The Checklist for Starting at Western Law
You’ve accepted your offer to start law school at Western Law? Congratulations! The endless hours you must have put in to get to this point were worth it and whether you believe it yet or not, you’ve made the right choice!
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the number of in-person learning opportunities this upcoming school year, the following checklist captures the essential FAQs I had for starting school at Western (whether in-person or online).
- Locking in the Living Situation
A good starting point is Western’s official websites for on-campus residences and off-campus living. Upper-year residences fees are on the higher end, but are located in close proximity to campus and offer perks such as quiet study spaces in the building. Finding a rental home off-campus will require some research and planning, but will allow you to explore options in your budget and according to your housing needs.
In addition to the official websites, there are student-run Facebook groups, such as Off-Campus Housing at UWO and Roommates at UWO where students share rental and living information and listings.*
Here is a list of factors that may be helpful in determining housing:
- proximity to the law building
- access to public transit, walking routes or parking
- term of the lease (typically between 8–12 months)
- utilities and amenities available
- room size
- furniture provided
- housemates in shared living
*No formal endorsement of the sellers or listings on these pages intended. Please remember to take proper steps to verify the information on posts.
2. Acquaint yourself with the Commute
Western’s campus is big, but luckily the law school is only one cozy building. Most students choose to take public transit (as the London Transit Bus Pass is included as part of tuition) or walk to campus. There are many bus stops around campus, with three of them conveniently located around the law building, providing access to routes 2,10,27,34,31,33, and 93. Driving to campus is also convenient as there are a number of different parking lots close to the law building. To park on campus, however, you must purchase a permit.
3. Textbooks: The Book Store
All casebooks and most text materials required for courses are available for sale in the Book Store. Typically, course outlines specify which text materials are required and optional for the course. The Book Store at UWO is hidden in the basement of the University Community Centre. Currently, the Book Store is offering online orders and delivery of hard copies.
Some students also choose to purchase the text as a digital copy through the publisher’s website.
4. Familiarize yourself with OWL
Western Law uses an online interface called OWL where professors post all communication and course resources. It is also rich with other resources on writing and research help, discussion forums, Student Legal Society and international opportunities. To access the OWL site, you will use your Western log-in credentials. Although students are introduced to using the site at the start of the year, discovering the resources on OWL afterwards is primarily an independent exercise. Being mindful of these additional benefits will be helpful.
5. Capitalize on the Career Resources
The recruiting timeline in 1L is short and fast-paced. It takes time to become acquainted with how application procedures work in law school. Western Law holds information sessions to explain how the job-search process works closer to the applying period. As deadlines approach, these sessions have limited spots and become full very quickly. Given the quick turnaround time, it is optimal to have your cover letter and resume prepared in advance. Taking advantage of the one-on-one appointments offered by the Career and Professional Development Office (CPDO) to review your application materials early will help. In addition, signing up for your WERC (Western Employment Resource Centre)/12Twenty Career account earlier in the year will allow you to monitor job postings and recruiting events.
While the CPDO at Law will be able to offer law-specific advice, Western’s undergraduate career office also offers e-advising and mock interviews.
Adjusting to these aspects of law school and living at Western are rites of passage. The process of adjustment itself will be a fulfilling experience. Nonetheless, the time it took me to discover all these resources would be cut short if I had a checklist like this one. With this list as a starting point, you are geared up for a smooth transition to law school.
Goodluck on your new start!
