Blogiday

I have been on a blog holiday of sorts recently--taking time from blogging and other pursuits to grade a mountain of exams. And no, this is not a picture of my foot. Or my computer.

I am finally nearing the end of grading, though, so hopefully I will be back in the blog saddle very soon. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.

Some interesting Canadian law school news of late:

Senior women lawyers 'vastly underrepresented'
Law Times, Canada - 18 Dec 2006
Currently, 56 per cent of law school graduates are women and those high numbers have been around for quite a few years, but as McCarthy Tétrault LLP's ...

Michael Geist's year-end roundup
p2pnet.net, Canada - 18 Dec 2006
L is for the LSAT, the standardized test required for admission to virtually every law school in Canada. The LSAT attracted heated criticism after it was ...

The power and relevance of Ojibway sacred stories
News@UofT, Canada - 22 Nov 2006
Johnston was the first female aboriginal law student and first aboriginal law professor at the Faculty of Law. She is featured in a special Women ...

Watch YouTube video and help find killer
Electric New Paper - 6 hours ago
VIDEO-SHARING website YouTube has now become an unconventional crime-fighter in Canada, triggering alarms over police intrusion. This still image from a one-minute video upload on the YouTube website by Canadian police shows people entering a bar in ...

Fly in Water Bottle case overturned

there is justice after all

Tony Merchant is an inspiration

Residential Schools settlement approved.

Video about Stupid Law Students...
Part 1:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=N0UN_ZIaYjQ

Part 2:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3K9uGmvw8cg

Thin Line Between Love and Hate

I have spent much of the past several days grading exams. The old joke is that law profs teach for free but get paid to grade--and it seems apt at this time of year. Now, before anyone takes me to task for being a whiny professor, let me say that I do not hate grading, and I take it very seriously. But that does not mean it is the most fun part of the job.

But it's certainly better than taking exams. Which gets me, at least tangentially, to a recent question posed by reader Shell of Shelley's Case. In a comment to a recent post, Shell asked: "I am curious as to what your least favorite and most favorite subjects were during law school."

Talk about flashing me back.

Favorites would include the following, in no particular order. This is a list of favorites, mind you, and not a list of courses that were necessarily most beneficial, either in a generalist practitioner sense or in the sense of being useful courses for specializing in a particular area of law. Come to think if it, those are good subjects for future blog posts in the spring, when course selection decisions are being made by law students nationwide.

But back to the question at hand--some of my favorites, in no particular order.

• American Legal History. This course can be excellent for history lovers, and also for getting a broader perspective on the evolution of law in general and American legal developments in particular.
• Administrative Law. This may be evidence of a character defect on my part, since many people do not like taking this class. Part of it was the prof I had (Gary Lawson, who is now at Boston U.), and part perhaps because I had very, very low expectations going in. But it was also just a fascinating course in many ways, and one I love teaching now.
• Contracts. Perhaps this is more evidence of a character defect. But I loved the story of the rise and fall of formal contract theory, and how economic thought had influenced the law in this area. And it's another course I enjoy teaching.
• Law and Economics. This is not a bar course, but the Law and Econ movement has had such a huge impact on the law in recent decades that I think students ignore it at their peril. And I was an economics major (undergrad and masters), so it was right up my alley. For those who think economic theory is not relevant to "real world" lawyering, can you say "policy argument"?
• Civil Procedure. I honestly think I liked this course not so much for the subject as I did for the professor, Marty Redish, who was absolutely superb.
• Property. Clearly I am a geek, since I seem to be mentioning far too many 1L courses. But I loved the evolution of the law in this area too.

Least Favorite courses: Actually, only 1 really comes to mind. The grand prize goes to:

• Bankruptcy. Argh. I am not sure what it was about this course that I did not like, but I did not like it, Sam I Am. It had economic theory in spades, which I do generally like, and it was business-oriented, which should have made it interesting to me. It was also not my first experience with code courses, so that doesn't explain it. And the profs (there were 2, and they team-taught) were fine--I actually took them again for another course. But this course was just no fun at all. Far and away my least fun course.

All in all, part of what this list shows is that I actually enjoyed law school for the most part. And that the courses that have stuck with me over the years and influenced my thinking about the law were a combination of core (1L and bar) courses and other courses, and sometimes not the courses I would have expected. Which perhaps suggests (a) that the core courses are core courses for a reason, and (b) that students should not just blindly take what others tell them to take (i.e., the "bar courses" or the "fun courses.") But again, more on the subject of course selection in a later post.

And now, back to grading.

And in Other News . . .

If you are a law student taking a break from studying for your exams, here are a few things worth checking out on the web. And if you are not a law student, please check them out anyway.

Exam Advice

At Shelley's Case, blogger Shell has useful advice on studying for exams from a student perspective. Shell's advice is always reflective and thoughtful.

Not Exactly Hell on Wheels

At the the Legal Underground, blogger Evan Schaeffer has posted a video in which he lectures on Civil Procedure while skiing. He claims in the video that he is the "first ever lawyer [to ski] while discussing the Federal Civil Rules of Civil Procedure"--at least to discuss it on tape. I am pretty sure he is right about that.

Note that Schaeffer, truly thinking like a lawyer, limits his claim to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Perhaps lawyers in Colorado or Utah have covered their respective state rules while on the slopes? Or maybe someone has discussed criminal procedure rules on skis? But then again, Schaeffer's claim is not limited to someone on Alpine (downhill) skis, so he has beaten the telemarking, cross-country crowd to the punch. Which goes to show that a good lawyer knows when to qualify his claims, and also when not to.

Common Scents Advice

Over at Frugal Law Student, there is a post about ounce of prevention and sins of omission. For those who have not read the FLS, its tag line is "helping law students mitigate their crippling student loans since 2006."

My favorite advice in this particular post (which is by Mrs. FLS)? "Take care of your clothes," which translates to "don't wash your clothes more than you have to." Here's the best part:

"[W]henever I take off a shirt I smell the pits for odor. No odor, no washy. . . . And I don't wash my pants for a couple of weeks. They seriously don't smell." (emphasis added)

That's bold advice. Good advice, perhaps, but a bold statement nonetheless. The point is, many Americans do presume that if you wear it, it needs washed. In Mississippi during August, I dare say that presumption works very, very well. At least with my clothes it does. But what about in March?

To perhaps take this "thinking like a lawyer" thing too far, what happens if you have a cold and can't smell? Do you not wash if you can't smell it? Is the smell test primarily for the benefit of yourself, or others? Or would a "3 times and you're out" rule be better/safer?

Enough. Back to grading exams.

Adventures in Exam-Taking

For those readers not at my law school, a fire alarm went off at the school yesterday--during my 1L Contracts final exam, no less. As if law school is not stressful enough. Fortunately it was a false alarm, and was not a prank, either. Once the alarm passed, everybody got extra time to get back in the groove of answering the exam.

Law school can be so all-consuming that your priorities get a bit skewed. When an alarm goes off, you are concerned about losing your work, not losing your skin. Or perhaps you begin to wonder whether a felony or a tort has been committed. How's that for "thinking like a lawyer"?

From my days in the practice of law, I can say that such skewing occurs there too, especially when you are billing by the hour. "That fire alarm took 0.4 hours of my day," people would say. And I have known attorneys to not evacuate a building because they were too busy. In fact, I believe I did that once or twice myself. Skewing indeed.

Even on 9/11 in DC, some people stayed in the office well after it became clear what was going on. That time, though, I did not.

Blink! and The Tipping Point

I have recently finished reading The Tipping Point, a book by Malcolm Gladwell. I really, really enjoyed this book. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in quite a while. I started reading his first book, Blink! today, and love it already. I'll write more about it later.

The Tipping Point really got me thinking about ways in which I can build up both my law practice, as well as my publishing business. I think that other lawyers could really benefit from reading this book, and that law students should try to read it before going into practice. The book is essentially about how to disseminate an idea or a product or a service in a way that will make everybody want to be a part of that idea or product or service. Mr. Gladwell has a wonderful way of taking very complex ideas and making them approachable. I appreciated his real-life examples of Tipping Point phenomena. This kind of book is excellent for expanding one's mind, and should be on the required reading list of any professional.

The Tinkerbell Syndrome

You've got to check out Tinkerbell Syndrome - a relatively new blawg by Carissa Browning from Calgary. It is the freshest Canadian legal-related blog I have seen in a long time. Her recent posts are hilarious, in my opinion. Her latest is a parody on the Star Wars intro, poking fun at Property Law. Ahhh...I remember those days when I would day dream in Property Law. I don't remember anything about the law we were learning, but I do remember the day dreams...

Also, for those who are just embarking on their law school career/application, check out Law Target, a blog by Essien from Toronto. He is currently in the process of choosing which law school to go to (he was accepted by three, last count), and it will be interesting to see how his life progresses.

'Tis the Season to be Graded

Exam season is upon us yet again, which means that it is time to post advice on how to perform well on final exams, beyond just understanding the subject. I did a post a last semester that is worth reading; it is located here. It links to some other posts as well, on subjects like how law profs write exams and how to improve your grades in law school. Please check it out.

And for those who are obsessed with grades (which you shouldn't be--but more on that some other time), check out a post earlier this year about Justice Harry Blackmun's bad grades in law school.

What's to Like about Law School?

A number of my recent posts have focused on law school classroom dynamics. (See Getting Called on in Class; Reading for Class; What are Your Thoughts About Law School?; and Computers in Class).) Much of my focus, and indeed the focus of comments posted by readers, inevitably has been critical, and sometimes outright negative. This is not uncommon: when people talk about law school, they almost invariably turn to complaints and criticisms. Perhaps that is just the nature of the beast. After all, legal education focuses heavily on critical thinking, so why shouldn't those skills be turned on the institution itself?

But of course, not everything about law school is a problem, or drudgery, or pain. Or is it? In the spirit of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, and in the interest of balance, I would be interested in hearing what you might actually like or appreciate about law school.

Tony Merchant

You have got to read this article from Macleans Magazine September 4, 2006. I read it this morning over breakfast and almost lost the oatmeal in my mouth!

I had read some stuff on the internet about the Residential Schools class action lawsuit settlement, but I had no idea about the guy behind it all. I don't know whether to love or hate this man and the firm that he has built. I'm pretty sure that I lean towards the former. The man seems to be quite disgusting! I plan to rant about him in a few days, once the article has simmered in my mind a bit. In the meantime, please post your comments on this site, as I would love to hear some logical explanations for his lifestyle, his approach to the law, and his approach to Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.

I look forward to your comments.

Litigation vs. Solicitation

When I first started law school (and maybe even before), I pictured myself doing a lot more corporate and commercial work. I didn't really see myself as a litigator. Over time, I have started to change my mind. I am starting to accept that in order to actually get something done - to actually affect the world around me, I am going to have to litigate. I am going to have to struggle through the rules of court and the rules of evidence and to muddle my way through trial preparation, writs of enforcement and demands for particulars. I am going to have to fight for access to justice for those who hire me on their behalf.

Actually, I feel really good today because of my successes. I feel really good that I was able to teach myself new things, and to help a client in need. That's what it is all really about.

Getting Called on in Class

This is being my blog, I of course think that everything I post about is interesting. (Modesty, where art thou?) Yet some subjects invariably generate more traction with readers.

My last post was one of those. If you have not read my post entitled "Reading for Class," please do, and please read the comments. It started out as an observation by me about how some students respond when called on, and from there--well, a lot of people had a lot to say. Which is absolutely great. Thanks to all who have commented.

Some of the comments addressed the pros and cons of how professors call on people in class. Different professors of course do it different ways. There is no one right way, but I suppose there are a number of wrong ways. So does anyone have any thoughts? Some points I'd like to see comments on are as follows (feel free to add others as you see fit):

• Is it better to know that you are going to be called on in a particular class, or is a random method preferable?
• Do you like the Socratic Method? Or, for that matter, do you really understand what it is? And if so, do you buy into learning from each other's comments and student-professor discussions in class? Why or why not?
• What method of class participation or in-class commentary is your favorite? (Or perhaps more accurately stated, which method do you least dislike?)
• Should class participation count toward your final grade?
• Does it matter if everyone is called on in class?
• Once you are called on, should you be off the hook for the rest of the semester?
• What do you think of "group projects" or "group presentations" in class?

I am looking for a general sense of what law students across the country might think about the subject of class participation, especially now that the nation's 1L students have nearly a full semester under their belts. This is helpful--helps me keep my finger on the pulse, and all that. Teaching a law school class is not a popularity contest, so the point is not that law profs always should do whatever students like. But profs who do not have a sense of where their students are coming from risk losing touch with their students. And when that happens, it's really sad, both for the students and the profs. Both lose in the bargain.

So please let me know what you think. And thanks for reading.

www.canadianlawschool.ca

If you hadn't heard, some flake stole www.canadalawstudent.ca from me. Don't even try visiting that site - it's useless drivel now. After some ranting, and raving...c'est law vie.

I present to you www.canadianlawschool.ca.

I will be posting new stuff there over the next couple of weeks, including CANS and outlines for law school and some law school surveys. I will also be filling it up with every Canadian law school resource I can get my hands on.

Law Movies: 12 Angry Men

STARRING: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Ed Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, Robert Webber

DIRECTOR: Sidney Lumet

STUDIO: United Artists

RATING: NR

GENRE: Drama / Crime

RELEASE DATE: April 13, 1957

You might wonder why I have been posting law movie commentary lately. Well, I have been exploring these various movies for a reason. I am wondering why I became a lawyer. I'll tell you a bit of a secret. Some days, being a lawyer is really, really boring. It's mundane work sometimes. Sometimes it's hard to get up in the morning, because I know that I am going to have to relegate my time towards filling in template contracts, template real estate documents, template wills. There's not a whole lot of thought that goes into this work sometimes. Every once in a while, I will become surprised by a genuine challenge - a legal twist that requires real thought. A problem that requires a unique solution. But, more often, it's little different than an assembly line job.

Sounds terrible, but it's better to fact the truth than to lie to myself. Here's the conundrum. I have spent 10 years in university, and 1 1/2 years training myself for this particular career - that of a lawyer. So, I'm not willing to give up on this choice just yet. In the past, when I have faced a wall (think long-distance running), I often have taken stock of the reasons I am doing what I am doing. In watching movies, amongst other exercises, I am looking deeper within myself to find the real reasons that I wanted, or want to become a lawyer. And, once that answer is found, I want to answer the question as to how to become a really good lawyer.

Some will argue that law movies are overtly fictitious accounts of life and the law. But, I counter that with the position that movies appeal to us so much because they reflect real life in more ways than we choose to accept or realize.

Colleagues have posited that lawyers don't act like Tom Cruise or Andy Griffeth or John Travolta. Courtroom antics on LA Law do not reflect real-life, every-day, nitty gritty, legislative and rule-based litigation or criminal matters. This might be true. But, there is something that we see on the big screen, something that continues to drive the massive market of law movies (and law novels, for that matter). We all seek after justice, we all want to see the underdog win. We all want fairness. And, some of us like to see the darker side of life. We like to conduct a forensic analysis of a situation, and feel like we can come out on top, to solve the issue, to see through the mist and bring light to the situation.

By probing these thoughts and questions, after watching a legal themed movie, it helps me to understand a little bit better what attracted me to law. It helps me to look at my own practice, and to tweak things a little bit. Realize that I am not looking to DVD's for legal theory or courtroom etiquette. I am looking at character, at ethics and morals, at treatment of real human beings, and at difficult situations that pose really deep questions.

Many legal stories are not written by real lawyers. Although John Grisham was a lawyer, he does not currently practice. Whether formally educated in the law or not, legal authors choose to look beyond the procedural aspects of the law to the drama involved. There is a reason for the incredible volume of legally-themed fiction in America. We are all fascinated by this subject matter. Many of us seem to secretly long to fulfill the role of the attorney, or for some of us, the judge.

I loved legal-themed movies, and TV (I don't watch TV anymore) before law school. I still love them. They inspire me, and they help me to look within myself to explore my identity as a servant of the people.

I watched 12 Angry Men again on Saturday. Great movie. A must-see if you are at all interested in justice. It is an interesting film, made in 1957. It stars 12 actors who, except for a brief moment at the beginning of the film, and for a brief moment at the conclusion, never leave the jury room. An entire movie filmed in one room seemed impossible to me, until I saw this movie. There is little action, other than men getting up and moving around the room. Once in a while, they will go to the attached washroom. You watch this movie more with your auditory senses than with your eyes (although the acting and facial expressions are quite good, especially for this period).

The film stars Henry Fonda (think On Golden Pond). He plays the devil's advocate. He causes the other 11 jurors to question the seemingly clear-cut conclusion as to a death-penalty murder case. He teaches the other jurors about the concept of reasonable doubt, and about the assumption of innocence until proven guilty. Although somewhat melodramatic compared to modern dramas, the issues and dilemmas are genuine. The characterizations are quite superb.

It is a black and white film, and all of the extras that we see in movies today are stripped away. The only props are a few exhibits from the murder case, and some hats, jackets and handkerchiefs. Otherwise, it's just you and the jury. I found this interesting because with a real jury case, it's just the lawyer, the judge and the jury. You can use evidence, although on a limited basis. Otherwise, it's up to you as the lawyer to paint the picture of what happened at the time of the crime, or the incident. You have to act. You have to create drama. You have to pull at the heartstrings of everyday people. You have to make them question their preconceptions about many things. You have to suspend belief, and sometimes cause a paradigm shift. You have to act as psychologist, analyst, social commentator, and more, all while staying within the confines of evidential rules. It is no doubt, a grand challenge.

I love teaching people about the law. I love meeting with a client, face to face, and changing their mind about their response to a situation or to someone else. I love looking at the person's challenge and helping them to see many possible outcomes, and helping them to choose the path that will lead to the most satisfaction. I love help the person to predict what the other side will do or say, what a judge will do or say, and to help them to avoid potential pitfalls or mistakes.

There are many things that I do love about the practice of law. There are many things that I want to do with the knowledge that I have absorbed and gathered over the years. I hope that you too can find inspiration in the movies, in novels and in the world around you, to help you to reach your potential as an attorney, as a servant of the people.

Reading for Class

Usually I do not post about specific events that happen in my classes, but today I'll make an exception. My point today is this: when the professor calls on a student to brief a case, the range of acceptable responses does not include "Oh, I read the case, but it was a few days ago and I don't remember it very well, but let's see . . . ."

I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard this. I've heard it several times this semester. On the one hand, sure, fine. Everyone in law school is busy, right? And I think usually students are telling the truth--typically after a few minutes, memory kicks in and the student does fine. And to be even fairer, often one reason this response pops out of students' mouths is that they are worried about looking bad in front of the class and the professor. Having read but not remembered allows one to say (a) I read, so I am putting forth the effort, but (b) I'm not dense, just rusty about this case.

Yet my question is this: would this response cut it in practice? What if you are in court during oral argument? How might a judge react? What if you are giving a presentation to a client? How good will you look?

And my other question is this: could the professor get away with this statement in class?

I have said it before, and I will say it again: when you are a law student, think of law school as your career, because right now it is.

So here's what to do. First, isn't this one of the reasons to brief a case? Yes! So brief the cases, however you might do that. Second, just keep the excuses or apologies to a minimum, and do your best. That's what you would do in court, so that's what you should do in class. The silence may seem deafening as you race to come up to speed and answer the professor's question, but it's not. And again, it's good training.

I have to say in closing that I am really not upset when this happens in my classes. But I do wish students wouldn't do it.

Law School: The Best Law School in Canada

I received this letter from a fellow blawger today. I have decided to post it, although I don't necessarily endorse it. I would appreciate your comments on this little essay. I would also appreciate comments on why law school is not included in the Macleans rankings. BTW - I noticed that my Alma Mater was voted #1 this year. Yahoo!

The Best Law School In Canada

(NB: You have permission to publish my short letter should you choose.)

I may present myself as somewhat of a backward opinionate in my assessment of what school constitutes the best in Canada, however, by virtue of the theme of this essay I believe I am entitled to do so.

University of Toronto School of Law has traditionally, and is quite currently, perceived as the best law school in Canada. I would not hesitate to assert that they too share that opinion. Indeed, their tuition speaks for itself. Their reasons are abundant, and range from a celestial roster of exceptional professors to frequent lectures by high-profile guest legal professionals, to a fortuitously incestuous relationship with Bay Street. I must concur that these are admirable qualities, and that indeed U of T Law is in the upper echelon of Canadian law schools. However, I must award the “status” of Best Law School to the University of Calgary School of Law.

As one of Canada’s youngest law schools, U of C has excelled dramatically in its development on all levels. Particularly, its 5-Year Strategic Plan is exceptionally well-thought out and will pose a monumental advantage to its students. Its lack of pretentiousness combined with its small class sizes (formerly 75, increasing to 100 per year) make for a healthy learning environment that supports strong communication and tight group development.

U of C Law is intentionally and successfully positioning itself as an Ivy League law school in Canada, particularly in the area of natural resources and energy law – a field where Canada is a major player internationally, and which has immense impact on our wealth as a nation.

U of C law has devoted exceptional funding to enhance the areas that will positively impact its students and its status among Canadian law school. Areas include: Chairs - $6 million; additional faculty members $2.5 million; financial aid to facilitate access for lower income individuals $2.5 million; library acquisitions and information technology $1 million; technology infrastructure $1.5 million; renovations $6.5 million - commendable.

Finally, in concert with its growing status in natural resources and energy law, the U of C has built, and continues to build, titanium-strong relationships with Alberta’s energy companies and top-tier law firms (such as Bennett Jones LLP). In weighing in on which law school is the best in Canada, it is important to look not only at where a school has been and currently is, but more importantly where it’s going; its forward trajectory and rate of improvement in excellence are equally, if not more, rewarding criteria.

My vote, thus, sits with the University of Calgary School of Law.

Signed,
Dr. Essien Udokang
Prospective Law Student

The Pace of Law School Classes

There's a nice post from the weekend over at Yayarolly Goes to Law School regarding the pacing of law school classes. You know what I am talking about--the professor who spends a lot of time on stuff early in the semester, and then in a panic covers skads of material in the last few weeks. Bad.

One of the easiest mistakes to make in teaching a law school class is to try and cover too much material. It is far better to try and cover fewer things well than to cover many things in cursory fashion. It goes back to the cliched (but true) statement about learning to "think like a lawyer." Surprisingly, however, sometimes students don't understand this, and feel cheated when you don't cover the whole book. (Kudos to Yayarolly for getting it.)

So here, in no particular order, are some of my thoughts on the matter:

• I never liked it when a prof could not pace a class well. Fortunately, that rarely happened to me in law school.
• Pacing a class well does not always = keeping a consistent pace. I typically move more slowly early in a course, and then speed up once we have first principles under our belts. In 1L classes this tendency is more pronounced.
• All classes are different, and teaching is not a rote activity. So this also affects the pace in a semester.

The Frugal Law Student

I recently posted a lament about what I saw as a lack of interesting new law student blogs (some of my previous favorites are listed in my blog roll). That post is located here. Yet perhaps my negativity was premature. What I now suspect is that it might take new law students about half a semester to figure out what to put on their blogs and to develop their blog personas. Maybe that is why I found little of worth previously.

In any event, one new law student blog that I enjoy reading right now is The Frugal Law Student. Many law students take on heavy (even crippling) debt, so the theme of the blog is a good one. The tone is fun, and the blog is somewhat in the vein of the Anonymous Lawyer blog (complete with a "Mrs. Frugal Law Student"). And anyone who is married and moves in with his in-laws to save money has my respect (and pity).

My favorite part of the blog? The ticker at the top that lists his current negative net worth.

Free Books: Giveaway

I am going to give away, at random, three (3) free copies (including shipping) of my book this week. All you have to do to qualify is to email me with a cogent and responsible opinion on what the best law school is in Canada. Include your reasons why you think your choice is the best, including any stats and objective viewpoints that you might have. Please include your permission or non-permission to post your answer. I look forward to receiving your responses. -- Adam

Law School: Contact Information

More Detailed Contact information for all of the Law Schools in Canada:

BRITISH COLUMBIA

University of British Columbia - Faculty of Law, 1822 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1,Tel: (604)
822-2818, Fax: (604) 822-4781, http://www.law.ubc.ca/, LLB / Combined Program Admissions Inquiries: borthwick@law.ubc.ca, Graduate Student Admissions Inquiries: graduates@law.ubc.ca.

University of Victoria - Faculty of Law, P.O. Box 2400, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3H7, Tel: (250) 721-8147, Fax: (250) 472-4299 or (250) 721-6390, http://www.law.uvic.ca/, Admissions Office: lawadmss@uvic.ca.

ALBERTA

University of Alberta - Faculty of Law, 485 Law Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H5, Tel: (780) 492-5590, Fax: (780) 492-4924, http://www.law.ualberta.ca/, Admissions: kjwilson@law.ualberta.ca.

The University of Calgary - Faculty of Law, 2500 University Drive, N.W. Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Tel: (403) 220-7116, Fax: (403) 282-8325, http://www.law.ucalgary.ca/, law@ucalgary.ca.

SASKATCHEWAN

University of Saskatchewan - College of Law, 15 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A6, Tel: (306) 966-5910, Fax: (306) 966-5900, http://www.usask.ca/law/, law_admissions@usask.ca.

MANITOBA

University of Manitoba - Faculty of Law, Room 301, Robson Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Tel: (204) 474-9282, Fax: (204) 474-7580 http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/law/newsite/index.php, UM-LAW@cc.umanitoba.ca.

ONTARIO

Carleton University - Department of Law, C473 Loeb Building, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Tel: (613) 520-2600, Ext. 8212, Fax: (613) 520-4467, http://www.carleton.ca/law/index.html, law@carleton.ca.

York University - Osgoode Hall Law Schoool, 4700 Keele Street, North York, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Tel: (416) 736-5199, Fax: (416) 736-5251, http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/.

Queen's University - Faculty of Law, Macdonald Hall, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Tel: (613) 533-6000, ext. 74285, Fax: (613) 533-6509, http://law.queensu.ca/index.php.

University of Ottawa - Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, 57 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Tel: (613) 562-5927, Fax: (613) 562-5124, http://www.commonlaw.uottawa.ca/eng/index.htm.

Université d'Ottawa - Faculté de droit, Section de droit civil, 57 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Tel: (613) 562-5902, Fax: (613) 562-512, http://www.commonlaw.uottawa.ca/fra/index.htm.

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law, 84 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C5, Tel: (416) 978-3718, Fax: (416) 971-3026, http://www.law.utoronto.ca/, law.admissions@utoronto.ca.

University of Western Ontario - Faculty of Law, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Tel: (519) 661-3346, Fax: (519) 850-2412, http://www.law.uwo.ca/mainSite/.

University of Windsor - Faculty of Law, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Tel: (519) 253-4232, Ext. 2930, Fax: (519) 973-7064, http://athena.uwindsor.ca/law.

QUÉBEC

Université Laval - Faculté de droit, Pavillon CharlesDeKoninck, Québec, Québec, G1K 7P4, Tel: (418) 656-3511, Fax: (418) 656-7714, http://www.fd.ulaval.ca/.

McGill University - Faculty of Law, 3644 Peel Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1W9, Tel: (514) 398-6604,
Fax: (514) 398-4659, http://www.law.mcgill.ca/, info.law@mcgill.ca.

Université de Montréal -
Faculté de droit, C. P. 6128, succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Tel: (514) 343-2356, Fax:
(514) 343-2199, http://www2.droit.umontreal.ca.

Université du Québec à
Montréal - Département des sciences juridiques, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8,
Tel: (514) 987-3000, ext. 7047, Fax: (514) 987-4784, http://www.juris.uqam.ca/.

Université de Sherbrooke - Faculté de droit, 2500 boul. Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Tel: (819) 821-7511, Fax: (819) 821-7578, http://www.usherbrooke.ca/droit/.

NEW BRUNSWICK

University of New Brunswick - Faculty of Law, Ludlow Hall, Box 4400, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Tel: (506) 453-4702, Fax: (506) 453-4604, http://law.unb.ca/, warbeau@unb.ca.

Université de Moncton - École de droit, Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, E1A 3E9, Tel: (506)
858-3705, Fax: (506) 858-4534, http://www3.umoncton.ca/UdeM_menu1.cfm?www=http://www3.umoncton.ca/cdem/droit/.

NOVA SCOTIA

Dalhousie University - Dalhousie Law School, 6061 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4H9, Tel: (902) 494-2114, Fax: (902) 494-1316, http://as01.ucis.dal.ca/law/index.html, Law.admissions@dal.ca.

Law School: Featured Law School Books

Featured Law School Books

Acing Your First Year of Law School: The Ten Steps to Success You Won't Learn in Class by Shana Connell Noyes (Author), Henry S. Noyes (Author), CDN$ 21.95

From the Publisher

Law school attendance continues to rise each year. As more and more students enter law school, it becomes even harder to stand out in the crowd of other students. This book will teach you how to stand head and shoulders above your colleagues in law school, and succeed in your most critical year of law school, the first year.

Product Description: Most first-year law students waste a tremendous amount of time learning piles of information they don't need to know, because they have no one to guide them. This text, in ten easy-to read chapters, is the guide for students entering or contemplating law school. After reading the ten chapters, set up as lessons, student will know how to study the law.


Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams by Richard Michael Fischl (Author), Jeremy Paul (Author), CDN$ 19.51

Professors Fischl and Paul explain law school exams in ways no one has before, all with an eye toward improving the reader's performance. The book begins by describing the difference between educational cultures that praise students for "right answers," and the law school culture that rewards nuanced analysis of ambiguous situations in which more than one approach may be correct. Enormous care is devoted to explaining precisely how and why legal analysis frequently produces such perplexing situations. But the authors don't stop with mere description. Instead, Getting to Maybe teaches how to excel on law school exams by showing the reader how legal analysis can
be brought to bear on examination problems. The book contains hints on studying and preparation that go well beyond conventional advice. The authors also illustrate how to argue both sides of a legal issue without appearing wishy-washy or indecisive. Above all, the book explains why exam questions may generate feelings of uncertainty or
doubt about correct legal outcomes and how the student can turn these feelings to his or her advantage. In sum, although the authors believe that no exam guide can substitute for a firm grasp of substantive material, readers who devote the necessary time to learning the law will find this book an invaluable guide to translating learning into better exam performance.

Law School For Dummies by Rebecca Fae Greene (Author), CDN$ 20.29

The straightforward guide to surviving and thriving in law school.

Every year more than 40,000 students enter law school and at any given moment there are over 125,000 law school students in the United States. Law school’s highly pressurized, super-competitive atmosphere often leaves students stressed out and confused, especially in their first year. Balancing life and schoolwork, passing the bar, and landing a job are challenges that students often need help facing. In Law School For Dummies, former law school student Rebecca Fae Greene uses straight talk, sound advice, and gentle humor to help students sort through the swamp of coursework and focus on what’s important–all while maintaining a life. She also offers rare insight on the law school experience for women, minorities, non-traditional, and non-Ivy League students.


Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students by Robert H. Miller (Author), CDN$ 18.17

I wish I knew then what I know now! Don't get to the end of your law school career muttering these words to yourself! Take the first step toward building a productive, successful, and perhaps even pleasant law school experience...read this book! Written for students about to embark on this three year odyssey, by students who have successfully
survived law school. Law School Confidential demystifies the life-altering thrill ride that defines an American legal education by providing a comprehensive, blow-by-blow, chronological account of what to expect. Law School Confidential arms students with a thorough overview of the contemporary law school experience. This isn't the advice of graying professors or battle-scarred practitioners decades removed from the law school. Fresh out of University of Pennsylvania Law School, Robert Miller has assembled a panel of recent law school graduates all of whom are perfectly positioned to shed light on what law school is like today. Law School Confidential invites you to walk in their steps to success and to learn from their mistakes. From taking the LSAT, to securing financial aid, to navigating the notorious first semester, to exam-taking strategies, to applying for summer internships, to getting on the law review, to tackling the bar and beyond...Law School Confidential explains it all.


The Practice of Law School: Getting in and Making the Most of Your Legal Education by Esq.,, Christen Civiletto Carey (Author), CDN$ 26.57

This handbook for aspiring lawyers coaches them to make the most of law school by taking charge of their education and burgeoning careers early on. It provides current and future law students with invaluable information about the law school application process, financing law school, selecting classes, evaluating study groups, developing effective exam-taking strategies, choosing extracurricular activities and summer jobs, preparing for the bar exam, and balancing school with family life. Demonstrated are the ways in which students can begin to think like practicing lawyers and attain experience in law school that is relevant, practical, and essential to practicing law in the real world.


Starting Off Right in Law School by Carolyn Nygren (Author), CDN$ 15.83

The result of eight years of Nygren's work with first-semester students in five different law schools, this book melds information about the legal system usually found in legal methods books with information about study skills
usually found in books with a "how to succeed in law school" focus. The book uses one area of law — the implied warranty of merchantability as it applies to food — to illustrate various legal issues and the skills needed to master them. It introduces basic legal concepts and vocabulary in the context of one hypothetical case, and then focuses on the structure of cases and types of reasoning courts use. When finished with the book, readers will have the background they need in order to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of legal materials.


One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School by Scott Turow (Author), CDN$ 15.96

One L, Scott Turow's journal of his first year at law school introduces and a best-seller when it was first published
in 1977, has gone on to become a virtual bible for prospective law students. Not only does it introduce with remarkable clarity the ideas and issues that are the stuff of legal education; it brings alive the anxiety and competiveness--with others and, even more, with oneself--that set the tone in this crucible of character building.
Turow's multidimensional delving into his protagonists' psyches and his marvelous gift for suspense prefigure the achievements of his celebrated first novel, Presumed Innocent, one of the best-selling and most talked about books of 1987. Each September, a new crop of students enter Harvard Law School to begin an intense, often grueling, sometimes harrowing year of introduction to the law. Turow's group of One Ls are fresh, bright, ambitious, and more than a little daunting. Even more impressive are the faculty: Perini, the dazzling, combative professor of contracts, who presents himself as the students' antagonist in their struggle to master his subject; Zechman, the reserved professor of torts who seems so indecisive the students fear he cannot teach; and Nicky Morris, a young, appealing man who stressed the humanistic aspects of law. Will the One Ls survive? Will they excel? Will they make the Law Review, the outward and visible sign of success in this ultra-conservative microcosm? With remarkable insight into both his fellows and himself, Turow leads us through the ups and downs, the small triumphs and tragedies of the year, in an absorbing and throught-provoking narrative that teaches the reader not only about law school and the law but about the human beings who make them what they are. In the new afterword for this edition of One L, the author looks back on law school from the perspective of ten years' work as a lawyer and offers some suggestions for reforming legal education.


1000 Days to the Bar: But the Practice of Law Begins Now by Dennis J. Tonsing (Author), CDN$ 21.36

1000 Days to the Bar explains the relationship between the professional practice of law and the practice you need to perform each week to achieve your objectives. This unique guide is designed to empower first-year law students by presenting the components for academic success in a step-by-step format that lays out a practice-centered approach to legal studies. In this book you will discover how to: - Read and brief court opinions - Take and transform class notes into course summaries, outlines and flow charts. - Learn essential elements of the law "by heart." - Gain fluency in the "language of the law." Special supplements include: - Study tips from law school professors and academic support professionals. - Detailed descriptions of many of the most popular commercial study aids. - Time management details and time allocation methods, including creation of a personal Flexible Time Resource Allocation Chart. - Guidelines for powerful, effective study groups. - Instructions for preparing a practical and efficient law study environment.

Law School: So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh? -- Career Guidebook

Today I am going to start the process of posting all of the content that was on www.canadalawstudent.ca. Unfortunately, someone poached that URL off of me (my own stupidity). I am also posting the stuff (and more) on The Canadian Law School Experience

Welcome!

Resources for for Prospective and Current Canadian Law Students:

So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh? a career guidebook by Adam Letourneau

Thinking of becoming a lawyer? Attending law school in Canada? Finally --it's here-- the guidebook you've been waiting for. Every year, an estimated 10,000 - 15,000 students apply to 16 Canadian law schools, vying for just over 2000 coveted spots. The competition is even fiercer for law students when applying for a job as an articling student.

In his book, and through this website, Adam Letourneau, B.Sc., B.A., LL.B., a graduate of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, and former Editor-in-Chief of the Alberta Law Review, reveals many insider tips on how to gain admittance to law school, how to cope and succeed in law school in Canada, and most importantly, how to land a coveted lawyer job post-graduation.

Drawing upon personal experience and the experiences of numerous other Canadian law students, Letourneau shares general insights on the LSAT, applying for Canadian law school, study strategies, summer jobs, the articling application process, becoming a lawyer and much more, along with plenty of context-specific information for the Canadian law student.

Because the Canadian law school experience is unique, this book is the only full source of relevant information available to prospective and current law students in Canada. Letourneau will save you hours of research, hours of study and tons of stress.

This book is recommended to all students interested in law school in Canada, all students applying to law school in Canada and to law students in all three years of law school in Canada.

Buy the book now and SAVE TIME and STRESS!

Here are just a few of the topics that are covered in the book:
• Statistics - How Many Lawyers are there in Canada?
• Is law for you?
• How many students apply to Canadian law schools and how many get accepted to law school in Canada? What are your chances?
• What does your GPA and LSAT really need to look like to gain admittance to various Canadian law schools?
• How to prepare for the LSAT
• What is law school in Canada like anyway?
• Help to decide what Canadian law school to attend.
• What is better - a JD or LL.B.?
• First Year attitude and behaviour tips to help you succeed!
• How to land a great summer job and ultimately an articling position.
• The best way to use your time in law school.
• How to land the article (job) of your dreams.
• How to land a great court clerkship.
• How to win at exam time.
• And much, much more...

This book will save you hundreds of hours of research, studying and worrying.

Legal Careers: JAG (Judge Advocate General)

I promised a few days ago to provide some information on becoming a military lawyer. So, here goes:

Noun

1.

judge advocate general - the senior legal advisor to a branch of the military

Here's how the Office of the Judge Advocate General for the Canadian Forces describes itself:

"Whether providing legal advice at one of the many bases and wings across the country, defending an accused at a court martial, teaching courses to other CF members, or advising a commanding officer in an operational theatre, the legal officers and staff of the Office of the Judge Advocate General constantly strive to uphold the ethical and legal principles established by both the Canadian Forces and the Government of Canada."

According to the JAG website, "The Office of the JAG comprises 114 regular force legal officer positions and 64 reserve force legal officer positions. The regular force legal officers are employed throughout the CF, in Canada and abroad...The JAG is statutorily responsible to the Minister of National Defence and 'accountable' for the legal advice given to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the military chain of command, and to the Deputy Minister. This clear accountability structure was designed to enhance the integrity of the Office of the JAG and ensure the independence of the JAG from the chain of command in the provision of legal advice in all areas including military justice."

Those that join up "join from a variety of backgrounds — some with no previous military experience; some with prior regular or reserve force experience; some through internal career change programs. They must all be members in good standing of a provincial law society in Canada, meet Canadian Forces medical standards and successfully complete the 14-week Basic Officer Training Course before they can become a legal officer."

"Legal officers come from a variety of backgrounds but most share some common characteristics. First and foremost is a desire to serve Canada as a member of the Canadian Forces - they are all commissioned, uniformed officers joining in the rank of Captain with the opportunity to rise to the rank of Brigadier-General (although the current JAG is a Major-General). As regular force members of the Canadian Forces, they accept that service may involve relocation upon receiving a new posting and periods of separation from their families when duty calls."

"If you want to become a legal officer in the Office of the JAG you will have to join the Canadian Forces and go through the same selection process as all applicants who volunteer to enroll in the military. Upon acceptance to and enrolment in the Canadian Forces, you would be required to undergo Basic Officer Training and official language training (depending on your abilities in the official languages) prior to being posted for employment and further professional development as a legal officer in the Office of the JAG."

Pay and allowances: "Legal officers are specialist officers and are generally paid on a different scale ^B than general service officers. Legal officer pay is linked to that of the Department of Justice with a 6.5% “military factor” added on to recognize the exigencies of military life."

Pension: "The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act guarantees a pension to personnel who have served in the Canadian Forces for at least twenty years. This pension is based on an average of your wages for the best five years of your career. The pension begins at 40% after twenty years service and maximizes at 70% after 35 years of service."

These links are interesting:

Office of the JAG Organizational Chart ^C
JAG offices across Canada ^C
JAG offices around the world ^C

It looks as though the JAG is separated into various areas of law (Prosecution, Defence, Military Justice and Admin Law, etc.).

If you want to learn more about Military Justice in general, go here: http://www.forces.gc.ca/jag/military_justice/default_e.asp. It gives a good overview.

There is a short entry on Wikipedia that gives some current stats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Advocate_General_(Canada)

And for those of you who want to steep yourselves in JAG culture:

If any of you have further information about what being JAG is like, or how one becomes JAG, please feel free to provide us some information through a comment. Thanks.

I was in the military, and went through boot camp, and engineering boot camp. It was pretty brutal. I heard that Officer Training boot camp is a lot lighter, but I might be wrong. Anyone dispute that claim?

In any case, it looks like a pretty interesting career choice.

Graduate Studies in Law: LLM GUIDE

I just came across a fairly useful website (LLM GUIDE - http://www.llm-guide.com/canada) for those interested in pursuing an LL.M. (Master of Laws). For those of you who are unititiated, a Master of Laws allows you to teach in law school. Many consider it the equivalent of a Ph.D., as some consider the LL.B. equivalent to graduate school (i.e. the MBA). In any case, you might find it to be interesting reading, whether you are serious about considering an LL.M. or not. I will write more on this blog about the LL.M. some time soon.

More on the Law School Rankings Game

For those readers really interested in the debate over law school rankings and some of the alternative ranking methodologies offered by critics of the U.S. News and World Report rankings, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a site listing and explaining some of the alternative approaches offered. This list is available online here.

My favorite? The Law School Ranking Game of the Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington. The game allows you to change the weighting of ranking criteria. This, of course, can alter the rankings significantly. And the weighting of criteria gets back to a point I made in my previous post on the U.S. News and World Report rankings--namely, that those rankings give great weight to peer evaluations, which means that a law school is rated "good" if other schools think it is good. Which might be valid (see my previous post), but is not, I expect, what many people think those rankings are based on.

Legal Careers: JAG - "You Can't Handle the Truth"

It was a legal movie weekend for me (and for my wife - nice for a change). We watched A Few Good Men yesterday. I haven't seen that movie since it came out in 1992. Quite a cast - Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Keifer Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr.

When I saw it in 1992, it probably made an impression on me because I was a big Jack Nicholson fan. Who wouldn't get excited by his speach which he was under examination by the Tom Cruise character. "You Can't Handle the Truth" - man, that was cool. But, all of the legal nuances would have gone right over my head at that time. This time around, I actually understood what was going on (for the most part - the dialogue and plot are relatively complex). I still had some difficulty understanding a lot of the lingo, even though I did a stint in the Military in my more youthful years.

What I found fascinating this time around was the role and lifestyle and particular job description of JAG lawyers. JAG stands for Judge Advocate General, something most of us are unfamiliar with, except those gals that like to drool over the T.V. show JAG (which I could only stand to watch for about 15 minutes one time).

I thought it would be a good idea to do a little research on how to become a JAG in Canada. So, I'll try to do that tomorrow and post what I have found. If you know anything about it, please feel free to post your info in a comment here. Thanks.

For those who loved the movie, I give you the best part. For those who haven't seen it, please skip this part:

Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I think I'm entitled.
Jessep: You want answers?!
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth!
Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You?! You, Lieutenant Weinberg?! I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives! You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall! You need me on that wall! We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?
Jessep: I did the job I was sent to do--
Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?!
Jessep: (shouting) You're goddamn right I did!!
[stunned silence]
Kaffee: Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.

I also wouldn't mind talking about the Code Red thing. I experienced that in the Military, and can give some personal accounts. But I also wonder what the current status on Code Red activities is, both in the USA and Canada.

Law Schools and the Rankings Game

My apologies to readers for not posting more frequently lately. There are many things worth talking about on this blog, but only limited time. And only one blogger.

Today's topic of choice is the subject of law school rankings, and in particular the annual rankings published by U.S. News and World Report. There is a lot of traffic on the internet about this, and a number of law professors who weigh in regularly on the subject, including Brian Leiter of the University of Texas at Austin, David Bernstein of George Mason University School of Law, and Tom Bell of Chapman University School of Law. There is also a very good article on the subject in the fall 2006 issue of preLaw. I recommend it for reading by any new or future law student. Unfortunately, that issue of preLaw is not currently available online, but the preLaw website is located here.

Much of the dialogue over law school rankings goes something like this:

(1) Most law schools say the rankings are bad, in part because they encourage schools to value their performance based on various proxy factors (e.g., size of library holdings or student-faculty ratio), rather than "actual" performance or quality of education.

(2) But often schools trumpet their success in the U.S. News rankings, even if they have been critical of them.

(3) So the rankings are not as useful as they might seem, and many schools are hypocritical about the process and are in fact damaging the quality of legal education by paying attention to them.

Here are my two cents:

(1) Whenever you try to measure an intangible by using objective (or even subjective) proxy values, you get distortion. You see it in all facets of life, from grades in school to job promotions. And in fact it is one of the most challenging aspects of law itself: to come up with legal rules that do not offer loopholes--that is, rules that do not inadvertently incentivize or permit unwanted behavior or results.

This of course oversimplifies the matter, and yet it is worth bearing in mind, especially since the alternative--having no measures of performance or ranking--is not very attractive, either. Without any rankings, are law schools going to be somehow more noble and work more for the public good, or are they going to be less accountable and more inefficient? I tend to think the latter. And this is the reason that some commentators, including Professor Leiter and others, have focused on trying to come up with other, ostensibly better, measures than the U.S. News rankings.

(2) In chasing the U.S. News rankings, or any rankings, law schools risk sacrificing their missions for a rise in the rankings. Some schools probably do this, while some admirably resist temptation. But again, this goes back to making sure your proxies are as good as they can be. If the proxies are good, then the ill effects of chasing rankings are minimized.

(3) Based on my own study of the rankings, the U.S. News rankings put great weight on what peers at other law schools think of a particular law school--this constitutes about 25% of a school's final score. Personally, I find this troubling. On the one hand, these peers are supposedly people who should know, since law schools are their business. But on the other hand, there is some troubling circularity to concluding that a school is good because a lot of people say it's good.

Specifically, doesn't this heavily weighted subjective factor lead to reputational lag? Aren't some schools likely overrated due to their prestige amongst other law schools, while others who offer very good legal education but promote themselves poorly remain underrated? And once people's minds in the legal academy are made up, isn't it hard to change these perceptions, no matter what you do? It's like going back to your 10th high school reunion: you may be very successful, but to many people in the room, you're still just a nerd.

Add to this the fact that scores regarding facilities and student-faculty ratios are only a small percentage of a school's overall score, and the U.S. News rankings start to look a lot like a popularity contest. But oddly enough, it's a contest that does add accountability. Perhaps, then, it comes down to adjusting the factors looked at and the weight given to them.

These are just a few of my thoughts. I'd like to hear what others think as well.

Law Movies: Wall Street

Just finished watching Wall Street, an Oliver Stone film, starring Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas. It also has Martin Sheen (as Charlie's father) and Daryl Hannah.

Great movie. Top notch. It's from 1987, but I think it was way ahead of its time. I've been wanting to see it for a long time. Although it's all about Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, Money, Money, Money, it is a fascinating, microscopic, look at the rise of white collar crime in the 1980's.

I have seen a number of colleagues, and have interviewed with a number of "big-time" lawyers who fit the mold of Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) and Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen). Looking for that pie in the sky opportunity to stomp on somebody else, to take short-cuts and get to the top faster than the next guy. Willing to smudge the books to make themselves look better than the guy in the next office. How many times I have seen somebody pad their hours so that they might one day become partner, so that they might one day be able to look out the window of their cab, and feel justified in their smugness. And I haven't even been a member of the bar for very long.

Bud: How much is enough? Gekko: It's not a question of enough, pal. It's a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or gained its simple transferred from one perception to another.

Hey, if that's you, have fun. It's not me. Some join the club to kiss their way to the top. But, some do it because they are looking towards the greater good. I like to think I am in the latter category. But, at the same time, it's not easy. I worked nearly 12 hours today. Why? Because I wanted to make more money? No. It was because I couldn't figure out how to close some bloody real estate files so that I could actually report to our client and actually transfer our fees from our trust account to our general account. That is reality for me today. But, I could leave work feeling good about myself, because I was trying my best to be honest and true to myself, and to my clients.

The best line of the film for me came from Bud's dad (Martin Sheen):

Carl Fox: Stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.

Amen to that. Amen to creating something great, something beautiful, something that belongs to me.

Lou: The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.

The film was also fascinating, given the garbage that is continuing today in Corporate America (and Canada) with the various corporate criminals being nabbed daily, and finally actually going to jail.

Enough rhetoric for tonight. I hope it sparks something in you, positive or negative. Feel free to comment.

Law Schools: Links to all Canadian Law Schools

Need to do some surfing research on Canadian Law Schools? Here are all of the links:

University of Alberta Faculty of Law
University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
University of Calgary Faculty of Law
Dalhousie Law School
University of Manitoba Faculty of Law
Faculty of Law McGill University (Faculté de droit Université de McGill)
Faculté de droit de l'Université de Moncton
University of New Brunswick Law School
University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (Université d'Ottawa Faculté de droit)
Queen's University Faculty of Law
University of Saskatchewan College of Law
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
University of Victoria Faculty of Law
University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law
University of Windsor Faculty of Law
Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

Law School: Official Guide to Canadian Law Schools

If you want a great read about various stats on different law schools in Canada, visit the Official Guide to Canadian Law Schools, published on LSAC's website. It's really complete. I have never come across this resource before, so I am wondering how new it is. Good stuff!

Note that the next LSAT Dates and Deadlines are as follows:

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Monday, December 4, 2006*+

Saturday, February 10, 2007*

Monday, February 12, 2007*+

* This test is NONDISCLOSED. Persons who take a nondisclosed test receive only their scores. They do not receive their test questions, answer key, or individual responses.
+ This test is for Saturday Sabbath observers only.

Visit LSAC.org for full information.

Also, check through the archives of this blog for LSAT information, help and links.

More Law School Curricular Ruminations

Almost as stunning as Harvard Law School's (HLS) October 6, 2006, announcement that it is changing its first year curriculum is the relative lack of internet chatter about it since then. Things seemed to have peaked right after the announcement, and then dropped off precipitously. Maybe people voiced their opinions and then moved on to other subjects. Announcements and posts on the subject include HLS's official announcement, my October 9, 2006 post, a blog post by John Palfrey of HLS's Berkman Center, and comments on the Volokh Conspiracy.

But I keep thinking about it. And more to the point, I keep thinking about the current 1L curriculum at US law schools. Here are some of my thoughts and questions:

• What should be different in the current 1L curriculum, if anything? Did HLS get it right? Wrong? Miss the point?
• What courses among the standard 1L courses are perceived by students and law school grads as the most or least helpful or essential?
• What about legal research and writing courses? Should law schools teach their students such practical skills in distinct courses, or should they incorporate this sort of skills-building into other courses within the 1L and upperclass curriculum?
• By the same token, is HLS's new 1L course on legislation and regulations (see HLS's 10/6/06 announcement linked to above) something that should be in the first year curriculum of law schools? Or is the price of a separate course (taking time out of other 1L courses such as Torts or Contracts) simply too dear?

On that last point, it should be noted that a shift toward teaching more code-driven law has already occurred within some law school casebooks (and their supplements), at least to some extent. Look, for example, at a 1L Contracts casebook from 20 or 30 years ago versus a current casebook edition such as the one I use (Randy Barnett, Contracts: Cases and Doctrine (3d ed. 2003)). Chances are the new book, like Barnett's, includes significant use of the UCC. That's not to say, of course, that there shouldn't be more changes to the 1L curriculum, but it is to say that there has been some change in teaching focus in recent decades.

In any event, I would appreciate any comments readers might have on this subject.

Admissions: The Importance of where you do your undergrad degree

I had a call from a reader today who was considering transferring from her local, traditional university program to a long-distance learning program offerred through Athabasca University. Her question was whether such a move would be detrimental to her application success rate at various law schools. This is a good question, and I was glad to receive it.

From what I have heard, most, if not all law schools will not base your acceptance upon which university you have graduated from. However, I could be wrong about that. I would really appreciate any insight from any of you out there.

I can only really speak from personal experience. I completed my first degree at the University of Calgary. I wasn't satisfied with my GPA, and found my degree to be less than useful, so I enrolled at Athabasca University (Alberta) and completed a second degree in my true passion, English. My GPA was excellent, and seemed to serve very well in helping me to gain admittance at a number of law schools across Canada.

I have never heard of undergrad prejudice amongst admissions committees, but again, I could be proven wrong. I would love to hear any stories that would counter my experience.

Theft of a website

I noticed that sales of my book had gone down significantly this last week. I was really curious as to why, as sales are usually pretty steady. Demand for the book has increased over the last number of months. So, I started poking around, and realized that www.canadalawstudent.ca was no longer up. Some jerk snagged the URL. The URL had been registered to my old U of A email, and I guess they sent the notification that the URL was going to expire to that email. Well, I guess someone was lurking, because if you go to www.canadalawstudent.ca, you will now find somebody else's content. Boy, did that make me angry! I'm not linking to it in this post, because I don't want to support that jerk.

www.canadalawstudent.ca was built as a resource for current and prospective law students. It has been enjoyed by many, and is bookmarked by a lot of people.

As such, I will be reposting the content of that site to another URL within a few days. Please have patience with me. In the meantime, if you want the book, please click here. Sorry for the inconvenience. I wish that I could take that pirate down, but it would seem that he has now legally purchased the domain name, and we are all stuck scrambling to find another home on the WWW.

On another note, I promise to post some new material over the next week, so stay posted.

Harvard Law School's Curricular Changes

One of my recent posts invited readers to comment about what they think is good or bad about law school. Thanks to everyone who commented. The comments certainly have given me food for thought.

Now the faculty at Harvard Law School has weighed in on the matter (although unfortunately not through my blog). In their view, one of the biggest problems in current US legal education is the first-year curriculum. So, they have voted unanimously to implement radical changes. In the future, the first-year curriculum at Harvard will de-emphasize the caselaw method, with its reliance on appellate decisions, and focus more strongly on regulatory, governmental, and international sources of law. Yes, international. An October 6, 2006, announcement by Harvard Law School's Dean Elena Kagan can be found here, and a Boston Globe article discussing the changes can be found here. My thanks go to my colleague, Professor Michael McCann (who received his LL.M. from Harvard), for bringing this story to my attention. (FYI--Check out McCann's excellent Sports Law Blog here.)

This really is a stunning development. My teaching and research focus on international law and international trade regulation, so it's amazing to see. International legal courses are all too often viewed purely as strictly optional or luxury courses in law schools, and yet here is a pre-eminent law school turning that assumption completely on its head. I'm all for more international law in the law school curriculum, and yet honestly I do wonder whether the first year is the best place for it. It's something to think about, anyway.

But even more importantly, Harvard's move basically brings the whole model of legal education into question. Not the value of legal education per se, but rather the nature of the education now offered.

I will be paying attention to this revamped curriculum as it gets rolled out. Who knows--20 years from now, the current way of teaching law may be history. Given the frustration that many students feel in law school, and the perception of many law graduates (and their employers) that law school does not prepare people for the practice of law, perhaps these changes will be a good thing.

FYI--The Volokh Conspiracy has a post on this subject too, although that post focuses primarily on the addition of international law to the 1L curriculum. Check out the comments, which are largely negative, and very interesting.

A Few Things I Have Been Reading (While I Have Not Been Writing)

It's been a busy past few days, so I am a little behind on my posts. One thing I have been doing this fall is searching for additional sites that discuss law career issues, as well as some law students posts that may be worth checking out. The following are a few interesting things I have found recently.

2L student blog Shelley's Case has a nice response to a question I posted on this blog on September 26, 2006--namely, what your thoughts on law school might be. Shell's survival tips for the Socratic Method and comments about the classroom being like a courtroom are very good indeed--the latter especially. Like many things in life, interactions in the law school classroom can be thought of as roleplaying, which not only makes the experience more fun (or less awful at least), but perhaps more meaningful as well.

On a sidenote, the graphic design of that blog has changed. If I remember correctly, last year it was all in pastel colors, but this year it is monochromatic grayscale. A legal blog in shades of gray--somebody must have a sense of humor.

Second year associate blog Lack of Scienter. Visually very nice, and contentwise it is refreshing to hear the views of a junior associate who is not miserable or angry at her law firm. (At least not yet.) Good recent posts include one on the "Working Mothers" List (Sept. 26, 2006) (query: is there such a thing as a "Working Fathers" List?) and another on associate mentoring programs (Sept. 25, 2006), which is a favorite topic of mine. But read this blog's posts soon, since there are no archives, and old posts just get deleted.

The New York Lawyer. This is not a new site, but I only started reading it regularly this fall. It has lots of online articles relevant to newbie lawyers and people considering career changes within the law. Favorite recent article: Large Firm Life: Managing Junior Associates (Oct. 6, 2006). Note: You need to register to have access to this site, but registration is free.

Other Stuff? To be honest, this post was supposed to be about interesting new law student blogs, but frankly I haven't found any good new ones. (Check out the ones I already had listed on my blogroll, though.) Maybe it's because a lot of them say much the same thing: I'm overwhelmed, everyone IMs in class, exams stink, I'm drunk (again), etc. Those that seem more original don't necessarily discuss the kind of behavior I'd like to encourage--like the blog posts I found about how to sleep with half the attorneys and staff at the firm where you are a summer associate and still get a permanent offer (I'm definitely not dignifying that one with a link).

Maybe I am just turning into a cynical, crabby old geezer a decade or two before my allotted time. But I don't see much out there on the student side of things that catches my eye as worth reading. If anyone one sees something I missed, though, please post a comment and tell me about it.