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Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50813
TOP FEATURES 1 Library holdings 3 2 Availability of fi nancial aid 3 Opportunities to get involved University of Windsor, Faculty of Law T here are 462 students enrolled in the LLB pro- gram at Windsor's law school, which is located on the border with Detroit, Mich. Class sizes are kept fairly small, averaging about 42 students per class in fi rst year, and 31 students per class for upper years. The equivalent of 29.5 full-time professors teach in the faculty, along with one visiting assistant professor. Another 128 students are enrolled in the joint LLB/JD program offered in conjunction with the University of Detroit Mercy. Students attend both universities simultaneously and complete the 104 required credits in three-years through an additional two-month class period during their fi rst summer. Windsor's isn't the only joint degree, but its unique geographic position makes it ideal for those looking to get both Canadian and American accreditation. Windsor is also a member of the Intellectual Property Law Institute, a consortium of the law schools at Mercy, Wayne State University, and Wind- sor. Students enrolled in any one of the law schools may take IP and innovation law courses, for credit, at either of the other two schools. The faculty emphasizes clinical programs, which W E S T E R N C A N A D A University of Alberta, Faculty of Law W ith 511 students in its LLB program and a faculty size of 38, students ranked engag- TOP FEATURES 1 Engaging professors 3 2 Small class sizes 3 Library holdings ing professors as the school's best feature. "Their knowledge and ability to communicate that knowledge effectively is the number one reason I am so pleased with my school," says a third-year student. Small class sizes followed closely behind, tying in with the engaging faculty. The average class size in the law school came in at just over 31 students. Alberta offers clusters of courses in private law, business law, and health law. It has also worked to strengthen its offerings in international law, where it now has three full-time faculty members. Stu- dents will be able to fi nd courses in military law, international negotiation, and biotechnology law. The dean, David Percy, comments on the highly collegial nature of the law school and the support- ive student body. "Six Canadian law schools par- ticipated in the recent law school survey of student engagement, 89.1 per cent of University of Alberta students described their educational experience as 'good' or 'excellent,'" says Percy, "and more than 90 per cent stated that they would choose the Univer- 46 JANU AR Y 2009 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com may be why stu- dents say oppor- tunities to get involved are a major strength. It offers two poverty law clinics, along with the fi rst law school mediation clinic in Canada. Availability of fi nancial aid ranked highly in our student survey. The school distributes $1.4 million in awards, bur- saries, and scholarships annually. Students also rank the faculty's library holdings among the top three features of the school. Law school dean Bruce Elman says the school has been through a major facilities upgrade. "In the past few years, Windsor law has undergone a physical and technological transformation. Enhanced technology has been introduced in our classrooms so that all of our teaching spaces are now 'smart' classrooms. This enables professors to use a variety a techniques in teaching their courses. Many of our classrooms have been redecorated and new furniture installed. Renovations to the student lounge and cafeteria were made a few years ago." sity of Alberta Law School if they could start all over again. The survey commented that these responses were signifi cantly higher than those of our Cana- dian and international peers." Percy also notes the nature of the law school facilities. "We are fortunate in having wonderful library resources. We have the second-largest law collection in Canada and offer outstanding re- search resources," he says. "Renovations to the law centre mean that by the 2009-10 year we will have six completely renovated, technologically advanced classrooms." The school offers $897,700 in total scholarships, bursaries, and prizes, of which nearly $600,000 is available in the form of bursaries. For those looking to apply, the average LSAT mark on entrance is 160, with an average GPA of 3.7. TUITION: $10,700 PLUS $900 FEES $10,216 $9,889 TUITION: FIRST YEAR UPPER YEARS PHOTO © CREATIVE SERVICES, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA