cases you read the prof was involved with, if not lead counsel on. All the profs are incredibly passionate in addition to being brilliant.

The smaller class sizes make a difference. Most of the profs know who you are, and you get to know them pretty well. The sense of community is also a huge benefit. I've spoken to friends at other Western Canadian law schools and they are somewhat envious of it. Outside of their immediate friend group, they are not sharing notes or helping anyone. At TRU there is really no one in the faculty that you couldn't go to for help.

 

The downside is obviously the high tuition, and the school also relies on sessionals a bit more than others. Course selection is maybe not as robust as UBC or UofA. And still being a new kid on the block the school sorta gets discounted and assumed to be a bunch of kids with 154 LSAT scores (which may have been true at the start but it certainly is not the case now).

 

TL;DR TRU is a good school and the faculty does an amazing job at fostering a sense of community. Were a scrappy but a close bunch and you'll get a great education.

Thank you so much for your feedback! That is so helpful and I really appreciate it. I've also heard similar things which is why I was really excited to apply. Good community, small classes and a culture that emphasizes quality over quantity are really important to me. High tuition is a bummer for sure and I am a bit nervous of forest fires, but I appreciate your insight!

[CracklePop]

14 minutes ago, diggity said:

Lol, that is SO sad if that is the only reason why someone would choose TRU!

I am not saying that is the only reason that someone would choose TRU. I am just saying that it is probably the most significant reason. Most students who go to TRU are from BC or Alberta. Therefore, most of them likely prioritized the school's proximity to the legal market where they wanted to work in when deciding to "choose" the school. If you are considering TRU for other reasons, you are definitely entitled to do so.

[diggity]

4 hours ago, CracklePop said:

I am not saying that is the only reason that someone would choose TRU. I am just saying that it is probably the most significant reason. Most students who go to TRU are from BC or Alberta. Therefore, most of them likely prioritized the school's proximity to the legal market where they wanted to work in when deciding to "choose" the school. If you are considering TRU for other reasons, you are definitely entitled to do so.

Ah yes that does makes sense! I misread your comment as it being the only reason, and for that for I apologize. The idea of proximity to larger markets is a very good point. 

[BanzaiPipeline]

It would be unlikely that someone would choose TRU Law over UBC or UVic. However, there are many reasons why TRU Law is a compelling choice. 

1) The Faculty is truly notch. They are almost all top tier scholars who are also great instructors.Its a relatively small school so you really do have great access to your professors

2) Kamloops is a great place to go to law school. Especially if you from out of province: a relaxed town with world class skiing and hiking within a day drive, along with mild winters and a relaxed atmosphere makes it a pretty great spot. While some people prefer a big city, the relatively relaxed nature of Kamloops was for me anyways, a great way to balance out the stress of Law School.

3) Proximity to both the Calgary and Vancouver market. TRU Law places very strongly in the best firms in the Vancouver market. Unlike the other BC schools, it also has a solid contingent of Calgary students, being a days drive from Calgary. You will find former students and a growing reputation in both these markets, which happen to be the 2 largest in Western Canada.

If tuition isn't a factor then TRU Law is a strong choice. Especially compared to other schools in its class with similar competitiveness like Windsor, Sask, or Lakehead. Faculty strength is subjective but Im willing to bet that TRU Law's faculty is among the most compelling in its class. Its also the most central to the major Western Canadian markets. I am almost positive that Kamloops is a more enjoyable city than Saskatoon, Windsor or Thunder Bay. Im not saying that TRU should be everyones first choice, but it probably shouldn't be anyone's last choice either.