3 replies to this topic

[maturestudent]

Could anyone who has been through Osgoode please let me know if open book or take-home exams are used in first year classes? I notice in the syllabus that some upper year courses have open book exams, but there is no mention about this for first year. I know opinions about the benefits of this vary, but I personally would rather deal with more complex problems than memorizing a lot of details. In practice, lawyers do use notes and look things up in books. (I was just watching a video of Julian Assange's appeal at the UK Supreme Court, and noticed that his barrister was reading her submission from notes.)

U of T publishes its evaluation methods, and most first year exams there are open book:

http://www.law.utoro...escriptions.pdf

[whereverjustice]

When I was a 1L at Osgoode (2008-2009), all but one of my exams were open-book.

[JudgeDredd]

depends on the professors for your section...the vast majority do open-book but a couple profs usually do a take-home exams, and one of the contracts profs does a closed book.

[baklava]

1L at Osgoode here. Between my section (4 sections make up an entire year of students) and from what I've heard from students in other sections, most exams are open book. A few professors are closed-book; and some restrict the amount of material you can bring in. The majority definitely appear to be "unlimited" open book, though.