Hi, my name is Irene Lai and I am a third-year JD/MBA student at Osgoode Hall Law School and Schulich School of Business. This year, I am a Caseworker for the Osgoode Venture Capital Clinical Project (OVC), which provides legal services to early-stage entrepreneurial ventures in the financing and equity structuring stages of growth. What do Caseworkers in the Osgoode Venture Capital Clinical Project (OVC) do? Students in the OVC work as Caseworkers directly with lawyers from Wildeboer Dellelce LLP in providing legal assistance to OVC clients from September until the end of March. Depending on the clients’ needs, some of the legal tasks may include:
Additionally, there is a class-based component which involves readings and reflections on law, policy, and ethical issues for technology start-ups, ventures, and social enterprises. Students also engage in several best practices training sessions conducted by Wildeboer Dellelce lawyers. Why Should You Join the OVC? The OVC is a great opportunity to support entrepreneurial ventures that need assistance working through the legal issues and growing pains of taking their business to the next level. Being an OVC Caseworker allows students to gain hands-on experience in client communication, client consultations, drafting legal agreements, corporate finance, employment matters, technology, and operational matters. Through this clinic, students develop an understanding of the venture capital, equity structuring, early-stage investment and entrepreneurial landscape, as well as the perspectives of stakeholders (i.e., entrepreneurs, investors, advisors etc.) who play an integral role in the formation and capital raising activities of start-up entities. As an experiential education program, the OVC is a 4-credit course which counts for OPIR hours and satisfies the Praxicum requirement. Application Tips When crafting your statement of interest, you may want to think about:
Note that there are pre-requisites/co-requisites: Business Associations; Securities Regulation. At least one pre-requisite/co-requisite course must be taken during the fall semester, with the other during the winter term. Contact Information If you have any questions about the OVC or law school in general, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]. Every year, Canadian law firms descend on law schools across the country in search of qualified individuals to recruit, and every year thousands of law students scour the internet in search of that one silver bullet that will guarantee their selection. I wish I could tell you that silver bullet existed. It would definitely spare you of the anxiety fuelled roller-coaster ride that will be forthcoming. But although there is no list of actions you can take that will ensure you land a job, there are steps you can take that can maximize your chances of being successful and guarantee you peace of mind. Benjamin Franklin once said, “by failing to prepare, you prepare to fail.” The same is true for OCIs. The most important thing you can do is prepare. Your law school’s career development office should have plenty of sample questions like these that you can use to prepare for your interview. A good exercise to do when considering how you would respond to these questions is to reverse the roles and think about what you would be looking for in your response if you were conducting the interview. A great way to model your answer is using the STAR method. That is, when you are looking to answer a question, describe a Situation or event you were in that is relevant to the question. Explain the Task you had to complete. Outline the specific Action(s) you took to complete the task. Finally, close with the Result of your actions. By following this method, you are effectively demonstrating a skill or characteristic you possess that makes you a great candidate as opposed to just stating it. Having well prepared responses is crucial, but they are only as good as your delivery. It is important to rehearse your answers out loud. You can do this by having a friend conducting a mock interview or by yourself in front of a mirror. You want your body language to be natural and exude confidence. Remember, there is no magic answer or substantive criteria your interviewers are going to be looking for. Rather, they are looking to see how well you can communicate and think on your feet. Try to focus on eliminating any unconscious fidgeting and nervous ticks. Throughout your interviews, try to maintain eye contact and smile as appropriate. Lastly, regardless of the outcome, I urge you to remember that this process does not define you. It is but a grain of sand in the vast desert of opportunity that is your career. To even reach this point, you must be an extremely qualified individual and have accomplished a great many things. I cannot give you a silver bullet to guarantee you a summer job but what I can do is assure you that this process will only be a footnote in what will be a long and prosperous career. Throughout this process, if you need someone to blow off steam to or if you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. Wishing you all the best! By: Jitpal Singh During the summer of 2020, I worked with a team of four other students (Elif Babaoglu, Amanda LaBorde, Irene Lai, and Junghi Woo) to support Professor Garrick Apollon of the University of Ottawa, with a visual legal research project studying the film Black Code on Cybersecurity. It was a visual legal advocacy program brought to us by the Hennick Centre, in partnership with UDocs. Over the summer, the team worked on conducting research on big data. We worked together to create a published research document for what would ultimately become a CPD/CPE accredited course for legal and business professionals. In addition, we researched potential experts to depose on these findings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this experience as I had the opportunity to explore the legal realm of privacy, technology and big data law. Watching the documentary, to analyzing and answering questions associated with the need for reform in this field was intellectually stimulating. Prior to this UDocs experience, I had shown an interest in the field through a course I took named Legal Values: Law, Ethics and Social Media. My research paper was on catfishing and the need for reform in the area of law. A take-away that stayed with me is the overlap between privacy breaches and freedom of expression that lags behind in the area of internet law. So, when students are stressing about what to do in their 0L/1L summer, I would strongly encourage them to seek “non-traditional” opportunities as such. Those interested in the field of Visual Legal Advocacy can always contact UDocs directly. There is much to learn in the legal field that is constantly evolving, and with the changing nature of society – do not be disheartened if plan A does not play out. By: Karen Randhawa Introduction Hi, my name is Michelle, and I am in my second year of law school, at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, and the University of Detroit Mercy, School of Law. I am a candidate for the Canadian and American dual Juris Doctor, 2022. Why did you choose the law school you went to? The Dual JD program is one of its kind in North America, as it is the only comparative program that allows students to earn two law degrees in three years. Though it is a demanding program, it is definitely worth it. The program trains law students to navigate diverse legal systems in our global environment. To build this skill is what appealed to me the most about the Dual JD program. With a unique advantage in the multijurisdictional study of law, I am sure I will be well prepared to tackle the various legal challenges faced by governments, private entities, non-profits, and individuals within a domestic and international legal environment. What do you like about your law school? Beyond its transnational focus, I was drawn to the Dual JD program for its unique experiential learning opportunities. Last semester, I participated in the Criminal Trial Clinic, where I conducted client intake interviews and defended clients at pre-trial conferences on matters such as probationary reviews, at the 36th District Court, in Detroit, Michigan. Though we faced several challenges of working from home within a pandemic, with the support of my professors, colleagues, and supervisors, I was able to effectively adapt to zoom court. I independently interviewed clients in virtual breakout rooms and prepared my advocacy strategy minutes before going on the record. I once represented an individual who had violated her probation due to outstanding fines and fees. By understanding the root of the issue being her financial incapability, I succeeded in converting her fees into community service hours she could manage. This experience significantly strengthened my advocacy skills. I also look forward to participating in the mandatory Law Firm Program at Detroit Mercy, which provides students with work assignments and professional skills development that mimics what first-year lawyers would experience at law firms or other organizations. The opportunity to gain such hands-on work experience throughout our course of study is what I like the most about my program. What’s it like to live there? Coming from the GTA, I found Windsor to be a calmer and quieter city. It was definitely nice to have the Detroit river and the view of the Detroit skyline only a few steps away from campus. Most restaurants and amenities are also a walking distance from campus. Though Windsor is a medium-sized city, because it is next to the border, there is quick access to sports and concerts in a big city like Detroit. The law school on the American side is also near the riverfront, hence, an easy commute from Windsor Law. Favourite law school related activity? / Favourite class so far? My favourite law school related activity are moot competitions. I enjoy the whole process of mooting from critically analyzing a problem, researching relevant legislation and case law, writing a persuasive factum, and then fiercely advocating my stand to a panel of judges. My favourite class in law school was in fact my comparative legal writing and research one. After excelling in this class, I realized my passion for oral advocacy and litigation. I hence achieved a position on Detroit Mercy’s Moot Court Board of Advocates. Apart from competing in an internal appellate moot competition, I judged he first-years’ moot competition and coached students to help them enhance their oral arguments. I hope to continue mooting while I’m still at law school. If people have more questions about your program, how can they contact you? Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn! I am more than happy to talk about my experiences, law school, Windsor, and general advice! In the fall, I had the opportunity to speak on Professor Haigh's podcast "What's Law Got to Do With It?" featuring my mentor, Felicity Radan. I shared my experience of knowing from the outset that I wanted to be a business lawyer, with a heightened interest in tax law. This interest sparked in undergrad through my fourth year Income Taxation course. However, in law school there are a lot of individuals who have no idea what they want to practice upon graduation, and that's totally fine. No one expects you to have it all figured out! I, myself, would like to explore the field of business law in more depth in my upper years. My biggest piece of advice for incoming students trying to navigate law school is to be open to new experiences. There may be a course or experiential learning experience that reshapes what you want to do with the rest of your life, and that's okay. A year ago, I was not in the JD/MBA program. It was not originally in my ten year plan. However, being a student in this program has really helped me grow intellectually through taking courses I was not able to during undergrad. It's been an enriching experience, and I can't wait to see what's in store next in my law school journey. By: Karen Randhawa After I was asked to write this piece for Legally Brown, I spent a long time thinking about my experience with the 1L recruit and what tips I could share that would be valuable to other students. If you are looking for specific and substantive advice regarding resumes, cover letters and interviews- you won’t find it here. In my opinion, law schools and firms have already put out a ton of great resources to help you craft your applications and move through the interview process. I think almost everyone applying now knows they need to work on a compelling narrative, and check, double check and triple check their applications for grammatical errors. Instead, I’m choosing to highlight a few concepts you can use to change how you think about the recruitment process. In my view, developing a growth mindset is equally as important as the substantive work you put in for your applications. 1. Shoot your shot and do it unapologetically. If you see yourself working in the Toronto market or it’s an option you would like to explore, apply during the 1L recruit. I have received far too many messages asking me about grades and what I think is competitive. It’s a fair question, everyone wants to set realistic expectations for themselves, but grades are not everything. If your grades are not where you would like them to be, commit to doing better, but don’t count yourself out. The story you tell, and your unique mix of experiences may be exactly what a firm is looking for. More importantly, you have to believe you are the best applicant for the job before you can convince anyone else. In my opinion, you cannot write an effective cover letter or draft a great resume without that level of confidence. 2. Redefine failure and success It is important to recognize how much value you can extract from the 1L recruit just by simply applying. If you don’t get any interviews, at least you were able to test your materials, and now you will undoubtedly know that there is room for improvement. You will have more than enough time to take proactive steps to ensure you are competitive in the future. If you do land an interview, consider the recruit a success. You can confidently assume your resume, cover letter and grades contributed to an effective mix. Going through even a single round of interviews will provide incredible practical experience, an opportunity to gain rich feedback from your interviewers, and quality networking that you will be able to leverage down the line. 3. Enjoy the process Working on applications while juggling course work isn’t a great time, but interviews can be! It is not every day you get to talk to incredible lawyers and gain a candid perspective into a variety of law firms and practice groups. Focusing on the experience and not the outcome is also a great way to settle your nerves and ultimately perform better. Regardless of how the week ends, you will be equipped with valuable insights you can use to inform decisions during law school, life as a law student and future recruits. Why I Chose Dentons: I chose Dentons primarily for three reasons. First, the Firm has two things I never imagined could co-exist together; a massive global presence with all of the advantages that come from having offices in major markets across the world, and an incredibly cohesive and collegial work environment. When I spoke to lawyers, what stood out to me wasn’t the things they said about their practices. Instead, it was how they spoke about their colleagues. I later realized this collegiality also exists between different national and international offices. Second, when I went through the 1L recruit I had no idea what area of law I wanted to pursue. That’s why Dentons’ structured (but flexible) summer program was also very appealing to me. Dentons does a great job at providing students with a huge range of opportunities and helping them explore the many different facets of legal work. The Firm provides students with the opportunity to rotate through six different practice groups as well as secondment options. I still don’t know what I want to do, but I’m grateful to be able to experience a variety of practices at a truly full-service firm. Finally, I’m incredibly proud of the Firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. 2020 forced many organizations to have uncomfortable conversations surrounding racism and discrimination. At Dentons, we had several: amongst the cohort of summer students, across the Toronto office, nationally and globally. I felt the Firm was actively listening at all levels and was serious about implementing change. A great example of this commitment is the Firm’s new Student Recruitment Playbook. Dentons is structuring their interviews to level the playing field. This includes introducing standardized questions and building in breaks to slow down the process and eliminate biases. The new recruitment process is focused on finding alignment through an applicant’s skills, competencies, and values. If you have any further questions regarding recruits or Dentons’ summer student program, connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message. My name is Monique Cheema, and I am a third-year student at Osgoode Hall Law School. This year, I had the opportunity to work as a legal intern at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic through the Feminist Advocacy: Ending Violence Against Women Clinical Program. Students that are a part of this clinic have the amazing opportunity to assist womxn and womxn-identifying individuals with a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive approach to varying legal issues around gender-based violence like immigration, criminal, and family law matters. What kind of experiences are available to students at the clinic? The clinic is typically divided with different assignments each semester. In my first semester, I assisted with legal intake with clients which involved completing intake forms, providing referrals with lawyers at the clinic, and follow-up research for community referrals. This was an incredibly eye-opening experience with many of our clients in precarious circumstances exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This semester, I am working with a lawyer at the clinic and assisting with case files including client interviews, assisting with application and potentially assisting with broader legal advocacy pieces facilitated within the clinic. In addition to the clinic hours, we have an amazing co-curricular seminar led by Professor Janet Mosher, Deepa Mattoo (the Executive Director of the clinic) and other guest lecturers who facilitate theoretical and reflexive considerations of feminist advocacy like access to justice, client-centered lawyering and ethics. Why Should You Join the Feminist Advocacy Clinic? By far this was the best opportunity I have had the privilege of experiencing during law school. You will develop your substantive legal skills, including client management, research and drafting within the framework of doing significant work for and with survivors of gender-based violence. Beyond the practical benefits of this clinic, you will develop a more critical framework towards the practice of lawyering which will make you a better advocate for your future clients. Finally, you have the opportunity to work with amazing people at the clinic who will inspire and motivate you with their passion for this work. This clinic is an essential for individuals seeking a meaningful and enriching experiential learning opportunity. Application Tips I think the most important aspect of the application process is to demonstrate a genuine interest in the work of the clinic and the broader notion of feminist advocacy. For instance, be sure to highlight any past experiences working with vulnerable populations or within the sphere of advocacy. Finally, discuss any transferable skills or extracurriculars that may be relevant to this position. Contact Information If you have any questions about the Feminist Advocacy clinic or law school in general, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]. Hi there, my name is Raman Gill and I am a third-year student at Osgoode Hall Law School. During 2L, I had the opportunity to be a caseworker with the Innocence Project at Osgoode. Students that enroll in the Innocence Project have the ability to create meaningful change within the criminal justice system and assist in advocating for those who have been wrongfully convicted. What do students at Innocence Project do? Students enrolled in the Innocence Project engage in a wide variety of tasks and different types of files. The file work varies year to year, and students have the opportunity to work both individually and in teams depending on the nature of the work. Some examples of the work includes file review, which consists of examining key pieces of evidence and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the file. Students also have the ability to assist in drafting and researching key components of their file. Other aspects of file work can include constitutional challenges, advocacy projects and special legal reform work. Students also assist with project administration and dealing with the day-to-day operation of the Innocence Project. This includes client correspondence and intake from potential clients, amongst many other tasks. Why Should You Join the Innocence Project? I highly encourage all Osgoode students to apply to the Innocence Project! Not only will you be able to gain valuable skills and experiences, but you’ll be able to engage in important legal work. The work that students do with the Innocence Project makes a direct impact in the lives of Canadians and the legal system. Students have the chance to develop an understanding of the causes of wrongful convictions, and learn about criminal procedure and systemic factors within the criminal justice system that may contribute to a miscarriage of justice. The Innocence Project is an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience within the realm of criminal law. You also get the chance to further enhance your legal writing, researching and critical-thinking abilities, all essential skills that are foundational to your future career. Application Tips I believe the most important aspect to demonstrate in your application is your genuine interest in either criminal law or the work that the Innocence Project does. Show your passion and your desire to learn. Make sure to include any work experiences you may have in the field of criminal law and any personal interests that will make you stand out. The Innocence Project engages with a great deal of difficult and complex cases. It would be great to include anything that relates to this type of work. This can include your background in community involvement and extracurriculars to demonstrate any potential transferable skills. Contact Information If you have any questions about the Innocence Project or law school in general, please feel free to reach out at [email protected]. You’re either about to begin or in the middle of your LSAT journey. It’s a difficult test, but let the record state it is learnable one. My top advice for any aspiring law student who is writing the LSAT is to Blind Review (“BR”). I first heard about BR-ing from 7Sage. You can learn more about 7Sage here, and more about their BR method here.
Now, I’m going to break down how I did it.
Okay, now for the long version. First, you want to pick a PT. If you're writing a digital version, flag any question you weren't 100% confident about. If you're writing it on paper, circle the question. Second, when you finish you do not want to check your answers. If you did poorly, you will be de-motivated and we want to avoid that as much as possible. Third, take some time away from the test, but not too much. Enough to be able to BR effectively, but not so much that you forget the reasoning you used to answer the questions. Ideally, remembering why you picked a wrong answer is an invaluable asset during BR. Knowing your reasoning allows you to fix your workflow. Hence, I don’t recommend taking too much time off between writing and ‘BR-ing’ the PT. Fourth, this exercise of writing out your answers will reveal if you are actually rationalizing your way to an answer choice or if you’re going off a feeling. It will expose problem areas and help you solidify your reasoning. In my experience it has been the most effective exercise for LSAT review. When I started I would BR the whole test. This is a time consuming task. I did about three or four tests like this. Then I would only BR the questions I got wrong and the questions I flagged. Fifth, while BR-ing, keep an eye out for questions or patterns of errors. If you identify that sufficient condition questions are a weak area for you, then you will know what to review in the days following BR and preceding your next PT. Finally, find sample problems from a LSAT textbook, a LSAT-course booklet, 7Sage, or from old PTs. Hone in on your workflow and really drill your weak areas. Make adjustments to your workflow where needed. This is an excerpt from a free e-book I recently published. I provide my key tips and strategies for the Canadian law school application. You can download it here. By: Harman Bath
I wish you the very best this interview season. If you would like to chat, just connect here! By: Jasmeen Kabuli. |
Legally BrownThree Osgoode Hall Law students sharing their lived experiences and providing *unsolicited* advice. Archives
December 2021
Categories
All
|