10 replies to this topic

[rhinocerious3]

Hi, I'm looking for post-graduation statistics about U of O's common law section employment. What % are in private practice, gov't, public interest, academia, other fields, unemployed, etc. I've been poking around the U of O website, but the information doesn't seem to be forthcoming. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Greatly appreciated!

[NewAccount2012]

I go to a different law school in Ontario but I have a few friends who got to Ottawa U (common law proram). One of them, having failed to secure a summer and later an articling position, went to Career Services to ask for help and advice. She found them to be extrmeley unhelpful and rude. She asked for the same information that you asked for in your post and she was turned down. They told her that they don't release this kind of infromation and even refused to tell her what percentage in her class did not get an articlng position.

[kf203]

I can't really answer your question but really, I can promise you that the school you attend does not really have a hell of a lot to do with whether or not you get a job. Employers want to know that you know the law, that you have some relevant experience and that you will fit in with their firm. They don't really care whether you got those qualifications from Windsor or Ottawa or Osgoode or U of T as long as you can prove that you have them. I can tell you that I had about 15 articling interviews in various parts of the province this summer and not a single one questioned me on why I attended the school I attended or really ever indicated in any way that they cared which school I attended. I didn't get the jobs but that's because I screwed up my interviews...not because I went to U of O.

That being said, I can tell you that because of our social justice focus, quite a few students from UofO end up in public interest work. And because we're in Ottawa, there's also quite a few government that I know of. However there's also a lot in private practice/academia/unemployed/other field as well. We've really got a bit of everything I'd say.

[theiva4]

The school you go to does matter to some extent. Why does UofT always place #1 in Bay St. hiring?

[staffer]

theiva4, on 29 January 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

The school you go to does matter to some extent. Why does UofT always place #1 in Bay St. hiring?

I'm not saying U of T doesn't have a great reputation (I think there's no denying that it's seen as #1 in Canada) but when looking at the fact that they're #1 in Bay Street hiring you should recall that U of T also has the highest proportion of students originally from Toronto (even more than Osgoode). There's both a self-selection bias (more people seeking Bay St jobs because more of them want to be in Toronto for their entire career) and the fact that people from Toronto may have existing networks/connections that help on Bay St.

[erinl2]

Quote

you should recall that U of T also has the highest proportion of students originally from Toronto (even more than Osgoode)

Do schools publish this information? I've never seen or heard that before so I'm interested to know. What percentage is it for the Ontario schools?

[kf203]

staffer, on 30 January 2012 - 10:03 AM, said:

I'm not saying U of T doesn't have a great reputation (I think there's no denying that it's seen as #1 in Canada) but when looking at the fact that they're #1 in Bay Street hiring you should recall that U of T also has the highest proportion of students originally from Toronto (even more than Osgoode). There's both a self-selection bias (more people seeking Bay St jobs because more of them want to be in Toronto for their entire career) and the fact that people from Toronto may have existing networks/connections that help on Bay St.

I agree with this entirely. Even if the students are not originally from Toronto, when you spend three years in the city for law school you build connections in that city and no one can deny those connections help land jobs. You'd probably find that U of O students make up the majority of Ottawa hires, Western students make up the majority of London hires, etc.

theiva4, on 29 January 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

The school you go to does matter to some extent. Why does UofT always place #1 in Bay St. hiring?

I think there's also a misconception that everyone WANTS to end up on Bay St. Maybe more U of T students are interested in Bay St as opposed to students at other schools. Just because the majority of Bay St hires are from U of T does not mean that a student from U of O (or any other school) isn't just as qualified for that job. It could just as likely mean that the students from those other schools are just less inclined to apply to those jobs.

[Ziggy]

I emailed Ottawa asking for the employment statistics about a week and a half ago. I've not heard from them yet....
If I do, I'd be happy to share them here

[Kleese86]

Current U of O student here...my experience with the careers services office is that they are incredibly helpful and from talking to a friend of mine now clerking, she felt the same. I do not know current employment stats, but I do know that 8 of the current SCC clerks are U of O students...while I realize a lot of this has to do with the french program, it still suggests the school is doing something right.

Bay St is not the end all of law jobs, and nor should it be. I have heard that U of O has a higher number of students who struggle to get jobs out of school, but the school also has a higher number of students who want to do social justice or public interest work which is much more difficult to get into than the Bay St firms.

My experience is that if you work hard to get okay grades, and take initiative in networking and seeking out employment it doesn't matter what school you go to.

[Pyke]

The last law society of upper canada report pegged the number of U of O students looking for articles at ~45, which was more than the other five Ontario law schools *combined*. I suspect their employment statistics are the bleakest of any of the Canadian law schools, which has more to do with the increasing the class size from 200 spots to 300 spots without a corresponding increase in job market size. The job market did in fact absorb some of those students, just not all (or enough) of them.

[apenn034]

I do agree that increasing the class size dramatically over the last few years is a major factor in the higher unplaced statistics; however, I would caution current students or future applicants to draw this conclusion as the sole reason why uOttawa students are not placing. As a current student at uOttawa, I would put forward a couple other observations I have made during my time here to help explain these statistics:

(i) The social justice focus of the school and many of the school's students is a relevant factor in students pursuing other public interest positions that may not align with the traditional articling requirements (ex. policy-based positions post-grad, NGO work, etc);

(ii) Looking closer at the numbers, the largest segment of students (common law program at ~300) still has an competitive placement rate with only 12 students not getting matched. This placement statistic is actually better than Osgoode's if one looks solely at the programs specifically;

(iii) This latter point does not bode well for candidates in the National Program and the Civil law program, but again these programs and their associated students may have alternative career expectations due to their dual or regional specific degrees.

Ultimately I think that if you are proactive, focus hard on your studies, become involved in extracurriculars, and attempt to network, you should be fine. For the majority of candidates on this forum who are seeking a spot in the normal JD program, do not be misled by the placement statistics that lump all of uOttawa's programs in the same boat.

Edited by apenn034, 14 February 2012 - 08:45 AM.