Ottawa v. Queens

[Mr. Blue]

I've been lucky enough to have been accepted to both Ottawa and Queens and want to look into the pro/cons of each! I have a background in criminology and police oversight, so I'm very interested in pursuing criminal law. I'd also be interested in maybe exploring Family Law, but have no interest in corporate/big law. 

Just want to compare purely in terms of quality of education and work opportunities, location is a secondary priority. 

Thanks in advance!

[Chef Justice]

I can't speak to Ottawa but Queen's has one of the top criminal law faculties in the country. The prison law clinic is one of the top criminal law clinics in Canada and will give you a different perspective than other criminal law clinics in virtue of post-conviction. Queen's also has a family law clinic alongside a top leading family law scholar in Nicholas Bala.

[ArchivesandMuseums]

2 hours ago, Mr. Blue said:

I've been lucky enough to have been accepted to both Ottawa and Queens and want to look into the pro/cons of each! I have a background in criminology and police oversight, so I'm very interested in pursuing criminal law. I'd also be interested in maybe exploring Family Law, but have no interest in corporate/big law. 

Just want to compare purely in terms of quality of education and work opportunities, location is a secondary priority. 

Thanks in advance!

I am a law student at uOttawa. In terms of quality of education, both schools would be fine for you. However, given your interest in criminal law and family law, Queens would provide you with better experiential opportunities as Queens has relevant clinics, which my law school does not have.

[fernweh]

Current uOttawa student that did my undergrad at Queen's! I agree with what has been stated above - while uOttawa does have a few strong family law professors, the clinic opportunities at Queen's weigh more towards family and crim whereas the Ottawa clinic is more general. Also Nicholas Bala would be a great source to learn family law from.

The overall vibe of the two schools are vastly different though, so consider if you would prefer living in a large city, likely further from campus vs. in a small city, close to campus, with more limited activities. Feel free to PM if you have any questions! 

[LMP]

I think Queens is the way to go. I attended neither school, but from a third party perspective Queens just seems like the right fit. 

[Mr. Blue]

This is all super helpful! Thanks for the advice everyone!