Queens vs. UOttawa

[JurisJoy11]

Hey everyone! 

I'm having difficulty deciding where to go between these 2 schools. I'm currently in my 4th year of health sciences at Western and absolutely love it here (just don't want to spend 7 years in one place). I'm not exactly sure what area of law I want to practice, but I have an interest in health law or criminal law. 

I think the most deciding factor for me will be the overall culture/vibe of the two schools. Having close friends at school is super important to me but I can be a bit shy when I'm nervous (as most people are lmao) so a school that fosters friendships and connections is really important to me. Also, having the ability to go out frequently is something else that's important in my decision. I'm not looking to become a total hermit during 1L - I still want to have a social life, you know, within reason.

I have to admit, I'm leaning towards Queens at the moment. There's just something about it that feels right (maybe that's because I like Western so much and they're so similar). But there's still that nagging concern about the population size in Kingston. Coming London in my undergrad, I worry it might feel a bit claustrophobic or lacking opportunities compared to a bigger city like Ottawa. On the other hand, I've heard such great things about Ottawa being a fun city with lots to do. It's making the decision even more difficulty because I really can't decide between the two. 

So, if there are any current students from either Queens or Ottawa reading this, I'd really appreciate your advice. What's the campus culture like? How's the social scene? Any insights you could share would be incredibly helpful!

[Toast Viking]

I can speak for uOttawa from my personal experience. First of all, uOttawa is great for health law. It's one of the areas that you can take an "Option" in, which means that you can specialize in and take courses on health-related topics, like medical-legal problems, comparative health systems, access to health care, mental health and criminal law, just to name a few. I know various people who chose uOttawa primarily because it's one of the law schools that excels in health law.

First year students are also placed into "small groups", which means you will have mostly all of your 1L courses with the same 20-25 students, while also being mixed with other small groups for bigger classes. This makes the social aspect feel very smooth in 1L, because you get to know the people around you very well very quickly. 

As for criminal law, one of the options for the "small group" focus is criminal law. That means that you will have an extra class each week dedicated to criminal law and get to work closely with your professor on that topic. I chose a different course for my small group, but I have heard from those in the criminal sections that it is a great way to learn more about criminal law if that interests you.

The city of Ottawa itself is very nice, as well. The University is right downtown, and the nightlife is great. I went to a school in a smaller city for my undergrad, and Ottawa's social/nightlife is far better than where I was before. When I was choosing between Queens/Ottawa, the city was a big factor for me. There are several great bars and clubs to go to, and oftentimes on weekends people will stay out until 2 or 3am (if that's what you're into).

I am sure that Queens is also a great school and Kingston is a great city, but I have no personal experience there and cannot speak to it. But if you like Health law and Criminal law, and want to be in a fun city with lots to do, I would recommend strongly considering uOttawa. 

Hope this helps! Congrats on getting into both.

[Chef Justice]

Just to give the Queen's perspective, this school is great for criminal law and health law. The prison law clinic is great clinic experience for those interested in criminal law. The criminal law faculty is also excellent. There health law classes I can think about from the top of my head are health law, public health law and mental health law. For 1L structure, you will also be placed into a small group of 25ish people for one or two of your classes and take the core law classes set out on their website.

If you enjoyed Western, you'll enjoy Queen's as they both have similar vibes. Nightlife in Kingston is great, everything you ned is within a 10-15 minute walk, the restaurant scene is strong and being on the water is great for vibes.

 

[underperform]

for more of an ottawa perspective - has some of the most crim based upper year classes i have seen (forensic science, extremism, mental health in crim to name a few) and quite a few oral ad classes (trial ad, appellate ad, trial of a murder). so a good crim education can be done here. also lots of local crim firms love 2L student proposed internships and the school can set you up with a mentor in criminal law in 1L. And then there are a few clinics too. not sure about the health law section but there are more than enough opportunities to get good exposure to crim.