Even if that were true (I have no idea), I'd wouldn't put much stock in that given the recent hatchet job of a provincial budget.
That said, 2L at UCalgary here and I think everyone I know who was looking for a Vancouver summer got one. So being the next province over isn't the end of the world if the scholarship comes into play as a big factor.
I know there are some other threads about this topic but I'm wondering if this holds true for specifically this scenario and there are quite a few vague or mixed answers on the topic, I'm wonder if phrasing it differently would elicit a different answer. Do BigLaw firms in Toronto/Vancouver hire people with really bad undergrad marks(CGPA) that end up doing very well in Law(1L specifically). This is a hypothetical situation. Has anyone had this experience where they were a summer student or articled in a big law firm and did well in law school but poorly in undergrad?(I suspect these are unicorns but I'm still curious)
One of the reasons I'm asking is because certain law schools attract more students who have a really great undergrad transcript and those schools have better representation in big law firms in Ontario(source: Ultravire). I'm wondering if the students advantage is also having really high undergrad marks which influence hiring.
I read this question and I was really hoping someone would have wise words in response. Have you made any discoveries on how to apply for associate jobs? @mrn2008
1L at UBC here. I was also deciding between UVic and UBC earlier this year. I ended up choosing UBC because I wanted to work in Vancouver and the cost factor (I was able to live at home and save $$$). I was also worried about the competitiveness at UBC but so far it hasn't been an issue. People are super friendly and collaborative, much more so than in undergrad. It was really easy to make friends and form study groups despite the fact that I'm not that outgoing.
There is competitiveness in the sense that everyone is trying their best and striving to be above average but I doubt that that's uniquely a UBC thing. The small group you're placed in also makes a difference. I've heard some posters say their small group is very corporate focused but I found mine to be the opposite - full of social justice and public interest folks. The school is also large enough that you will probably find people with similar interests as you.
If you are interested in criminal law, the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic and the Innocence Project are also great experiential learning opportunities. I'm not sure how competitive these are but an upper year told me that if you're really interested in clinic placements, you should be able to get into one but it may not be your top choice. You could also volunteer at LSLAP within the first month of law school. I didn't do this, but I know people who were going to court in their third month of law school.