How much of an advantage would an MPPA provide in law school?

[Mia]

I have an offer from Osgoode and would be KJD if I accept. However, I have received an offer for an MPPA program that I can complete within an year. I am deciding whether or not to complete the MPPA and re-apply to Osgoode during the next cycle. I am primarily interested in a legal career within the public sector. The MPPA is fully funded with a TA-ship. I wonder if having it would offer enough of an advantage during law school (particular summer positions) to warrant postponing law school by a year & risk a rejection during the next cycle? 

[ramoj]

What school is this at? 

[Mia]

Carleton

[BirdsArentReal]

You could seek a deferral and state how the program would help you and benefit the osgoode classroom next year.

That would provide best of both worlds, but deferrals are not always accepted.

[Mia]

Thank you for the reply! I have submitted a deferral request, and have been told that requests will not be reviewed until the beginning of May. I have heard that deferrals are usually only granted in cases of extenuating circumstances (medical/financial reasons) so just thinking about what to do in case it falls through. 

[Turtles]

From a financial time-and-money perspective, I would rather do law school without the MPPA than delay law school by a year. You didn't specify which area within the government you'd like to work (Crown prosecutor, MAG Constitutional, military, or even JD advantage like foreign affairs officer or policy analyst) so it's hard to comment on how competitive it might be or whether the MPPA would be at all relevant, but I would be cautious doing an extra degree upfront that might not prove necessary. Unless, of course, you'd just like to do it for your own enjoyment or education, which would be fair enough.

I don't know how government hiring works outside of the formal law school recruits, but I would wager that if you struck out during law school without the MPPA, you could just do the MPPA after law school and re-apply to government jobs -- and that there would be broader government job recruitment (albeit not for JD required roles) through career services at Carleton. But that's something to research before making a decision. 

[GoBigOrGoHome]

Here is the thing about most education - it is only beneficial if you also have the work experience. 

If you will not be working while doing it, I wouldn't see it as very beneficial. It is just more letters beside your name. Even moreso, you will have gone from KJD to Masters to Law School with no substantive work experience to speak of in between. Do I think that it will help you in law school - no. Do I think that it will help you get hired - maybe - but against another KJD - not someone who has work experience. Substantive work experience can also offset some negative grades in many circumstances. 

One thing to consider is that you will not apply much of what you have learned in the MPPA because you will then be going to law school which will push whatever you learned from your mind.

I don't have an MPA, but I did many of the MPA courses at UVIC as they count towards a post-graduate certificate or a MPA. They were good for me because I was working at the time and I applied them. The courses at UVIC were very practical and I used what I learned in my job. That said, if I started working in the non-profit or public sector four years after having taken them, I would have forgot a lot of the content. 

I don't want to discourage you - but for me it personally it would be a waste of time and money (and I don't come from an extreme place of privilege where I have that kind of money and time to blow). 

If you want to do something that would add to your time in law school, consider work experience in the areas that you are interested in. I will be going to school in September, and I already know that my work experience - not education - is going to be the most useful thing I bring with me to law school. 

[Kimura]

I don't think the MPPA is going to provide you with that big of an advantage during the OCI/Articling recruits, which is when you'll be applying to public sector jobs. I would take the JD offer at Oz and get the ball rolling. 

[Mia]

1 hour ago, Turtles said:

From a financial time-and-money perspective, I would rather do law school without the MPPA than delay law school by a year. You didn't specify which area within the government you'd like to work (Crown prosecutor, MAG Constitutional, military, or even JD advantage like foreign affairs officer or policy analyst) so it's hard to comment on how competitive it might be or whether the MPPA would be at all relevant, but I would be cautious doing an extra degree upfront that might not prove necessary. Unless, of course, you'd just like to do it for your own enjoyment or education, which would be fair enough.

I don't know how government hiring works outside of the formal law school recruits, but I would wager that if you struck out during law school without the MPPA, you could just do the MPPA after law school and re-apply to government jobs -- and that there would be broader government job recruitment (albeit not for JD required roles) through career services at Carleton. But that's something to research before making a decision. 

My apologies, I should have been more specific. I am interested in supporting policy development as a lawyer. Working within the DOJ policy development branch or MAG Constitutional would be dream opportunities. Evidently, they are extremely competitive which is why I am considering the MPPA to maximize my chances. I am very interested in the prospect of working for a legal clinic as well. 

I hadn't considered the potential benefits of doing the MPPA post-law school, thank you for bringing that up. Definitely something to consider. 

[Mia]

1 hour ago, GoBigOrGoHome said:

Here is the thing about most education - it is only beneficial if you also have the work experience. 

If you will not be working while doing it, I wouldn't see it as very beneficial. It is just more letters beside your name. Even moreso, you will have gone from KJD to Masters to Law School with no substantive work experience to speak of in between. Do I think that it will help you in law school - no. Do I think that it will help you get hired - maybe - but against another KJD - not someone who has work experience. Substantive work experience can also offset some negative grades in many circumstances. 

One thing to consider is that you will not apply much of what you have learned in the MPPA because you will then be going to law school which will push whatever you learned from your mind.

I don't have an MPA, but I did many of the MPA courses at UVIC as they count towards a post-graduate certificate or a MPA. They were good for me because I was working at the time and I applied them. The courses at UVIC were very practical and I used what I learned in my job. That said, if I started working in the non-profit or public sector four years after having taken them, I would have forgot a lot of the content. 

I don't want to discourage you - but for me it personally it would be a waste of time and money (and I don't come from an extreme place of privilege where I have that kind of money and time to blow). 

If you want to do something that would add to your time in law school, consider work experience in the areas that you are interested in. I will be going to school in September, and I already know that my work experience - not education - is going to be the most useful thing I bring with me to law school. 

Definitely agree. I will be joining the policy team of a Federal department this summer, and if I did the MPPA, I would continue to work with the team part-time during the academic year. I know it is hard to build meaningful relationships/experience within just four months, so a longer term with the team could perhaps be advantageous. 

In regards to the waste of time/money point, I completely understand where you're coming from. I will be paying for law school myself so the financial impact of this decision is definitely a concern. 

[GoBigOrGoHome]

20 minutes ago, Mia said:

My apologies, I should have been more specific. I am interested in supporting policy development as a lawyer. Working within the DOJ policy development branch or MAG Constitutional would be dream opportunities. Evidently, they are extremely competitive which is why I am considering the MPPA to maximize my chances. I am very interested in the prospect of working for a legal clinic as well. 

Your chances of doing that would be increased substantially if you were to do the MPPA first, go get a job as a policy analyst for a couple of years, go to law school, become a lawyer in the public sector, and then apply for the policy counsel jobs when they come up . 

In some governments, they will hire policy analysts straight out of university with no work experience. In BC, I saw it happen (but I will admit I was very disappointed when I saw it happen because you had bright eyed bushy tailed new grads that had no understanding whatsoever of the implications of the policies that they were working on, and had so many gaps as a result. I much prefer people that have some experience working in that area then becoming policy analysts). 

The policy counsel jobs are very rare. 

That said - there are jobs that you will support policy development as a lawyer but aren't considered policy counsel. Eg. In BC, there are lawyers that specialize in certain areas, and provide support to Ministries both reviewing policy things and a variety of other things. Then there are counsel that just work on policy. 

Edit: I saw that you will be with a policy team with the feds this summer and can stay with them part time. If that is the case, do the MPPA, stay with the team, and then go to law school. Even try to become indeterminate and get an educational leave of absence (unpaid) to go back to school. You are young - you have time. That work experience is going to add more value to your future application than just having a law degree and an MPPA. 

Edited April 9, 2022 by GoBigOrGoHome