Switching from medicine to law or law to medicine - JD/MD programs

I have had a few colleagues who were lawyers and then went to medical school and a few that were doctors and then decided to go to law school.  It seems far out maybe but they always had good reasons.  I just came across this interesting article in Canadian Lawyer Magazine on that very topic.  I learned that there are some JD/MD programs in the US.  That is pretty cool I think.  I wonder if any Canadian law schools or Canadian Medical schools have explored that option.  Thoughts? Comments?

Read the article.

https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/author/sara-tatelman/a-look-at-doctors-in-law-school-and-lawyers-in-med-school-16672/

High schools should teach family law basics

I read the above headline today in Canadian Lawyer magazine.  The author, Sara Tatelman, puts forward the premise that high school students should receive some basic family law decision curriculum in grade 10, arguing that since Ontario has determined to include some basic financial education curriculum, "making informed romantic decisions that carry enormous legal and financial repercussions is just as important." 

I have often thought about this idea - that high school students should all receive basic financial and life-skill education, but I hadn't thought about covering the basics of family law.  Some good topics might include:

1. What are the implications of marriage as opposed to a common-law relationship?
2. Will you be able to survive upon separation from a spouse?  Spousal support and child support.
3. How do you protect your property upon entering a cohabitation relationship?
4. Are pre-nuptial agreements a good idea?
5. What happens with my children if I split up from their father?
6. Do I have to pay child support for all children that I help to conceive?

What are your thoughts? 

Read the full story here. 

Kawaskimhon Moot for Canadian Law School Students

I was happy to see Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie hosted the Kawaskimhon Moot for the first time this year.  I participated in that aboriginal law moot during law school, and it was a highlight for me.  This year 18 Canadian law schools participated.  That's just great!

"The Kawaskimhon (Cree for “speaking with knowledge”) is unique among moot court competitions in that it’s a consensus-based, non-adversarial moot incorporating Indigenous legal orders alongside federal, provincial, and international law. This year’s moot problem is focused on the reform of Canada’s First Nations Child and Family Services Program."

“The students are excited about the theme, which is very current,” says Schulich School of Law Professor Naiomi Metallic, Dalhousie’s Chancellor’s Chair in Aboriginal Law and Policy. “It’s an opportunity for them to dive into this issue.”

https://www.dal.ca/faculty/law/current-students/kawaskimhon-moot-2019.html

Gifted 16-year-old student will use new license -- to drive herself to law school

This is an interesting story about a 16 year old who has been accepted into 9 law schools already. Haley Taylor Schlitz  has accepted "a nice scholarship" and will attend Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.  Neat.

More at https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/gifted-16-year-student-license-drive-law-school/story?id=61805537

New Law School at Memorial University? Tuition of $30,000!!! What?

I cannot imagine having to pay $30,000 per year for tuition at a Canadian Law School, but it appears that may be where we are headed for given this article about the proposed new law school at Memorial University.

https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/tuition-at-new-law-school-could-hit-30k-16983/

It is hard to contemplate taking on that much student debt unless there are good jobs waiting at the other end of law school.  I hope that is the case on the east coast.  Tuition has grown so much over the last decade at a number of Canadian law schools and American law schools.  I suppose $30,000 is still a bargain compared to some of the top ranked American law schools where you are now paying over $60,000 US for tuition.

I am also wondering about the need for a new 300 student law school at this point.  I might have to do some more research into this initiative.

Free summer LSAT prep course at University of Calgary Faculty of Law

University of Calgary Faculty of Law announced that they are now offering a free summer LSAT prep course for low-income, high-potential students interested in pursuing a law degree.  You can find more information at the link below, along with the application form.  Very cool!



https://law.ucalgary.ca/future-students/our-programs/lsat-summer-prep-course

Law School Rankings - Canadian Law Schools

I am always curious about law school rankings and whether they mean very much.  Macleans has not put out law school rankings for many years regarding Canadian Law Schools.  Thoughts? Are they valid?  Worthwhile?

Here's a story from yesterday about US law school rankings:

https://www.law.com/therecorder/2019/03/12/latest-u-s-news-law-school-ranking-offers-few-surprises-403-31111/?slreturn=20190213182342

So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh? Law School in Canada, Third Edition, has been released.  It should be available on Amazon.ca, Chapters.ca and in mainstream bookstores across Canada shortly.  It takes a little while for it to be distributed upon publication.  So, watch for it.  It is now 408 pages, with a number of new chapters.  The previous edition was 278 pages.

So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh? Law School in Canada about to be released

 

It's been a while!  I have received many, many emails over the years from prospective Canadian law school students asking when an updated version of So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh? Law School in Canada might be released.  Well, your wait is almost over.  In March, 2019, RCT Press will be releasing the Third Edition of this Canadian Law School guidebook.  Stand by.  It will be available through all online booksellers, including Amazon.ca and Chapters.ca in both print and e-Book editions.

Every year, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people apply to Canadian law schools, vying for just over 2,000 coveted spots. The competition is even fiercer when applying for a law job. Adam Letourneau, QC, graduate of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, recipient of a post-graduate LLM degree from University College London Faculty of Laws, former Bencher of the Law Society of Alberta, former Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Alberta Law Review and Managing Partner of LETOURNEAU LLP, reveals in this 3rd Edition many insider tips on how to gain admittance to law school in Canada, how to cope and succeed in law school, and most importantly, how to land a coveted law job post-graduation. Drawing upon personal experience and the experiences of numerous Canadian law school graduates, Adam Letourneau, QC shares, in the 3rd edition, insights on the LSAT, applying for law school, study strategies, summer jobs, the articling application process, succeeding as a lawyer and much more. Letourneau, along with new co-author Mitchell Heyland, will save you hours of research, hours of study and tons of stress. Including updated admissions information, what being a lawyer is like, salary updates and more. 

About the Authors: 

Adam Letourneau, QC, JD, LLM (Lond) is Managing Partner of LETOURNEAU LLP.  He was awarded a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Alberta, and completed post-graduate studies and was awarded a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in International Dispute Resolution from University College London and Queen Mary University of London, University of London.  His undergraduate degrees are in English and Psychology.  Adam has been an elected Bencher (Governor) of the Law Society of Alberta. He is an Instructor at the Dhillon School of Business at the University of Lethbridge, teaching Management Law, Employment and Labour Law,  Negotiation and Collective Bargaining, as well as Introduction to Management.

Adam's law practice focuses on family law, as well as mediation and arbitration.  Adam is a Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb) and Chartered Mediator (C.Med).  Adam wrote the first edition of SO, YOU WANT TO BE A LAWYER, EH? in his third year of law school, and has published and written updated 2nd and 3rd editions over the years.  Adam is the former Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Alberta Law Review. He was appointed as Queen's Counsel in 2015. He is the proud father of five children and is a very happy and blessed husband.

Mitchell Heyland, JD, originally from Alberta, Canada, graduated with a degree in management with distinction from the University of Lethbridge and attended law school at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (a member of the Ivy League), having received a significant entrance scholarship.  Mitchell was also Associate and then Senior Editor for The University of Pennsylvania Law Review and was Research Assistant to Professor Robinson at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  During law school, Mitchell wrote narratives to introduce interesting cases for a forthcoming edition of a textbook, compiled reading assignments for a seminar on the crimes of heroes, and prepared memoranda for a Law Review article on disconnecting justice and a book on vigilantes. He graduated law school magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, and was a James Wilson Scholar.

Mitchell is an Associate in the Finance Practice Group at  Haynes and Boone, LLP in Dallas, Texas.  Mitchell worked at LETOURNEAU LLP as a student before embarking on his legal studies. 

The Going Rate

I came across a 2010 legal fees survey conducted by Canadian Lawyer's Magazine (see here). I found it quite fascinating to go through, and wondered if it might be a useful resource when meeting with clients - especially when they are asking for estimates or quotes for various legal services.

I was a little surprised to see the fee ranges for some legal services. For example, a civil action trial (2 days) runs from $18,185 to $62,843 (avg $26,444). I noticed that fees for small firms (1-4 lawyers) were often lower. For some services fees were higher in the Western region than in Ontario, but the opposite for other services. I wonder why?

I was also quite impressed to see that our firm's rates were on par with average fees across the board. That's pretty amazing since we kind of came up with them on our own. However, we do try to base fees on the actual work involved in the service.

Tips for lawyers re-qualifying in Canada

Read about re-qualifying as a lawyer in Canada here (Lawyer's Weekly).

Law School in Canada vs. USA

The McGill Tribune

By Elisa Muyl

"For students who have had their hearts set on going to law school since childhood, David Segal's recent New York Times article, "Is Law School a Losing Game?" offered a familiar but oft-ignored warning: law school is difficult and expensive; proceed with caution.

In his article, chronicling the overwhelming debt and the unforgiving job market faced by an estimated 44,000 hopeful American JDs each year, Segal argues that the decision to pursue a legal degree should not be taken lightly, since, contrary to the statistics being published by the schools themselves, it's an investment that doesn't necessarily offer great returns..." read more here.

LU Law School coming soon

A proposed law program at Lakehead University is being recommended by an approval committee for law programs in Canada. Read more here.

Expansion is good, but it hurts

So, my little start-up law firm is now three lawyers strong (myself and two associates), as well as various staff. We focus on family law, real estate, wills and estates, corporate law, but also on more esoteric areas such as aboriginal treaty rights, residential school stuff, and water law. It's been a lot of fun adding staff, desks, computers, etc. over the past few months. We're excited at the prospects, even with the current downturn in the economy. There is a lot of potential out there, but it will take some enginuity and diligence to have real staying power.

I have found that customer service is the absolute most important thing towards building a successful legal practice. No advertising, networking, google adwording, schmoozing, brown-nosing, volunteer service, or other thing compares to having a happy and satisfied customer who will come back to you later on, or better yet, will refer a friend to you. A very large part of my personal practice is based on this concept. It creates a very loyal client base, and makes it much easier to keep a steady work-flow, and to keep the stress down.

Business is booming for legal clinic

Posted at The Whig By MIKE NORRIS MNORRIS@THEWHIG.COM

"Fledgling entrepreneurs and some Queen's University law students can agree on one thing:
Business is booming in Kingston.

The newly established Queen's Business Law Clinic provides legal advice -- free of charge -- to small, start-up and not-for-profit businesses in the city. A four-month pilot project last winter was so successful, the clinic will now be a year-round operation.

'The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Kingston,' said Professor Peter Kissick, director of the law clinic.

'I was surprised by how sophisticated the files are, from software to carpentry businesses. There's a wide variety of things going on.'"

Read the whole article here.

These kinds of clinics are essential, not only for access to justice, but also access to legal information for those who cannot afford a retainer for a lawyer, or who are just starting to do the legwork for their start-up business, or a legal transaction or action. Good stuff! Congratulations on your success so far law clinic law students! We appreciate you.

Top Five Canadian Law Schools Rank Same as 2008

Maclean's put out their 2009 Canadian Law School Ranking in September. No changes in the Top 5. Also, very little changes in 12 to 16.

1. Toronto (1)
2. McGill (2)
3. Osgoode (3)
4. UBC (4)
5. Victoria (5)
6. Queen's (8)
7. Dalhousie (6)
8. Ottawa (7)
9. Alberta (9)
10. Western (12)
11. Calgary (10)
12. Saskatchewan (12)
13. Manitoba (10)
13. New Brunswick (12)
15. Windsor (15)
16. Moncton (16)

I don't put a ton of stock in Maclean's ranking, but it is interesting to see the consistency from year to year. Victoria used to be much higher. I am surprised to see UBC so high the last two years, as it didn't use to rank that high. Calgary keeps dipping. Alberta should be ranked higher, especially given all the money that has been thrown at it lately.

Law school alumnus gives back to university

"Frank MacInnis said he experienced a 'brief moment of terror' when his former law professor summoned him to the podium Friday, a startling admission from a man who now presides over a U. S.-based Fortune 500 company.

'Old habits die hard,' MacInnis told a laughing audience at the University of Alberta, recalling his friendly, yet sometimes adversarial relationship with former law dean David Percy.

Of course, there was no reason for argument Friday, when MacInnis and his wife were honoured for a $2.5-million donation to Percy's faculty-- the largest single gift the U of A law school has ever received."

That is a very nice donation from a very nice, and obviously successful alumnus. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. MacInnis!

Think twice about going to law school - firm chairman says

Financial Post

Posted: September 25, 2009, 11:26 AM by Mitch Kowalski
Practice Management, Legal News, Mitch Kowalski, Associates, Law schools

"Every time a friend of mine tells me that her daughter or son is contemplating law school I try to dissuade them. This isn't the 60's - when a law degree was a ticket to the good life. The profession is a brutally difficult way to earn a living for either gender. And it ain't getting better.
Now it seems I have some support for my comments. Peter Kalis, chairman of large, international firm K & L Gates, was interviewd by the Wall Street Journal and said much the same thing. Kalis says that schools are "pouring tens of thousands of young people into a market that I suspect is not going to be able to absorb them at the remuneration levels that would have justified them taking on. . ."

I would like to read more...but they make you register. I hate this form of news where I am forced to pay to read something that I should be able to read for free online. I mean, I shouldn't have to have a subscription just to read an article...

In any case, the comment is a fair one, and is one that more young aspiring law students should think about. Or, as the writer indicates, a thought that more parents of aspiring law students should think about.

Silverberg realizes long-held dream

Former police chief relishing career as lawyer

Read this great little article about the former Calgary Chief of Police. She attended law school in Calgary with a friend of mine. It's neat to see where she ended up. I think it's pretty impressive. She works now with Willy deWit (former boxer) and the lawyer who recently won the David Milgaard wrongful conviction case. I was also impressed to see that she became a partner in a national law firm four years after finishing law school.

Law school at Thompson Rivers University

By Melissa Lampman - Kamloops This Week

Published: February 17, 2009 5:00 PM

A plan to launch a law school at Thompson Rivers University is yet another step in making it the most comprehensive post-secondary institution in the nation.

In the Speech from the Throne on Monday, the province announced the creation of the new law school — one of three in B.C. — slated to open by 2011.

The plan is to have a three-year, fully accredited bachelor of law program accepting a minimum of 40 students per year with a focus on social, cultural and economic realities of Canadian rural settings.

'Isn’t this great? Now the work really begins,' said TRU president Kathleen Scherf of the next couple of years of intense planning to make the school a reality."

Isn't what great? Another law school in a market that is full of job losses and downsizing? Good timing! I don't think this is a good idea. Even if it does happen, it shouldn't happen for another decade or more - until there is an actual demand.