Ottawa vs. Western

[aspiring law student]

Hello fellow aspiring lawyers.

I am debating between Ottawa and Western. I am ultimately interested in working in criminal defense, specifically as a public defense attorney. 

I am well aware that Ottawa has a leverage due to its proximity and network with the government which may help getting clerkship at court and experience that may help me land a job at the government. However, I've heard from friends who have been to Ottawa for school that it is a rather boring city (relative to Toronto which is where I am from). I am looking forward to enjoying my law school years and I feel like Ottawa may not be the best in that regard. 

In contrast, Western seems to have a more chilling vibe that seems conducive in forming social networks. However, I know Western is big in Big Law which is an area that I am not interested at the moment. Even if I find interest in Big Law at law school, Ottawa seems to well rounded with good criminal and business law curriculum. Western also has a program that guarantees 1Ls summer jobs that could be leveraged in landing a job during articling or after graduation. 

I feel like Ottawa is better in terms of curriculum but it's 4 hours away from my family and friends. 

Would going to Ottawa be the better decision given my interests?

Thanks in advance. 

[BHC1]

If you fully intend on working as a “public defense attorney” in Ontario, I would suggest that you consider attending the law school that gives you the lowest possible debt burden (unless you’re independently wealthy). 

Getting a job with LAO or an affiliated clinic directly out of law school that pay in the $70k range is not guaranteed. I imagine salaries have gone up, but I recall classmates when I graduated being offered less than $40k for first year associate roles with sole practitioners and with very small criminal defence firms that primarily do LAO certificate work, when the starting Bay Street salary was $100k. 

Legal aid lawyers do amazing and important work, but they tend, on average, not to be rewarded financially for their contributions to the legal system. 

[scooter]

1 hour ago, aspiring law student said:

Would going to Ottawa be the better decision given my interests?

I'll offer an Ottawa perspective. My ultimate advice is that you should choose whichever school you'd feel more excited about. i.e., Don't force yourself to go to Ottawa because of the curriculum if everything else points toward Western. You can get into criminal law from any school.

Cost: This is an important factor as @BHC1 mentioned. However, I'm not sure either option here is significantly cheaper than the other.

City/social aspect: Ottawa may be a more "boring" city than Toronto, but so is London. Ottawa as a city has a lot more to do than London. As a school, Western does probably offer a better... social experience (But Ottawa students also have friends and do fun things. lol)

Curriculum: I do think you're right that Ottawa offers more criminal law courses than Western (I am basing this off the following link for Western, so if this is not the full offering, then maybe a Western student can chime in https://law.uwo.ca/future_students/jd_academic_programs/course_offerings.html). However, taking more criminal law courses is not going to make or break your career (although you may find it more interesting, and it wouldn't hurt either!). It's really about making the most of whatever criminal law opportunities you have at your school. Pursue your interest in criminal law through courses, clinics, clubs, summer jobs etc. and you'll be well-positioned to pursue a career in criminal law regardless of which school you choose.

Clerkships: I'll address this point because you raised it. I think this is a non-factor for your decision. I don't think Ottawa as a school offers any relative advantage for clerkships. To the extent that Ottawa students are overrepresented in clerkships compared to Western (not sure if they even are? but if so...), that would likely be because of bilingualism. Ottawa has a high number of bilingual students and being bilingual is an advantage for clerkships, particularly for federal courts and the SCC.