I’m getting a new MacBook Air for 1L, upgrading the 13” Air I’ve had since undergrad.

For those who also use Mac, would you recommend 13” or 15”? I have gone to the store to see in-person - the thing is that I’m so used to the 13” that I’m not sure if the 15” seems huge to me because I’m not used to it or if it’s actually too big (also I can’t exactly carry the laptop around the Apple Store to test out how it feels). It seems big to me, but I’ve heard some people say it can make a world of a difference for readings and multitasking. On the other hand, I’m worried about portability and being able to easily set up shop in a cafe or library or sitting on a couch with the 15”.

Any thoughts from current or former students are appreciated

Just 27 per cent of Nunavut domestic violence charges resulted in a guilty verdict in 2024, newly released data from Statistics Canada shows.

I took the LSAT June Sitting and I scored a 163, I barely studied for it so I’m wondering if it would be worth studying to retake in the next available sitting (I know I’ve missed August’s registration). I have a roughly 3.3 GPA on the 4.0 Scale and I’m thinking that if I got a better LSAT score it may compensate for the low GPA.

I know they look at each applicant holistically and consider other extracurricular factors but wasn’t sure how much those were weighted against the academic criteria.

I’m going to be applying to Ontario schools (UofT, Osgoode, Western, Windsor). Any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m starting my 4th year in September and I’m a bit confused about what the best next step is for law school.

I’m currently doing my BA at York. My average is around a 5.5 on York’s 9-point scale, which I believe is approximately a 75% average. To graduate with an Honours BA, I would need to do an extra semester in a 5th year.

I’m wondering how much an Honours degree actually matters for law school admissions. Would it be better to take the extra semester to complete the Honours BA, or should I focus my time and energy on LSAT prep and aim to write the LSAT in September/October?

I’m trying to figure out what would strengthen my application the most. Any advice from people who have applied to law school, especially in Canada/Ontario, would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I was looking through the 2L summer student applications on viLawPortal. I started to think if it was even worth it considering my average for 1L is a 70%. Contracts was my strongest course at 76%. Practically all firms, large and boutique, are looking for students that have at the very least a B+ average. I tried applying for legal advocacy positions in my first year in a couple of positions but did not get into any clinics or anything. I again applied for pro bono this summer, but of course, no call back or email. I am applying again for 2L hoping I am able to get a position. 

My pre-law background has lots of volunteering at hospitals, a distress line, and a food bank. I had a job as a medical lab tech where we did research and our abstract was published in a scientific journal. 

My low grades and lack of any advocacy have got me thinking if it's even worth applying in Toronto. Should I not even waste my time?

Hi everyone,

I am going into my first year at Uottowa for the common law program.

I am having an incredibly difficult time navigating and figuring out the process to course selection. The website is unbelievably difficult and confusing, and the requirements that I can tell are mandatory are also proving challenging to grasp.

I see the following are the requirements for first year and the bottom three are the path I was interested in regarding group sizes.

JD (English) for students entering as of September 2025

• CML 1101 - Legal Foundations: Research, Strategy, Analysis (1 unit)
• CML 1102 - Contracts (5 units)
• CML 1307 - Law, Reconciliation & Decolonization (3 units)
• CML 1106 - Dispute Resolution and Professional Responsibility (3 units)
• CML 1108 - Property (5 units)
• CML 1203 - Criminal Law and Procedure (6 units) small group
• CML 1116 - Introduction to Public Law and Constitutional Law (5 units) large group
• CML 1107 - Torts (5 units) large group

I have no idea how I should be splitting these up between fall and winter terms. I know most of the courses have two parts, but I havent a clue how to split the remaining courses up such that it satisfies the requirements appropriately. Dont wanna overload in first term, for obvious reasons but also want to ensure compliance.

Also - should I be taking electives or is the first year purely mandatory courses?

ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED... Lol.

Truthfully - if you are going into 1L at Uottowa, and have finished course selection and want to share what youve taken, that would be awesome so I get a sense what I am doing wrong here.

Hello! I am a reservist entering law school in the fall and I want to know if any CAF PRes members have managed to combine parading once a week/exercising with going to law school. I am very anxious about potentially having to go on ED&T and want to know if there’s a way to maintain my presence at the unit while also going to law school.

For reference, my unit is 2 hours away from where I will be attending law school and my trade is location-specific aka I won’t be able to transfer to a unit nearby without having to change trades which I prefer not to do, but considering. Any advice appreciated.

Got rejected from all the ones I applied to... Ontario. Have a 1L job helping out a solo practitioner as an assistant but that's it. I have decent grades but I feel like there's nothing that will differentiate me in the sea of qualified candidates.

Hi everyone, I am considering furthering my education after my J.D but on the fence about it. I’m wondering how the licensing process will affect me, as the school I’m at I don’t need to article (IPC component which bypassed this- seems like I will not article and instead write the bar when I graduate 2027) but I’m not sure if there a certain period that I must take the BAR admissions tests? And if take a masters degree program/further education fall of 2027, right after I graduate 3L in spring 2027, would it hinder my ability to become a licensed and practicing lawyer? Or would I be expected to write the bar and take my masters program? I am a first gen with no lawyer friends/family + my student services is pretty limited help!
Plz let me know any experiences, how to navigate after graduation, to furthering education and anything and everything in between!

I’m looking for advice from anyone who has gone to law school in Ontario as a mature student, especially if you didn’t finish high school.
I’m 24 years old and currently work full-time in sales. I dropped out of high school when I was younger, but Ive always been very interested in pursuing a career in law. If I could go back in time, I honestly think I would have tried to become a lawyer from the start.
My biggest concern is that I don’t have a high school diploma and I’m not sure what the most realistic path forward looks like. My understanding is that I would likely need to complete my high school credits, then earn a bachelor’s degree, write the LSAT, and apply to law school. However, I’m wondering if there are any alternative pathways, mature student admissions options, or college-to-university transfer routes that I should be looking into. I am 24 so I dont have much time to spare and I am eager to move forward!
A few questions:
● Has anyone here gone from being a high school dropout to law school in Ontario?
● Did you finish high school first, get a GED/equivalent, or use a mature student pathway?
● What undergraduate programs would you recommend for someone interested in law?
● Is there anything you wish you knew before starting the process?
I’m willing to put in the work, but I’d like to hear from people who have actually gone through something similar and learn what the most practical route is.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Anyone knows the historical gpa for making UCalg Dean’s List? 1L,2L,3L?

Hi everyone! I'm an incoming 1L. I made the switch to law in the middle of my medical science undergrad due to a variety for reasons, so going into law school I've never really taken a proper law course. I struggled a lot in undergrad and with the LSAT - but by the grace of God, I was accepted this year. I realized that a lot of my struggles comes from heavy memorization, as I found heavy sciencey courses difficult to study for.

Has anyone made a similar switch and would like to offer some advice on how to study and succeed in law school? Any advice is so much appreciated! I am really worried about starting law school because I didn't have high grades in undergrad, and all the lawyers I've talked to stressed about the importance of getting high grades in 1L :(

Hi everyone! I am a 3L at BLFL and think I am going to go ahead with bypassing articling because my law school allows this, which makes me eligible to write the bar and become a practicing lawyer once I pass the bar admissions tests. However, I am unsure of my future (I know that I don’t want big law or the gruelling hours that come with it) and more so want a clinic/legal support centre, government organization (I have experience working for govt org as student) or even a university/college/law school professor (this would be my main goal I believe). I’m interested in hearing from graduates from Toronto Metropolitan University, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, and how their lives are now that they have completed law school, passed the bar and are now practicing.

Do you regret not articling? How did you decide what to/practice area without the experience of articling? Have you had any difficulties in securing a job? Are there any perceived limits from the article bypass? How do you explain to employers/how aware are employers of the IPC components?

I am planning on practicing in the GTA/potentially northern Ontario. I know everyone’s life and circumstances are different and I honour each perspective even if it doesn’t align with the “norm”!

Title, grades being equal.