Law, Eh? Canadian Law School - Seite 2 
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.
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).