Things You Should Know Before Starting at Western Law

Congratulations & Welcome to Western!

To start, there’s nothing specific you need to prepare before going to law school, all you had to do was get in (and write the LSAT, and graduate, and spend a lot of time, money and energy on your applications)! However, you can’t really prepare anything in advance that would give you a huge advantage. What you learn will be catered to what your professors will teach.

I read “The Law School Book: Succeeding at Law School” by Allan Hutchinson and “How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School” by Kathryne M. Young, which helped with understanding some of the basic terms. If you have the time then go for it, but reading those books by no means gave me any advantage in 1L.

Housing:

Housing in London is cheaper than you would see in Toronto, but there are large ranges in prices and locations. If you want to live in a 1-bedroom apartment, then you’re likely looking at a higher price range of about $1000-$1500 a month. Roommates, like in any other city, bring down the price per month significantly.

Western also has on campus housing for upper year students which is a great option. Apartments seem to be a popular option for law students and there are also many ways to find roommates, such as by joining an existing housing group and more.

Check out Facebook groups, such as Western Off-Campus Housing as well as Western’s own Off Campus Housing website. You can also post in the 2024 law student group and inquire about roommates!

Getting to Campus — Bus Routes:

There are many ways to get to campus, and busses usually are a large part. Many people bike (don’t forget to bring a lock), walk, drive, etc. A bus pass is included in your tuition, so you may as well get to using it!

The most popular bus routes for students are the 2, 102, 6, 106, and 13. The 102 and 106 are added during the school year due to increased student demand, and they follow the same line as the 2 and 6. The 13 goes between Masonville Mall and White Oaks Mall.

The closer you live to campus, the harder it can be to get on the bus as the routes usually get full at the Richmond and Talbot stop/Wharncliffe and Talbot stops. There are many more bus routes, these just host the most number of students.

Things you may need/helpful items:

- A suit/professional outfit with a blazer: With things opening up and the potential for in-person events, you’ll need to dress the part of a future lawyer. At the very least, you’ll want a blazer for zoom calls, zoom events, networking opportunities, recruitment interviews, and moots.

- A monitor: This is very helpful with online classes as well as organizing notes.

- A functional computer: You will most likely write your exams on a laptop, so make sure you have one that is working as this is your responsibility. Most professors will allow computers for note taking, but it is helpful to bring a pen and paper on the first day just in case.

• If you like reusable note taking options, try rocket book (which is a reusable notebook that allows you to scan the notes to your computer using your phone).

- A printer: This is not mandatory, but it is extremely helpful for printing notes, assignments, etc. There also are printers on campus and in the law building.

- A textbook stand: This really helps so that when you are typing up your notes, you are not straining your neck. It really helped me, and was a cheap alternative to a standing desk.

Studying + Exams:

Everyone (including myself) would recommend to start preparing for exams early. You will soon learn how to create summaries and will hear enough about all of this soon, so don’t stress out yet. I didn’t really understand all of this until halfway through the first semester. Long story short, exams are open book in law school so you will want to make sure that your notes are clearly organized and easily accessible come exam day. I liked to have my summaries finished before the exam period, so that I could re-read them and do practice exams. This strategy doesn’t work for everyone and other students may have a different system that works best for them.

It is helpful to note that exams in first semester are worth less so that if you don’t do as well as you’d hoped, then there is plenty of time to improve. This also gives you the opportunity to adjust your study/exam taking strategies.

As mentioned before, there are many ways to study for exams. I got the advice to study backwards and start with the last exam to the first exam, so by the time you get to the first exam you’re freshly prepped, and when you hit the halfway burn out point, at least you have a solid chunk of the work complete and are not starting from scratch. Once again, this did not work for everyone, but I enjoyed this approach.

Most importantly, ignore what everyone else is doing. We all study differently, at different paces, and in different ways.

Manage your Stress and your Time:

Do things that you enjoy, not just what you think might look good!

Don’t give up on things that you enjoy doing just because you are in law school. Find a hobby or something that can keep you calm (that is outside of Netflix or working out). I started doing paint-by-numbers while listening to an e-book, because I’m not creative enough to paint and I liked just mindlessly following the instructions. It helps to have something menial to do.

Remember that your readings will never end, so schedule whatever amount of time you need to do the work and then take a break or else you will work non-stop.

Some Final Thoughts:

- Be respectful: You’ll hear this advice day one, but remember that the legal profession is small and everyone you are in class with now are your future peers. Be respectful.

- Law school is hard: No one around you will really understand the complexities of law school. There is always a lot to juggle at once; it is a lot of new content being taught in new ways, which can be frustrating at times. It will all come together before exams, even if it feels like a marathon. Your professors will make sure of that.

- Use upper year students: Upper year students (and your JPs/orientation leaders) are so willing to help you. They have notes from previous years, which can be really useful. Don’t be afraid to get help! Lean on Wellness services, the Career office, upper year students, etc.