This time of year is the busiest. Apart from the holiday spirit, law students are currently writing high-stake final exams. For most of my courses at law school, my exams are worth 100% of my final grade. I made a TikTok to share how I am currently preparing for my Taxation Law exam. In addition to this video, I would highly recommend forming study groups with people in your classes! It's always nice to discuss tax policies with my peers, I know I can count on a few people in my class. Contact your professor for office hours for questions that you have. Do practice problems/ practice exams as well - since law exams are generally about applying principles, statutes and case law. Getting into these habits will help structure your studying! Good luck everyone! As a dual degree student, seeing your peers who started law school at the same time as you undergo OCIs and other recruits and settle into their legal placement while your second summer. I was proud to see my friends doing fantastic things with their legal career early on - each person in my immediate friend group was thriving (quite literally all nine of them landed positions that were well suited for a 2L summer position, and have accepted articling positions at fantastic places and I can’t wait to see what their journeys have in store for them).
As a result, at the back of my mind I didn’t want my 1L summer to be a bust. I wanted to diversify my experiences and maximize output. I ensured that this summer I kept busy and tried to gain experience in different areas of the law. Was that the best use of my time? Absolutely. Another summer impacted by lockdowns, COVID-19 impacts, the emphasis was to continue to motivate myself to learn and grow as an individual. I worked four different jobs in the field of business law, securities litigation, employment law, and estate law! Of these experiences, I would like to reflect on my time at Epilogue Wills (“Epilogue”). First and foremost, it started on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has been an ally in learning more about what people do with a JD/MBA education. Alumni from my school have curated careers that range from strictly business-focused positions to a variety of law-based roles. This time I found lawyers who combined the two - working in estate law but not as lawyers, as tech entrepreneurs. It sounded like quite a different experience since it related to a legal tech based startup which simplifies the process of will-making for Canadians. Sidebar - If you’re reading this and are above the age of majority, you should definitely look into getting a will for your assets. If you’re a student and think you don’t need a will, think about your social media accounts - there is a will for that - the social media will! Back to my story, I applied via email and thought to myself that it would be really cool to work in an entrepreneurial environment where both co-founders are lawyers! The culture Culture is key. It can make or break your experience and drive. Being surrounded by individuals who treat you like a valued team member even if you’re the most junior person at the company/ firm can set the tone and vary the experience from if that was not the case. The best place to get a feel for culture is in the interview. The first impression of speaking with potential team member(s) and expectations is why I enjoy partaking in interviews to learn more about the goal of the company and people who work there. The interview was a conversation! I got to learn about both co-founders and the company, as they learned about me. When they extended me the offer - I accepted immediately! I was immersed in the company’s culture through meeting the rest of the team and being in constant dialogue with team members based on my tasks. The co-founders, as busy as they were expanding the business across Maritime provinces, were only a Slack message away when it came to meeting with me to provide me with feedback on the tasks I did. It really aligned with theories I learned in Organizational Behaviour about the ideal environment to work in! The co-founders always asked if I had the ability to enjoy the nice weather, partake in summer activities and make time for myself. They made sure I was not overburdened, which was greatly appreciated from the standpoint as a student who may not know if the work they are doing is ever enough and up to par with the standards. Even as a student, the co-founders asked for my take on the law after conducting research - I felt like a valued member and got comfortable with discussing the law outside of a classroom. What did my role look like? My role consisted of two major responsibilities: legal research and blog writing. The legal research component sounded daunting at first, since there was an end of term project associated with it. However, when I was assigned this topic - I would get subsumed with conducting research and comparative analysis that I wouldn’t even notice the time flying by. I worked with the co-founder to showcase my findings, discuss legal opinions and continue to contribute to my end of term project. Blog writing combined my interest in the law and writing - sound familiar? It differed slightly from my experience here at Legally Brown since the emphasis was on specific topics such as Notary publics and will making. I also improved my SEO writing, and received feedback and direction directly from the Director of Content. Whichever task I received, I never felt like I was abandoned or doing an ancillary piece - it felt like I had a voice and my opinion mattered. I enjoyed the level of autonomy as well and definitely had a positive experience. So for those individuals who have an opportunity to work at a start-up I say embark on it! You will learn a lot more than technical skills. My love for estate law I had an inclination towards corporate transactional work since undergrad - based on the mere specialization and my gravitation towards accounting and finance based courses. This carried through in the MBA. However, there is overlap between the aforementioned disciplines and estate law in Personal Finance. That course taught me the importance of wills and estate planning not for myself but the impact and ease it would have for my loved ones. Besides that, everything substantive I learned was on the job - so by no means are the courses prerequisites. I had a crash course in wills and estate law taught by the co-founders in the beginning of my internship. Working at the Epilogue this summer showcased the dynamic nature of the law - the digitization of witnessing, the accessibility in creating wills from one’s home, and the impending changes in legislation globally. Conclusion My 1L summer was definitely a boom. A second summer of “non-traditional'' big law allowed me to choose my own adventure through different types of roles in the legal industry and apply the knowledge/ skills I obtained from my education thus far. I’m really excited to see what this school year has in store for me and where my journey takes me next summer. By: Karen Randhawa As someone who has spent almost a fourth of their academic experience (5 years of 20 years of schooling) at Schulich, I have had the opportunity to take courses in different realms (believe me, in business school, taking a course outside of your specialization is akin to entering an unknown universe).
I have just finished up my 1st full year of the MBA program, where 9 of my 10 courses were electives. To some this may seem like a breeze - spoiler alert it was not. Elective courses at the graduate level will require you to put in the effort (and lots of it). Top 5 Electives You Should Take as a JD/MBA My career aspirations have always been geared towards a career in corporate work, so take these recommendations with a grain of salt. I am also an individual who enjoys quantitative courses (feel free to message me about very technical Finance and Accounting courses if that’s something you’re interested in). For Finance specific courses, I would highly recommend Financial Management (FINE 6100) and Investments (FINE 6200) - but that’s a post for another time. These recommendations are more aligned with an overlap and utility as a career in corporate law based on the things we learned. Personal Finance (FINE 6050) This course is highly recommended for any student. Personal Finance literacy is absolutely crucial, we covered topics from credit cards to mortgages, from tax planning to wills. With respect to why I think it’s good for lawyers, Professor Jamie Golombek does a phenomenal job with bringing guest speakers to share their experience in the industry. Two topics that I found particularly relevant for future lawyers, whether you’d like to practice tax or family law, was the Wills & Estate lecture and tax planning. During these two lectures, I felt as if I was back at Osgoode - the lectures made many references to cases to drill in the importance of having a will and the tax implications of these decisions. Law school courses that would likely complement this course: Estates, Family Law, Taxation and Trusts Mergers and Acquisitions (SGMT 6050) Getting into this course was a challenge, the waitlist filled up within hours of the course being announced because it was being taught by Professor Graeme Deans. A seasoned expert in the consulting industry, being able to learn from him is a gift for a lack of better words. The course was structured based on the phases of an M&A deal (Structuring the Deal, Negotiating and Valuation, Day One, and Integration). For aspiring corporate lawyers, it is important to understand current deals and the role of all professionals and stakeholders involved in the process. In every class, course material was contextualized through case studies, providing us the opportunity to apply and critically analyze. Class engagement and discussion were also promoted through break out sessions which helped students bounce ideas off of each other. Provided that M&A is a large corporate group on Bay Street, this course is greatly recommended for anyone interested in this practice area as they will be equipped with knowledge about the work that goes into these deals and important considerations of thinking as a business professional to augment your legal skills in the future. Law school courses that would likely complement this course: Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Business Associations, Commercial Law, Contracts II, Intellectual Property Law, Labour and Employment Law, Legal Drafting, Securities Law, Taxation Law Venture Capital and Private Equity (ENTR 6910) Admittedly, I was hesitant to take a course in the Entrepreneurship department due to my lack of experience in the field and how daunting the course name seemed. However, looking back I am grateful that I took this course as it truly has opened a new door of possibilities with respect to the field of Venture Capital and Private Equity. My Instructor, Stuart Browne, and Course Administrator Amelia Dookhee are actively involved in the Venture Capital world in Canada through Pycap Venture Partners. This course emphasized the role of lawyers in practice through Term Sheets and provided me with a solid foundation of Venture Capital & Private Equity funds - from their structure, strategy and trends in the industry. Learning about different exit strategies, new methods of equity crowdfunding and beta testing a product ensured the relevance and updated nature of the industry. A class that was my particular favorite was hearing Dragon Vincenzo Guzzo share his experience as an Angel investor. Law school courses that would likely complement this course: Business Associations, Contracts II, Legal Drafting, Securities Law, and Taxation Law Power and Politics in Organizations (ORGS 6400) The title is what attracted me to take this course, I wanted to know more about how organizations function. My professor was the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Ena Chadha. Learning from a lawyer in business school has its own perks as they are aptly placed to analyze issues from business and legal lenses simultaneously. This course was very attuned to social issues and how to address them as a future business leader. From role playing exercises to class discussions, it was always interesting to hear everyone’s experience in various organizations. The readings were very relevant and with the times. This course taught conflict resolution strategies, equity sensitivity and developing oneself as a leader in today’s diverse work environments. I would highly encourage any student to take this course to challenge the status quo and learn more about your political skills to augment your career trajectory. Law school courses that would likely complement this course: Civil Liberties, Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Law, Indigenous Perspectives and Realities, Individual Employment Relationship, International Human Rights Law, Labour Arbitration, Labour & Employment Law, Legal Ethics, Meditation Clinic, and Transnational Corporations & Human Rights Negotiations (ORGS 6560) Prior to taking this course, from what I could recall from the Moot I took part in last year, I thought negotiations were adversarial. Negotiations was a challenging course because it necessitates self reflection in order to change our natural inclination to turn adversarial and instead adopt a new way of approaching problems. Dr. Cheryl Rivers was always happy to share her experience, assisting students if they had any questions on dealing with specific behaviours that stopped them from negotiating the optimal solution. The applications of this course have already paid dividends with respect to Negotiating competitions early this year, which without this course I would not have frankly considered participating in. Law school courses that would likely complement this course: Lawyer as a Negotiator, and Trial Advocacy Differences between Law School and Business School Law school is generally more exam focused, with higher stake exams (anywhere from 50% to 100% weighted finals). Not many group or partner projects during my 1L year (I think I may have had two partner projects), although this was before Zoom Law School and accordingly, this may have changed in upper years. In business school, course work and mark allocation can differ greatly, whether it be specialization specific or dependent on the professor teaching the course. There is a lot more emphasis on group work, so be ready to have Zoom meetings before and after class to delegate tasks, perform check-ins and collaborate for the final product. Most of my courses had a participation component to the grade distribution. This meant more than turning on your camera, it meant using the raise hands function to share your thoughts, demonstrate knowledge and speak about the topics at hand. I liked this component, not because I participate avidly in terms of speaking, but I learned how to actively listen to my classmates. Being on the less experienced side of the class, I liked hearing about how my peers have seen these theories in practice, what worked, what didn’t and where they felt further research should be allocated to improve the function of organizations. It was also a way of expanding my network, meeting people virtually through these open format discussions and various breakout rooms. I found that my colleagues in the MBA came from very diverse backgrounds, from geographic regions to career trajectories and identity - which truly made it seem like we were in a global classroom in a way. If you’re enrolled in the MBA program and you would like to ask questions about course selection, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] or send me a message on LinkedIn. I’m happy to help! By: Karen Randhawa 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 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. I hate to be the one to bring up grades during the holiday season, but with January creeping up, I think it would be good to share my experience with grade release. At Osgoode, we receive our grades a few weeks into January and it can be a very anxious time for many. For those hoping to participate in OCIs, there’s a lot riding on these grades, especially for 1Ls. Looking back, I remember thinking that these grades would determine my success in law school and I put a lot of weight on them. In doing so, I set myself up for disappointment. I won’t lie, the 1L grade release was very difficult for me. Retrospectively there are so many things I would have done differently. Here are something to keep in mind when getting your grades back:
It is completely normal to struggle with your mental health during grade release (especially during COVID). If you are willing, feel free to reach out to your school’s counselling services or peer support. There are many resources across campus that can really help out. Believe in yourself and fearlessly learn from your mistakes. By Lucinda Chitapain Perspective and Positivity. It’s easy to get pigeonholed when you’re surrounded by people who were top of their class as well, have work experience, and may seem to have their lives together. But you have to remember that you also have a lot of great and valuable experiences under your belt. You are here for a reason and rightfully belong here. Focus on your academic success and work at your own pace. Don’t feel compelled to do what others are doing. If you have a studying method that works for you, follow it. If you like taking notes in a certain way, follow it. Be confident in yourself and your abilities!
Dream Plan Do → You will realize that work in law school can pile up quickly. It is crucial that you establish some sort of plan and routine that works best for you. Whether it be studying for a final exam or writing up an essay, having a plan helps keep yourself accountable and organized. If you’re not much of a planner, that’s alright. A plan does not necessarily mean an hourly schedule. For some of you, it may mean that you note down key deadlines on your calendar. At the beginning of the semester, it helps to go through each class syllabus and add the deadlines on your calendar. For those of you who like to see a detailed plan, make an hourly schedule and break down each step of a project. It is important to be realistic with your plans. If you know that you will be in class all day, don’t plan on doing a big assignment that day. Do your own thing. Study sessions, firm tours, pub nights, club events - there are so many things going on all the time. You might feel like you aren’t doing everything that everyone is doing which is probably true. Choose what you actually want to do rather than forcing yourself to try to do the humanly impossible. Karen: If I could restart 1L, I would tell myself to volunteer more. At Osgoode, we have a graduation requirement called OPIR hours. It’s similar to the Ontario high school requirement of completing 40 hours of volunteering but within the legal realm. Finding a consistent placement with fixed hours such as Veena and Luci seems like great experience they have earned and early exposure. I began to improve this during summer to volunteer for legal projects, from OJEN, AODA, to UDocs, not just for OPIR but to make a contribution in society. Veena: If I could hop in a time machine and take it back to the beginning of 1L, I would tell myself to take advantage of all opportunities. Early in 1L, I started to buckle down and focus on doing well in my courses. While getting good grades is important, in hindsight, I realize that I missed out on some important parts of the law school experience. Now that 2L is likely going to be fully online, I especially regret not going to social events such as pub nights, club events, Mock Trial, etc. Lucinda: I would like to be corny and say that there’s nothing I would change about my 1L experience. But looking back, there are a few things I wish I didn’t do. As we’ve said multiple times throughout our blog posts, it is important not to compare yourself. Of course, that is something easier said than done. I remember the first few months of law school being very intimidated by my classmates. There were a couple of times when someone would show me their summary or their notes and mine would look completely different. I would stress and felt like I was doing everything wrong. But that isn’t true. Everyone has their own approach to studying and writing assignments. That is now something that I remind myself of all the time. I also regret not taking advantage of office hours. While all of our profs had set office hours and were always open to answering our questions, I never reached out. Instead, if I had a question or was confused, I would turn to my friends (which is also great) or waste hours trying to understand. By second semester, I will admit, I became a lot more comfortable with asking questions. When COVID hit, I realized how resourceful professors are and how important it was to reach out. As I go through 2L and 3L, I will continue to turn to profs for help. They really aren’t that scary! Your first-year of law school can be quite stressful. Before you know it, you will be getting ready to write that big final paper or exam and feel overwhelmed. This feeling is completely normal and everyone has gone through these struggles. I can’t say that I’ve mastered the art of stress management but here are some things I found really helped me ease the stress during my first-year at Osgoode.
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Legally BrownThree Osgoode Hall Law students sharing their lived experiences and providing *unsolicited* advice. Archives
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