Osgoode v. Dalhousie

[AllyfromtheNorth]

Hi everyone!
I would love some advice on the following topic. I have been accepted to both Dalhousie and Osgoode. Both are my top choices; however, I need help deciding which school to choose. I have made a list detailing the pros/cons of both. For example, I am an NS resident with cheap rent versus if I lived in Toronto, my cost of living would increase, but I would be closer to my family.
Regarding post-grad life, would a Dal Law degree get you a job in Toronto? I am more likely to receive a scholarship from Dalhousie than I would with Osgoode. However, if it is harder to get a job in Toronto (working on Bay Street), taking a financial risk would be worth it, but I could be wrong.
I would love anyone to comment on their past experiences or state which school they prefer and why.

[goodisgood]

2 minutes ago, AllyfromtheNorth said:

Hi everyone!
I would love some advice on the following topic. I have been accepted to both Dalhousie and Osgoode. Both are my top choices; however, I need help deciding which school to choose. I have made a list detailing the pros/cons of both. For example, I am an NS resident with cheap rent versus if I lived in Toronto, my cost of living would increase, but I would be closer to my family.
Regarding post-grad life, would a Dal Law degree get you a job in Toronto? I am more likely to receive a scholarship from Dalhousie than I would with Osgoode. However, if it is harder to get a job in Toronto (working on Bay Street), taking a financial risk would be worth it, but I could be wrong.
I would love anyone to comment on their past experiences or state which school they prefer and why.

Hey, one helpful thing to look at would be the 2L OCI Toronto Recruit Spreadsheets on Ultra Vires.

https://ultravires.ca/2021/05/toronto-summer-2021-2l-recruit-numbers/
https://ultravires.ca/2021/11/toronto-summer-2022-2l-recruit-numbers/
https://ultravires.ca/2022/12/toronto-summer-2023-2l-recruit-numbers/

Dalhousie: 2021 = 14, 2022 = 17, 2023 = 13
Osgoode: 2021 = 104, 2022 = 112, 2023 = 77 (drop may be because many didn't respond in time for publication)

These numbers show it's not impossible for Dalhousie grads to get jobs in the Toronto market even during the hyper-competitive OCI process. While Osgoode places many more, this is partially explained by the fact that most people who attend Osgoode want to work in Toronto, whereas it may not be the case that a majority of Dalhousie grads want to work in Toronto. 

Your choice will depend on what area of law you want to practice and why. If you haven't already spoken to lawyers in different practice areas (especially corporate, since you seem to be leaning towards that) I would definitely try to reach out for some coffee chats. Many students (not saying you) going into law school have this corporate or bust mindset when they don't really have any idea of what corporate law is. 

Also ask yourself about your feelings, how you best deal with stress, and what will put you in the optimal environment to perform at your best. 

[AllyfromtheNorth]

8 minutes ago, goodisgood said:

Hey, one helpful thing to look at would be the 2L OCI Toronto Recruit Spreadsheets on Ultra Vires.

https://ultravires.ca/2021/05/toronto-summer-2021-2l-recruit-numbers/
https://ultravires.ca/2021/11/toronto-summer-2022-2l-recruit-numbers/
https://ultravires.ca/2022/12/toronto-summer-2023-2l-recruit-numbers/

Dalhousie: 2021 = 14, 2022 = 17, 2023 = 13
Osgoode: 2021 = 104, 2022 = 112, 2023 = 77 (drop may be because many didn't respond in time for publication)

These numbers show it's not impossible for Dalhousie grads to get jobs in the Toronto market even during the hyper-competitive OCI process. While Osgoode places many more, this is partially explained by the fact that most people who attend Osgoode want to work in Toronto, whereas it may not be the case that a majority of Dalhousie grads want to work in Toronto. 

Your choice will depend on what area of law you want to practice and why. If you haven't already spoken to lawyers in different practice areas (especially corporate, since you seem to be leaning towards that) I would definitely try to reach out for some coffee chats. Many students (not saying you) going into law school have this corporate or bust mindset when they don't really have any idea of what corporate law is. 

Also ask yourself about your feelings, how you best deal with stress, and what will put you in the optimal environment to perform at your best. 

Thank you! This is super helpful! I currently work at a law office and I am most interested in Labour& Employment & Education Law so I will discuss it with them!

[SNAILS]

I go to Osgoode. I always laugh at these "School X vs School Y" threads. How the heck should I know if a school other than the one I go to is good? (I know people can pull OCI data and so on, of course).

Regarding the people from Dal ending up being successful in  Toronto OCIs: It's fair to say that Toronto graduates are far more aggressive in pursuing the Toronto job market. I bet an aggressive attempt at the Toronto job market by a  Dal student would be significantly more successful than the average Dal student who does not necessarily want to work in TO.

@AllyfromtheNorth, if you have cheap rent in NS and want to be close to your family, I think you should stay in NS.