Windsor Dual or Re-apply

[RIP-Joel]

Hey, so I was accepted into the windsor dual program but idk if I should accept the offer or re-apply. 

I know the school one attends matters when wanting to do biglaw but does the school matter when applying for work at a mid-size firm? I ask this mainly because I've read on this forum that it's possible to move from mid-size firms and boutiques to biglaw firms. Does the school you go to impact your chances of landing a job mid-size firm or boutique? Does it also impact how well the mid-size firm or boutique is and your chance of transitioning into biglaw? 

 

Thank you 🙂

Edited May 12, 2022 by MA1199

[Ripcord]

Firstly, as I'm sure you're aware, the Dual JD program at Windsor is expensive. If that is fine and you want to start on your law school journey at this moment, then sure, consider the offer and think about accepting it. Dual JDs do do a lot of awesome things on the USA side of the border as well, if that interests you! 

9 hours ago, MA1199 said:

I know the school one attends matters when wanting to do biglaw

This is true, to an extent. Yes, if you attend UofT and Osgoode, your chances of getting into biglaw are better than if you attend Dual JD for sure. That being said, those from Dual JD have gone on to work at biglaw right off the bat but you must temper your expectations. You have to put in work (even if you attend UofT or Osgoode, I still say that you have to put in the work). It's just that you might have to put in more work and that the amount of Dual JD grads in biglaw might be a bit smaller (because there aren't many Dual JDs in biglaw). This might make it tough for you to talk to those that have already trodden on the path you wish to take. But there definitely are Dual JDs in biglaw and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to set up a call and discuss how they got to where they are. So does the school one attends matter? Of course. Does this mean you're absolutely precluded from going into biglaw because you're on the other side of the 401 from Toronto and might even have to take the tunnel to go to UDM? No, not necessarily. 

9 hours ago, MA1199 said:

Does the school you go to impact your chances of landing a job mid-size firm or boutique?

Again, see above. Some mid-sized firms do participate in the structured On-Campus Interview (OCI) process and some don't. Those that don't participate seek summer students after the structured recruit has ended. While they might not be "biglaw", again, I think you have to put in the work regardless of what school you go to, but might have to put in more work because you might be attending Dual JD. The structured recruit does have the lion's share of the biglaw firms and some midsized and boutiques, but there definitely are lots of opportunities to end up at a midsized firm or a boutique firm after the structured recruit has been completed. 

9 hours ago, MA1199 said:

Does it also impact how well the mid-size firm or boutique is and your chance of transitioning into biglaw? 

I'll perhaps leave this for someone else but I'll give you my thoughts on these (and these are just my thoughts). This concept of "how well" a firm is, is highly subjective. What are we grading this on, the people that work there? The work that they do? How their office looks (this is a big one for me, if you don't have floor to ceiling glass windows and a pleasant marble floor to walk on, you're cut lol)? If you're working at a mid-sized firm or boutique then they probably do have the support structure to help you grow when compared to a sole practitioner's office or an extremely small office. And if you're comparing them to biglaw, then perhaps they might not have the reach or the resources of a biglaw firm. Of course, certain midsized and boutique firms might do that better than others, but that's where you have to put in the work, talk to a few people from these firms, and try to gauge what the vibe is there (harder said than done).

In terms of transitioning, it's a mover's market right now (perhaps slightly slowing down) but biglaw firms are always looking for associates to replenish their stock of associates as people leave for other positions all the time. If you do work at a midsized firm, then chances are you will have a bit more hands-on experience with files and that is sure to be a draw for biglaw firms. If you do work at a boutique, you might be pigeonholing yourself but if a biglaw firm needs someone in that niche field, then you might have a leg up on everyone else applying for that. 

As a conclusion, I will say that Windsor has a great Career Services Office! They're awesome to work with and they can help you with these questions if you decide to go the Dual JD route and time comes for you to make decisions. But don't self-select yourself out (as in, don't immediately think biglaw is barred for anyone doing Dual JD). If you have more questions, feel free to PM me!