8 Reasons to Go to Law School at the University of Ottawa
To preface this article, I know that not everyone necessarily has a choice in where they study law. Frankly, even receiving one offer from a law school is a significant accomplishment! However, for those who are lucky enough to receive offers of acceptance from more than one law school, choosing where to study and spend three of the most incredibly challenging and rewarding years of your life, is a difficult choice nonetheless!
I remember just over a year ago facing the tough decision of where I wanted to pursue my law degree and wishing I had more insight into the options I was considering. I did not know much about the inner-workings of law school culture and how it differed between schools. As a new writer for Law School Life and Beyond, and the first one from the University of Ottawa, I am excited to share my experiences in Ottawa, shed some light on the incredible city, and help out some of the prospective students considering law school in Ottawa!
Before I begin, let me introduce myself briefly and share how I ended up where I am today. My name is Steph Lanz, and I am going into my second year at the University of Ottawa Common Law program. I grew up in Toronto and did my undergrad at Western University in London, Ontario, where I graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Specialization in Kinesiology. My journey to law school was anything but easy (which is a story for another post), but I am so happy I persevered and made it to tell you why I chose uOttawa, and you should too!
Without further ado, here are the top 8 reasons to attend the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
- Ottawa is a major city with lots to offer: If you are looking to live in a big city post-grad but not feel too overwhelmed, Ottawa is a perfect fit! Ottawa has so much to offer from the Supreme Court of Canada, the Byward Market, and the Rideau Centre Mall, to the downtown financial district filled with great restaurants, fitness studios and cafes. Most major spots are within a 10–20-minute walk from each other, although there is a brand new public transit system that makes it easy to get pretty much anywhere. There is always something new to do on weekends to keep life outside law school fun and exciting!
2. The law school location is amazing! The University of Ottawa is located steps away from residential areas, the mall, downtown, and parliament. There is an abundance of coffee shops to fuel your caffeine addiction within a 5-minute walk, and it’s easy to venture to your favourite spots in Ottawa during breaks in your class schedule. The law school is located right off the main street at the edge of the campus, so you don’t need to get lost with the undergrad crowd.
3. Highly renowned professors: Many of the professors at uOttawa are at the forefront of their fields of practice and have written the textbooks that we learned from. Not only are they highly intelligent and have years of experience in the very topics they lecture on, all my professors genuinely wanted to see us enjoy and succeed in law school. I felt supported by all the faculty and knew I was receiving a quality education from some of the top lawyers and professors in the country.
4. Large Class Size: uOttawa is the largest law school in Canada, with the largest number of students entering each year. For some, this may be a reason not to go to Ottawa, but I think there are many pros to having a large class size.
a. Although some people may want the tight-knit community feeling, the larger class size is great for people who don’t want to feel like they are in high school again. With a larger student body, there is no pressure to become friends with everyone you meet or be super social. I found that it allowed me to focus on my academics and not worry too much about the social scene. Nonetheless, many people still like to be social and party in their free time.
b. A larger student body means a more diverse student body. Students are diverse in their age, ethnicity, and race; there is great variety in the areas of law students want to pursue, as well as their academic backgrounds. I was exposed to so many interesting perspectives because my peers had greatly distinct experiences before law school.
5. Sections and Small groups: Though I just mentioned that the student body is quite large, in 1L uOttawa splits students into small groups and sections in which you have your core classes together. Each student takes one core class in a small group. The groups are 17–20 students, which is an excellent opportunity to get to know peers on a more personal level and make close friends. Sections are groups of approximately 75, in which you take the remainder of your classes together. Although it is still a large group, you spend significant time with these people, and it fosters a sense of community and familiarity among the large law school. I met some of my best friends in my section!
6. Collaborative Attitude: From my personal experience, I was pleasantly surprised at how collaborative the student body at uOttawa is. I felt almost no sense of competition among my peers, which made my 1L experience way more enjoyable. The stereotypes of highly competitive students may hold true at other schools. However, my peers at uOttawa were always more than happy to help each other out, send each other summaries, and check in on one another during busy weeks.
7. Well Connected Alumni: Although Ottawa is quite a few hours from Toronto, if you are interested in pursuing a career on Bay Street, uOttawa has plenty of dedicated alumni who have landed jobs all over Toronto. Many lawyers, alumni or not, stay connected and visit the school often to keep Ottawa students feeling up to date on Toronto recruitment and opportunities. As well, the legal community in Ottawa is greatly supportive, and lawyers are always happy to grab a coffee and chat with law students!
8. Self-Proposed Internships: Lastly, a super unique program that uOttawa offers to its students are self-proposed internships, which essentially allow students to intern in a legal setting and earn course credit for doing so. This opportunity is beneficial for getting hands-on experience, building your resume, and applying your knowledge from the classroom to real-life practice.
The list of reasons why uOttawa Law is a remarkable school goes on, but I will have to save that for another time. No matter where you study law, every school has so much to offer, and I encourage students to find and cherish those positive features during their time at law school!
