What is a J.D.?

globeandmail.com: Why change to a JD degree?

Above is a link to an interesting article from the Globe & Mail detailing the debate surrounding the choice of letters designating a Canadian law degree.

I am personally very happy that I will have both a traditional Canadian LL.B. and a U.S. J.D. but I can understand some of the concerns of my LL.B. colleagues.

One suggestion I would add is that all Canadian schools should treat law school as a full professional, post-graduate degree program. This would also mean students entering law school must have a full 4 year undergraduate degree. There really is no reason law students should be considered undergraduates while our M.B.A. counterparts are full graduate students.

Anyhow, that's my 2 cents.

Within the article, there is a short 2 grafs on the program:

A twist in the tale, however, is that not all JD degrees granted by Canadian law schools are the same. Some schools, such as the University of Windsor Law School and that of the University of Calgary, also grant U.S. JD degrees in conjunction with universities south of the border. That degree is recognized by the American Bar Association, while purely Canadian JDs are not.

"Because of our proximity to the United States, we have a combined LLB and U.S. JD degree," says U of Windsor Law School dean Bruce Elman. "Our JD is recognized by the ABA and lets graduates practise in the U.S., while the LLB lets them practice in Canada."

RW

Positive Press for JD/LLB Program in American Bar Association's Business Law Journal

Train for the future: Canadian, Eh? The Value of a Joint U.S.-Canadian Law Degree

While I am a little late in the game posting this, I believe it is important to spread the word about the positive press our program has received south of the border.

Why is this important? For the obvious reason that good publicity is well... GOOD. But for the not so obvious (double) reason that this not only helps US employers (firms) understand the unique skill-set that a JD/LLB grad obtains in 3 years of comparative study - it also lets US firms know that a select few attorneys in Canada's leading law firms can fluently translate US legalese to and from Canadian legalese.

Take heart... the right people are taking notice.

RW

Reply: Class sizes

The JD/LLB students at UW and UDM take the majority of their classes together.

In 1st year, the classes have been historically structured like this:

• Property - JD/LLB students only
• Contracts - JD/LLB students only
• Criminal - JD/LLB students only
• ALTA (legal writing and research) - JD/LLB only (group is split into 2 classes).
  
• Canadian Constitutional - Mixed in with LLB students.
  

In 2nd year, it is more of a mix, most of the classes, with the exception of Torts and US Civ Pro are mixed classes with UW and UDM students.

In 3rd year, the classes are generally mixed.

I hope that helps.

RW

Managing the Crack-Berry

The ABA's student division has a great article here about managing the use and abuse of the ubiquitous Crack-Berry.

Among the tips:

Determine a reasonable interval for checking messages.

Discuss expectations with colleagues and clients.

Unplug periodically—give it a rest.

Those are some good tips.

So why do we feel the need to respond 24/7?

RW

FREE Online Legal Research Tools (US)

100 Free DIY Legal Resources on the Web by e-Justice Blog

The linked blog posting contains a great list of helpful legal search tools that can and will be helpful for legal research. Especially in that dreaded day fast approaching on the horizon when you will LOSE YOUR FREE UNLIMITED ACCESS to Westlaw and LexisNexis.

Enjoy.

RW

Congratulations Class of 2011

Congratulations go out to the 1L class of the JD/LLB program. Today they wrote their last semester I exam. Most 1st years at Windsor Law still have Property next week, but the JD/LLBs are lucky enough to have no semester I exam in Property so they are home free as of about noon today.

Get some rest, enjoy the time off and say nice study-prayers for your 2L and 3L compatriots who are still toiling away. But take a moment to congratulate yourself for surviving 1/2 of your 1L year.

RW

3L... Bore you to death?

I think the old maxim about law school goes something like this:

In first year they scare you to death...
In second year they work you to death, and
In third year they bore you to death.

Not sure where it came from, or who actually said it, but I have heard it many times. Funny thing is, it usually comes out of the mouths of practicing lawyers.

I am not completely bored, that's for sure. I have enjoyed our required courses this (all Uniform Commercial Code, ALL THE TIME!) semester, Secured Transaction (US/Canadian), Payment Systems (US/CDN) and Comparative International Sales (US/CDN/UNCISG). But yeah, compared to prior semesters of law school this one seems to be the snoozer.

I don't think this is due to the material, I think it has to do with just being tired of law school in general. Most of the 3L class worked this summer at firms of varying size, and we've been exposed to the day-to-day of the practice of law, which undoubtedly included hearing "you learn how to be a lawyer on the job," from many of our mentors and supervisors. So naturally, after hearing that along with having the experience of receiving an assignment on a Friday in a complex area of the law in which you did not take a single class and succeeding on Monday morning it's understandable to think these classes in 3L are fairly inconsequential to becoming a full-fledged lawyer.

Nobody is suggesting the classes are useless, far from it - they are very helpful to getting an overview of a particular area of the law. That said, a summer of work in the legal market sure puts it all into perspective, and somehow now, the shine is off the penny.

I still love being a law student, but it sure is hard to concentrate these days.

RW

First Year...Part 3.

Lastly, like it or not, law school sets the tone for your future career, and arguably the rest of your life. What kind of life do you want? Do you want to argue in court, or work in a glass tower in New York? We will all work hard, play hard...come on, we wouldn’t be here if we weren’t smart enough to make it, but the law offers many different avenues. My advice: keep an open mind, talk to professors, professionals and other students, exposing yourself to more knowledge will actually make your choices easier in the long run.

There is no such thing as a good choice or a bad choice in law school. Some people can play video games all class and still get good grades, some people already know what kind of law they want to practice, some people already know more than the professors (you know who they are), and while school may make you feel like you’re still an undergrad, you’re not. You are an adult and when you pass the bar and swear your oath, you will be making choices that will affect the lives of other people to whom you have a responsibility steeped in hundreds of years of tradition. So when it’s February and you’re tired of the same Windsor bars, your moot partner, IRAC, the constitution, fee simple, having no money and the giant puddles around the law school...just remember, you chose to be here. Despite the difficulties, this is one choice I have never regretted...not even once.

Some Early Job Results for the Class of 2010

I have heard of success from the JD/LLB Class of 2010.

• Many had interviews in the US, including several trips to NYC, and of course a few jaunts over to Detroit for interviews.
  
• One student will be summering in NYC at Shearman & Sterling.
  
• Two students will be at Stikeman Elliott in Toronto.
• One student will be at Goodmans Toronto.
  
• Another student will be at BLG Toronto.
  

I believe there are more, but I haven't heard from everyone who had in-house interviews in Toronto.

RW

First Year...part 2.

The second choice you have to make is how you are going to adapt to the work. How hard are you going to try? How many extracurricular activities can you handle? Are you prepared to be humble and learn a new way of thinking? Will you prostrate yourself on the altar of ALTA? Are you willing to play the grades game? Most of the answers to these questions will not be “yes” or”no” but a balancing act. The good news is you have two semesters and you’ll see if you are satisfied with the choices you made or if you need to readjust to meet your goals. My advice: make an educated choice, pick a way to study and run with it, you’ll see if it worked, don’t let other people make choices for you, everyone’s goals and aptitudes are different.

...to be continued.

First Year (part 1)

Law school, like life is about the choices you make. You chose to be here, to persevere through all the hurdles society has placed before you, and to pursue a career in law. When I first got to law school, I thought most of my choices were over, (what school, what program, where to live...etc) finally I could just relax. I could not have been more wrong.

The first thing you have to choose in law school is how your peers will see you. The JD/LLB program is unique in that you will spend an inordinate amount of time with your classmates over the next three years. So you’re faced with the challenge of introducing yourself to a whole new group of people. It is a challenge, but I just tried to be myself and I made a point of trying to get to know most of the people in my class. I admit, I was judgemental at the start, whether or not those judgements were correct, it limited my ability to truly get to know the variety of people in my class. Balancing who you are with how you want to be seen by your classmates, professors and your friends, is not easy. Be yourself, but choose which parts of yourself to be in front of your peers. Remember that the people who are your classmates now, will be your partners and professional peers in the future. My advice: choose friends you can trust, but choose study groups that will help you succeed...unfortunately, they probably won’t be one in the same.

To be continued...

Summer splitting: Good or Bad?

lawjobs.com Career Center - Commentary: Why Splitting a Summer Isn't a Good Idea

I have had a few people ask me whether splitting a summer between two firms is a good idea. In particular, whether splitting between a New York firm and a Toronto firm is a good idea.

This is a good article and I think it sums up the issues to think about.

RW

Advice from upper year students.

Tomorrow there is a Q&A session planned where 1st years will get a chance to ask 2nd and 3rd year JD/LLB students about the program, jobs, law school in general, living in Windsor/Detroit, etc.

I will repeat my comments from last year. Take everything you hear from an upper year student (including any advice on this blog) with a grain of salt. And, remember to evaluate your own career and academic goals before you follow an upper year student's sage and wise advice.

The reason I suggest evaluating your own goals and plans before accepting someone else's advice is because you don't really know what kind of student any given upper year student is.

Not everyone enters law school wanting to do well and get good grades. Some people have a different definition of "doing well". Law school is a lot of work, there really are no short-cuts. So before you accept the "you don't have to read for Prof. X's class" advice or the "just get a bunch of upper year outlines, you'll be fine" advice, just think about your goals and whether they match up with the goals of your advice-giver.

Good luck!

RW

Suggestions for making the first year better....

We did it last year with this blog, so why not again?

So after a 2 month hiatus, here are some suggestions/tips to make things a little easier heading back to school:

• Get a parking pass from UW ASAP. You can purchase them on the second floor of the CAW center. The advantage of this pass is that if you are a gym-person you can park at the gym for free. I hear they are going very fast. When we arrived 2 years ago to start our first year they were already gone so act fast.
  
• The other option is to purchase a parking pass at Canterbury College, an affiliated college of the University. It is directly across from the Law School. A little more expensive (at least it was in past years) than the UW pass, but the convenience factor is good. These seem to run out a little later than the UW passes.
  
• UDM passes are available next week during orientation, very simple and easy to get. They just add the cost to your tuition bill.
  

We'll be back to the blogging full time now. As promised before - but yet to be delivered - we will have some posts from upper years who spent the summer in NYC, Toronto and current 2nd years about the marathon of 1L JD/LLB....

More great press for UDM Law.

One of our law schools was featured on Good Morning America on Memorial Day (Monday). Project SALUTE, a national project to train lawyers and law students to help veterans get the benefits they deserve was covered in a video news segment.

Watch it here.

Makes me proud of what our school is doing.

One down Eleven to go!

Wow. That pretty much sums it up in one word... wow. I have just finished my first week of my summer associate gig in NYC and it has been a great experience so far.

My week consisted mostly of computer training, office tours, meeting Associates, mentors, research training, blackberry training, and a few fantastic lunches. Each of the summer associates also received our first assignments which ranged from document review for litigation, assisting with 10-K filings (hello Biz-Org), researching for an article, writing memos, assisting with real estate deals, shadowing a partner for a half day, and much more.

It looks like it will be a very challenging but fun summer. There are a good number of social events set up including both Mets and Yankees games and a scavenger hunt in Central Park, all designed to help us meet as many Associates and Partners in the firm and get to know our fellow summer classmates.

Outside of work, I have been exposed to the joys of Manhattan commuting. I have a very short commute on one of the express subway lines from the Upper East Side down to mid-town but boy are those subway cars packed and warm! It may get a little unbearable later this summer. My apartment is good, but it's in an old building so that brings character and little quirks and annoyances, but overall it is good.

The restaurants nearby are great and there's even a reasonably priced grocery store a short walk away. Everything one needs (almost) is within a short walk.

Well, it is a beautiful sunny day outside and I have to figure out where to do my laundry. Take care!

NYCSA

Done 2nd year - weird!

As of Friday at 5:30pm when I uploaded my take-home exam I am officially finished 2nd year, Law II, 2L whatever you'd like to call it. It is definitely an odd feeling to be 2/3 of the way through this ordeal we call Law School.

Last year when I posted about being done (1st semester of 1st year) I felt exhausted and I couldn't believe how far my understanding had come.

At this point I still feel exhausted at the end of 2nd year, but the one difference is that I feel I had much more control over the whole experience. I have my plan, my system and I stick to it. It works for me and it seems to produce the results I want. Don't get me wrong my brain is still pretty tired but I have less worry about what comes next. Maybe I am just really happy I don't have to take summer school?!

For those unfamiliar with the JD/LLB program in order to complete all the required courses to complete both the US and Canadian law degrees in 3 years students take 2 summer classes in the summer between 1L and 2L. It's really not that bad, the classes are at night, 4 nights a week, but it is definitely manageable and it is possible to balance the school work with a research assistantship or other part-time job.

I must say it feels pretty good to be 2/3 of the way to becoming an American attorney and 1/2 way to being a Canadian Barrister/Solicitor (with articling in there, there is an extra year of course).

Watch for posts from students about summer jobs in NY and Toronto and we'll be welcoming a new contributor to post about summer school and the summer life in Detroit-Windsor.

We'll finally get a decision on our Canadian Moot problem!

Top court to rule on use of police sniffer dogs

This case was our Canadian Moot Problem last year (2007). There will be a decision today on the case by the SCC.

For those who don't know the ins and outs of the JD/LLB program we "Moot" twice in our first year legal writing and analysis class, called "Applied Lgeal Theory and Analysis" or ALTA for short.

As with nearly all North American law schools each first year JD/LLB writes arguments for and delivers oral arguments before a moot court regarding a current problem of law. The twist with the JD/LLB program is that we get to do it twice. Once in the U.S. and once in Canada.

Interestingly, the case linked above is the case we argued for our Canadian problem. A decision is expected today.

Employment Stats - sort of...

My apologies for taking so long to get back to our anonymous commenter. It is that time of the year, exams, papers and all that end of year stuff keeps stealing my time.

I will try to get some employment stats for the program itself, but it will take some asking around. In the meantime, here are some of the places where some graduates of the program are now, or are headed shortly. This does not include 2L summer jobs.

• Clerkship with the Ontario Court of Justice.
  
• Clerkship with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.
• Articling with Farris, Vaughan in Vancouver.
  
• Articling with McCarthy Tetrault on Bay Street (Toronto).
  
• Articling with Cassels Brock on Bay Street.
  
• Junior Associate with Paul Hastings in New York.
  
• Junior Associate with Miller Canfield in Detroit (and Windsor).
  
• Clerkship with the Federal Trial Court in Ottawa.
  
• Articling with Lerners in London.

And there's many more. I just don't remember all of them off the top of my head. What I do know is that nearly every member of the 3L class has a job waiting for them after graduation.

I hope that helps.

RW

Necessity of a car?

It was asked, in the comments, whether it was necessary to have a car to travel back and forth [across the border]?

• While having your own car certainly makes things easier in terms of coming and going across the border, it is not by any means a necessity. Most people arrange themselves into carpool groups in order to save on gas and the tunnel/bridge tolls when crossing the border. This is exceedingly easy, since every 1st year JD/LLB has the same schedule.
  

How do most students travel between the two schools?

• Most students go the carpool route with classmates. Although it is also possible to take the Windsor Transit Tunnel Bus, which operates connecting downtown Windsor and downtown Detroit through the tunnel and has stops within walking distance of UDM Law.
  

How is the transportation system in Windsor?

• It is certainly no TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) and it has its share of issues, but by and large the Windsor bus system covers a good portion of the city and is convenient enough for a number of law students to use it daily. I can't speak from extensive ridership knowledge, but I have been a patron at least a few times and my experience was good.
  

I hope that helps.

Today was the Annual G. Mennen Williams Moot Court Competition at UDM, it is the competition in which all 1Ls at UDM participate as the major project of 2nd semester ALTA (Applied Legal Theory and Analysis), and the JD/LLB's of 2010 had an outstanding showing! Of the 34 quarterfinalists (out of nearly 270 contestants) 9 are JD/LLB students. More than 25% - Not too bad at all!

RW

More Job News For the JD-LLB Class of 2009

I am pleased to report that 2 more of our JD/LLB compatriots have landed summer jobs (a few weeks back now) with:

• Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP - Ottawa
  
• McKenzie Lake - London, ON

There's more to come soon! Lots of interviews are happening.

RW

Interesting Article/Book detailing the differences in US & Canadian criminal justice systems.

Law Times - ONLINE: EXCLUSIVE: U.S. prosecutors hold all the power

Interesting and worth a read.

RW

Windsor 2nd year PC Candidate

Montrose candidate replaced by PCs

Interesting news, a current Windsor Law 2nd year student is the PC Alberta candidate for the Alberta Provincial riding of Calgary-Montrose.

He might have to ask Premier Stelmach for time off to write exams?

RW

Employment stats for the Class of 2009

Here are the current employment stats for the class of 2009 as of Feb 1, 2008.

Eight students in the JD/LLB class of 2009 have summer (2L) jobs at the following firms:

• McCarthy Tetrault - Toronto (2)
• Torys - Toronto (1)
  
• Boutique IP Litigation Firm - Ottawa (1)
• Thatcher Proffit & Wood - NYC (1)
• Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker - NYC (2)
• Shearman & Sterling - NYC (1)

Many more members of the class have had good results in interviews and are pursuing London, Ottawa, and other Toronto opportunities.

Windsor Law #6 out of 14!

Click here to see the Canadian Lawyer magazine ranking of the 14 Common Law Schools in Canada.

Not so bad, and a big jump from the #13 spot in the Maclean's article.

RW