Chances: 2.1 CGPA, Best20: 3.0, L2: 2.5 LSAT: 167

[aaaahhhh]

I realize my situation is terrible, but I did not have the greatest undergrad (UofT, BSc) and do not feel like it reflected the best of my abilities. I would love to do another bachelors to prove that a high GPA is definitely attainable, but at this stage in my life I can't afford to go back to studying for an additional 4 years and then 3 years afterwards for law school. Most of my undergrad courseload was less than the standard 5 per semester and I was in and out of hospitals for a decent amount of time. Not sure if it matters too much, but in my last semester I got a 4.0 sessional GPA with 3 courses taken. If I were to write a statement involving compassionate grounds, mental health would be a major topic of discussion and I'm not sure if admissions would deem me as a worse candidate because of that. 

Do I realistically have a chance at any Canadian law school? I would accept any offer in a heartbeat, including the Dual JD at Windsor.

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I also got accepted into Monash University and the University of Sydney. While these universities have a fantastic reputation in aus, I'm afraid that they won't be too different from a Bond/Leicester here in Canada. I have no connections in law and I am also a minority. If I get rejected from all Canadian law schools, this may be my last option.

Edited August 27, 2022 by aaaahhhh

[myth000]

The NCA route is the most realistic.  But the 167 Lsat is definitely reason for hope to get into a Canadian school.   If the low GPA is due to some failed courses then look into applying to Manitoba which drops the lowest 30 credits.  Otherwise, the holistic schools are probably your only other option as things stand, but a 2.5 L2 might still be too low.  With those grades getting into a good masters degree to boost your GPA might also  be difficult, so a second bachelors might be best.  If I knew what I know now and was in your situation, I would have done a 2 year bachelor of education to both boost my grades to be admitted to law school and to have an alternative in case law didn't turn out to be a good fit.  But anycase for a second bachelor's I would pick a major I'm likely to get good grades in; carefully analyze what courses you did best in and do a major in that.  (But before embarking on any new academic pursuit, I would fix any underlying health and other issues; getting into law school may be the start of your struggles not the end of them)

[aaaahhhh]

Thank you for the response! I had a feeling the NCA route would be the most realistic. My only concerns here would be surrounding the difficulty of finding an articling position once I return. A foreign law degree along with being a minority with no connections is probably one of the worst positions to be in as an aspiring lawyer in Canada. 

I appreciate the suggestion to do a BEd, but I would be 30 by the time I finish and I've already put my life on hold long enough. 

Is there any prestige at all associated with the schools I mentioned or should I just do a 2 year accelerated program and come back as soon as possible? 

[myth000]

5 minutes ago, aaaahhhh said:

Thank you for the response! I had a feeling the NCA route would be the most realistic. My only concerns here would be surrounding the difficulty of finding an articling position once I return. A foreign law degree along with being a minority with no connections is probably one of the worst positions to be in as an aspiring lawyer in Canada. 

I appreciate the suggestion to do a BEd, but I would be 30 by the time I finish and I've already put my life on hold long enough. 

Is there any prestige at all associated with the schools I mentioned or should I just do a 2 year accelerated program and come back as soon as possible? 

I'd do the 2 year accelerated, come back and do the 1 year NCA.  And then if articling is not secured, then either do the LPP or work as a legal assistant until articling is secured, which could take years but atleast you'd be paid for it.

[aaaahhhh]

4 minutes ago, myth000 said:

I'd do the 2 year accelerated, come back and do the 1 year NCA.  And then if articling is not secured, then either do the LPP or work as a legal assistant until articling is secured, which could take years but atleast you'd be paid for it.

Thank you so much for all the advice. I'll definitely look at one of the 2 year accelerated schools and then weigh my options from there.