6 replies to this topic

[kiron]

Some thoughts?

Osgoode:
pros:
brand name
good for academia
lots of clinics
In Toronto so large legal market access
Large alumni connection

cons:
large class size
large commuter school
affiliated with York University, sucks when people asks which University you go to
legal market in Toronto about stagnant
tuition costs

Calgary:
pros:
small class size
pretty good for energy corporate law
low provincial tax in Alberta
access to 2nd largest legal market in Canada and legal market will be growing
cheap tuition
lots of practical approach
ranks higher compared to Osgoode in articling rates in big firms based on class size ratio

cons:
very new law school so not enough brand
not academically known
good commuting population


Am I missing anything else?

[LikeThat12]

kiron, on 04 February 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

Some thoughts?

Osgoode:

pros:
good for academia

cons:
affiliated with York University, sucks when people asks which University you go to

That pro cancels out that [misunderstood] con. I think the major consideration is where you would like to work when you finish school - Alberta or Ontario. Another important consideration is each school's breadth of corporate law courses: see Osgoode here and Calgary here.

Edited by LikeThat12, 04 February 2012 - 10:01 PM.

[BetterCallSaul]

^Agreed. As others around this board have noted, the 'brand' of Ontario schools (including Oz/UofT) hold little sway with employers in Western Canada.

Simply put, if you want to live and work out West - study out West.

[NucksFTW]

Calgary's a great corporate law market, but not a great corporate law school.
If you want to work in the Calgary legal market you'd be well advised to study in Calgary.
However, it would be easier to come work in the Calgary market with an Osgoode degree than it would be to work in the Toronto market with a U Calgary degree.
So, if you're undecided Osgoode would probably be the safer choice.

[staffer]

kiron, on 04 February 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

Calgary:
...

cons:
very new law school so not enough brand

Calgary has had a law school for 35 years. It's older than both Moncton Law and TRU Law (obviously) and just a few years younger than Windsor Law and U Vic Law.

[BetterCallSaul]

Either way, 35 years is still very new for a law school. I think what OP is trying to convey is that Calgary has not been around long enough to develop a list of distinguished alumni.

[LikeThat12]

BetterCallSaul, on 07 February 2012 - 05:02 AM, said:

Either way, 35 years is still very new for a law school. I think what OP is trying to convey is that Calgary has not been around long enough to develop a list of distinguished alumni.

That's one of my major pros for Osgoode. I'm not sure if it's reasonable to incorporate alumni into one's decision, but check out those names. I mean... Ernie Eves...boom!