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Law School

Sr. Member
Jun 25, 2001
605 posts
140 upvotes
Kitchener, ON

Law School

So I am thinking about going to Law Schoool. I have a main interest in IP (due to my engineering undergrad). But I would also be interested in corporate/tax law. Any schools in Canada that you would recommmend?

I plan on writing the LSAT in october, I am getting a few study books from a friend within the next week. Is there anything I could do in the meantime to start studying. Likely taking the test once would be a good idea I presume?
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Deal Fanatic
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Oct 26, 2003
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Nepean
I'm planning to do the same thing after i finish my engineering degree (IP Law)

I'm gonna be talking to the law faculty to see my options so I'lll let you know what I find out
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Nov 26, 2003
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dummjock wrote:So I am thinking about going to Law Schoool. I have a main interest in IP (due to my engineering undergrad). But I would also be interested in corporate/tax law. Any schools in Canada that you would recommmend?

I plan on writing the LSAT in october, I am getting a few study books from a friend within the next week. Is there anything I could do in the meantime to start studying. Likely taking the test once would be a good idea I presume?
you can always take the test again. Also, just go to [rfdlink=/forums/autolink/redirectpage.php?linkid=32]chapters[/rfdlink] and hang out for a few hours. I was going through some LSAT tests, and they seem pretty logical to me. I don't know how much studying is needed, but it seems to be a "practice makes perfect" types of tests where MCAT is "knowledge is key" types.
Member
May 28, 2005
226 posts
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Toronto
taro-chan wrote:you can always take the test again.
Yikes; think twice.

You can take the LSAT again, but law schools will AVERAGE your LSAT attempts, or take the midpoint between your two most recent tries. So you're well advised to nail it the first time around.

The GMAT's different, because b-schools look at your most recent attempt.
Deal Fanatic
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Nov 26, 2003
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that i didnt know
i was just briefly looking at the LSAT books only and didnt realize they did that.

thanks for the info
Deal Addict
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Oct 29, 2002
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Ottawa
Bradjar wrote:Yikes; think twice.

You can take the LSAT again, but law schools will AVERAGE your LSAT attempts, or take the midpoint between your two most recent tries. So you're well advised to nail it the first time around.

The GMAT's different, because b-schools look at your most recent attempt.
Not all law schools average your lsat scores, some only take the highest or most recent

By the way, I'll be taking the lsat in october too. Make sure you've registered because tomorrow is the last day for the october time slot.

FS: Nothing
Deal Fanatic
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May 1, 2005
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Ottawa
taro-chan wrote:you can always take the test again. Also, just go to [rfdlink=/forums/autolink/redirectpage.php?linkid=32]chapters[/rfdlink] and hang out for a few hours. I was going through some LSAT tests, and they seem pretty logical to me. I don't know how much studying is needed, but it seems to be a "practice makes perfect" types of tests where MCAT is "knowledge is key" types.
Not completely. You have to be familiarized with the materials for the MCATs, but most of the information is provided in the passage. It mainly takes deductive skills and critical thinking to be able to spot the answer. There are few questions that actually draw on your knowledge (the discrete questions).
Deal Addict
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Aug 15, 2003
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Law school is 1000x easier than engineering...but I guess that depends on the person.

If you're interested in IP law, you will need STRONG undergrad grades.
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Nov 26, 2003
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Bordello wrote:Not completely. You have to be familiarized with the materials for the MCATs, but most of the information is provided in the passage. It mainly takes deductive skills and critical thinking to be able to spot the answer. There are few questions that actually draw on your knowledge (the discrete questions).
ya, i know. but if you have the background, the passages are 10x easier.
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May 1, 2005
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taro-chan wrote:ya, i know. but if you have the background, the passages are 10x easier.
10x easier? Haha, have you seen the MCAT? It'll help you to go through the passages faster, but it won't always get you the answers.
Deal Fanatic
Aug 27, 2004
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Toronto, ON
dummjock wrote:So I am thinking about going to Law Schoool. I have a main interest in IP (due to my engineering undergrad). But I would also be interested in corporate/tax law. Any schools in Canada that you would recommmend?

I plan on writing the LSAT in october, I am getting a few study books from a friend within the next week. Is there anything I could do in the meantime to start studying. Likely taking the test once would be a good idea I presume?
There's been a thread about LSAT already - my advice, don't worry about it too hard. Get a book or two of old tests (the official ones from LSAC), go over those in simulated text conditions, and good luck! It's not that bad. In the other thread, there was a discussion about prep courses, too, though I would personally suggest saving the money to pay your tuition bill. Engineers get shafted with undergrad tuition in Ontario at least... but law students get shafted^2.

As for recommended law schools... well, having now met two tax profs from U of T, I must say that I'd have a lot of confidence in those gentlemen's ability to teach, if tax is what you're interested in (ask me again in two years how good they are in actual class, but it might be too late for you),... and the general consensus among wannabe-law-school types seems to be that U of T is the law school to be at, though the people I talk to (read: people going to U of T in September) are no doubt a little biased in that department.

First piece of advice: if you're doing LSAT in October and want to go to Ontario schools, the deadline for applying is usually Nov. 1 (if you want to go to BC/Dal/McGill, the deadlines are more January/February). At least in the case of U of T, you don't want to write up your personal statement at the last minute. It's your 2-3 pages to spin your life story into a compelling argument for the admissions committee to like you... and given the gazillions of people with excellent academic records from top universities and high LSAT scores, the last thing you want is a personal statement full of spelling/grammar mistake or that doesn't make its point effectively. That may sound like common sense, but if I was a betting man, I'd bet that at least 1/3 of the applications don't follow that rule.

Second piece of advice: if you have any questions about anything admissions-related, ask the people at the law schools... they don't bite and can be very helpful. And if they get to like you before even reading your formal application, it doesn't hurt...
Deal Fanatic
Aug 27, 2004
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taro-chan wrote:you can always take the test again. Also, just go to [rfdlink=/forums/autolink/redirectpage.php?linkid=32]chapters[/rfdlink] and hang out for a few hours. I was going through some LSAT tests, and they seem pretty logical to me. I don't know how much studying is needed, but it seems to be a "practice makes perfect" types of tests where MCAT is "knowledge is key" types.
The key to LSAT is to be able to do it within the 30 minute/section limit (or is it 25 mins?).

Some sections, like analytical reasoning for me (the "John PMed in Oakville. Mary PMed in Pickering. Mary saw Jane heading to Stooples. What Stooples did Bill PM at?"-type questions), are very very very difficult to finish in time, yet if you had about 10-15 more minutes, you'd get them all right.
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Oct 26, 2003
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mintchoco wrote:Law school is 1000x easier than engineering...but I guess that depends on the person.

If you're interested in IP law, you will need STRONG undergrad grades.
unless you've taken both i don't see how which is easier and which is harder
Deal Fanatic
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Nov 26, 2003
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Bordello wrote:10x easier? Haha, have you seen the MCAT? It'll help you to go through the passages faster, but it won't always get you the answers.
eh... there is a reason why people take health sciences before taking the MCAT.
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May 1, 2005
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taro-chan wrote:eh... there is a reason why people take health sciences before taking the MCAT.
Yeah, because med schools require them before applying.
Jr. Member
Aug 17, 2005
152 posts
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I've done law school and biochemistry undergrad. Trust me.... law school is much easier. If you want to work in corporate/tax than Bay Street firms are where it is at. If you want to work in IP than your best options are Ottawa and Toronto. I would suggest that you figure out which field you want first and commit to that. These two fields are very specialized and unless you start out in that field it is very difficult to get in. You should also think about pursuing your p-eng. Competition is getting tough and more people have advanced degrees. By the time you graduate, Ph.D's and P-Eng's will be common among applicants to IP firms.

Keep in mind the cost of tuition. The more "reputable" schools have tuition fees which are subtantially more than others (ie. UofT is $18,000/yr). Also keep in mind that "reputable" does not necessarily equal better education. If you want Bay Street, however, the reputation carries a lot of weight.

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