2L transfer UofT or Osgoode (Litigation)

[Lizagator]

I’m currently a 1L student and I’m considering transferring to a Toronto firm for 2L. I like my current school, but I need to be living in Toronto for several reasons that I will not go into here. 
 

I’m trying to get a sense for what the differences are between the two schools (I will not consider TMU). I realize that UofT typically has more prestige insofar as big law is concerned, and that it costs more. I see myself working at a litigation boutique, or perhaps a midsize firm where I can do more meaningful work earlier on in my career. So I’m not necessarily married to the idea of a big full service firm, although I have not ruled it out either.

Aside from the things, I mentioned above, what are the differences between the two schools? What is it like to be a student at one versus the other? What is the culture like? Is one school better than the other for litigation? 
 

I am not much of a social justice warrior, nor am I a woke person. Would I fit in at Osgoode? I honestly have not heard much about what it’s like inside UofT so it’s sort of a black hole of knowledge for me. 

[WiseGhost]

Before even asking this question, you need to determine whether it is possible for you to transfer to either school. There are relatively few transfer students and your grades + personal circumstances will affect whether you are allowed to transfer. 

Love the username, good luck with the transfer - you should be able to achieve your goals at both Osgoode and UofT. 

[samk554]

17 minutes ago, Lizagator said:

I’m currently a 1L student and I’m considering transferring to a Toronto firm for 2L. I like my current school, but I need to be living in Toronto for several reasons that I will not go into here. 
 

I’m trying to get a sense for what the differences are between the two schools (I will not consider TMU). I realize that UofT typically has more prestige insofar as big law is concerned, and that it costs more. I see myself working at a litigation boutique, or perhaps a midsize firm where I can do more meaningful work earlier on in my career. So I’m not necessarily married to the idea of a big full service firm, although I have not ruled it out either.

Aside from the things, I mentioned above, what are the differences between the two schools? What is it like to be a student at one versus the other? What is the culture like? Is one school better than the other for litigation? 
 

I am not much of a social justice warrior, nor am I a woke person. Would I fit in at Osgoode? I honestly have not heard much about what it’s like inside UofT so it’s sort of a black hole of knowledge for me. 

Both are great schools. Osgoode is a lot cheaper, and you can get prestigious jobs out of both programs.

[Lizagator]

As I understand it, I probably won’t hear back until later in the summer on the application, and probably won’t have much time to decide. Just trying to figure out as much as I can beforehand. 

[B_Stone]

13 minutes ago, samk554 said:

Both are great schools. Osgoode is a lot cheaper, and you can get prestigious jobs out of both programs.

U of T has a much more generous aid program, and you may actually find it to be cheaper than Osgoode - check out their financial aid calculator: https://www.law.utoronto.ca/financial-aid-estimator

Otherwise, they are both great schools, but U of T's reputation is real. 

[GoatDuck]

For what it’s worth, I’ve personally found that UofT gives off fairly corporate conservative vibes. There are plenty of people who are socially-conscious, but you definitely get a sense that “I want a big law job” or “I want to make money” are standard answers to “why law?” Whether it’s a deterrent or a point of attraction is up to you 🙂 Maybe others can pitch in with any thoughts on the Osgoode culture.

To emphasize what others have said, getting admission as a transfer student to either UofT or Osgoode is very unpredictable and depends a lot on the strength of your academic profile. It is good to plan for what you’ll do should you get to decide between two offers, but, barring major academic/personal accomplishments, you will be in a good place if you get one offer. This is to say, good luck but don’t stress too much about it, both schools will be great for what you’re looking for.

[Turtles]

2 hours ago, GoatDuck said:

For what it’s worth, I’ve personally found that UofT gives off fairly corporate conservative vibes. There are plenty of people who are socially-conscious, but you definitely get a sense that “I want a big law job” or “I want to make money” are standard answers to “why law?” Whether it’s a deterrent or a point of attraction is up to you 🙂 Maybe others can pitch in with any thoughts on the Osgoode culture.

Why law?

Osgoode students during 1L: to help society's most vulnerable overcome oppression

Osgoode students during 2L summer: busy helping a large multinational bury a sexual harassment claim, lay off half its workforce, or pollute a river or two without consequence ... all for that glorious paycheque 

IMO, UofT 1Ls are to be admired for owning who they are.

Edited March 11, 2024 by Turtles

[Dinsdale]

I assume you're familiar with the geography of Toronto?  Pretty big difference between the two campuses, if that is of any importance to you.

[Lizagator]

5 hours ago, Dinsdale said:

I assume you're familiar with the geography of Toronto?  Pretty big difference between the two campuses, if that is of any importance to you.

Yes I am. I am in Toronto quite often, so I am relatively familiar with the city.  Biggest curiosity is around what it’s actually like to be a student at either of these campuses. I’m satisfied that either one will be more than adequate to the task of leading to employment and all that good stuff. I was fortunate enough to be hired during the 1 L recruit, and I’m keen about the firm, so will most likely stick with them. But I still have to finish law school obviously and it’s the nuts and bolts of being a student at either one of these campuses that I’m most interested in . For example, what is the culture like amongst the students and the professors at each location? etc. I mentioned previously that I would not consider TMU. I was really turned off by that big letter that a lot of them signed in the fall. They could’ve had the greatest reputation since sliced bread, but I still would not want to be in an environment like that because it simply would not be a good fit. What’s the environment like at Osgoode Hall? UofT? I’d be really curious to hear some specifics from current or previous students if any are willing to share.

 

[uoftearsalumna]

A transfer is great, but 2 points i'll note as someone who has witnessed people transfer:

1) Grades matter. Personal circumstances will factor in, but even with that consideration, grades are a highly significant factor. It's a high threshold to meet a transfer solely based on personal circumstances alone without grades significantly factoring. 

2) Even if you transfer, it won't guarantee you a Bay Street job. Most people transfer to Osgoode/UofT thinking it will improve their chances in the recruit. Anecdotally, multiple people have told me this is why they transferred despite them not getting a bay st job (2 people I know who transferred from my law school to Osgoode said this). Not saying Bay Street is your reason for transferring, but in my opinion, if you can get a B+ average (or higher) at your current law school, you will get OCIs and have a solid chance at the recruit. It totally makes sense if you have necessary circumstances requiring you to transfer, though. I wish you luck!  

Edited March 11, 2024 by uoftearsalumna

[Lizagator]

6 minutes ago, uoftearsalumna said:

A transfer is great, but 2 points i'll note as someone who has witnessed people transfer:

1) Grades matter. Personal circumstances will factor in, but even with that consideration, grades are a highly significant factor. It's a high threshold to meet a transfer solely based on personal circumstances alone without grades significantly factoring. 

2) Even if you transfer, it won't guarantee you a Bay Street job. Most people transfer to Osgoode/UofT thinking it will improve their chances in the recruit. Anecdotally, multiple people have told me this is why they transferred despite them not getting a bay st job (2 people I know who transferred from my law school to Osgoode said this). Not saying Bay Street is your reason for transferring, but in my opinion, if you can get a B+ average (or higher) at your current law school, you will get OCIs and have a solid chance at the recruit. It totally makes sense if you have necessary circumstances requiring you to transfer, though. I wish you luck!  

I’ve secured a Bay st job through 1L recruit so hopefully I can avoid burning the place down and keep getting invited back. My current school does quite well with Bay St placements so that’s not a motivating factor for me. It’s much more practical. I’m having to spend so much time in Toronto these days that it’s just becoming really expensive and time-consuming. I’m curious about the GPA requirement for transfer ins at your school. Any idea what that looks like? 

[uoftearsalumna]

2 hours ago, Lizagator said:

I’ve secured a Bay st job through 1L recruit so hopefully I can avoid burning the place down and keep getting invited back. My current school does quite well with Bay St placements so that’s not a motivating factor for me. It’s much more practical. I’m having to spend so much time in Toronto these days that it’s just becoming really expensive and time-consuming. I’m curious about the GPA requirement for transfer ins at your school. Any idea what that looks like? 

Considering you've secured a 1L position at a school that's not osgoode/uoft (congratulations, by the way!), I suspect your grades are quite strong (B+ average minimum). I think that's the threshold for transfer-ins at my school, but I don't know any. In terms of transferring out, keep up that average. Personal circumstances will factor but grades are the tie-breaker from what i've been told

Edited March 12, 2024 by uoftearsalumna