The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
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University of New Brunswick, Faculty of Law (Fredericton) TOP FEATURES 1 Small class sizes 3 2 Opportunities to get involved 3 Engaging professors wick is one the country's smaller law schools. Law school Dean Phil Bryden refers to this as the school's "greatest asset," and stu- dents seem to agree, ranking the small class sizes as its best feature, combined with the collegial at- mosphere. "You will quickly get to know T all your fellow students and ev- eryone is willing to help one an- other despite the fact that we are marked on a curve," says a sec- ond-year student. "I am sure that it is a much more co-operative atmosphere than could be found at other schools." The 20 full-time instructors make for a student to teacher ratio of about 11.5:1. "The professors are always willing to help out the students; there is a very good 'open-door' environment and this in- cludes Dean Bryden who knows many of the stu- C E N T R A L C A N A D A McGill University, Faculty of Law (Montreal) M TOP FEATURES 1 Reputation in the job 3 market 2 Opportunities to get involved 3 Library holdings cGill's reputation in the job market took the lead as the number one feature offered by the school. This may have something to do with the ability to study both common and civil law at the same time. "The great advantage of McGill rests in the opportunity to study the common law and the civil law together, in a trans-systemic and internationalized mode," says Nicholas Kasirer, dean of the law school. "The McGill program has been recognized by leading experts on legal edu- cation in North America, Europe, and beyond as a bold response to how university education in law should be undertaken in the context of globaliza- tion." Students agree that the combined experience provides the optimal learning scenario, saying they are "really happy to be learn- ing the private law of both Quebec and the rest of Canada. Not only do I plan to pass the bar exams in both Ontario and Quebec, he Faculty of Law at the University of New Bruns- dents on a fi rst-name basis," says a recent graduate of the program. "The small atmosphere is also re- ally helpful in fi rst year because the student population is a good support group." Despite the small size, there ap- pear to be plenty of opportunities to get involved. The school offers several committees and is involved with pro bono work. "A lot of law profs are engaged in community work," says a third-year student. "Student organizations focus on mandates outside of the law school and involve a number of community-spe- cifi c initiatives. The law school also invites mem- bers of the community to participate in events at the faculty." "You get the benefi t of a smaller, close-knit com- munity at the school combined with many of the same opportunities you would fi nd at a larger school," says a recent alumnus. but I think that being immersed in two legal tra- ditions/systems is the best way to learn, as we are constantly having to make comparisons, etc." The faculty has 643 undergraduate students in the program, with around 50 faculty members. Students looking to apply will be facing an average entering LSAT score of 161, and an average GPA of 3.7. The average class size is around 50 students. Applicants will need to be bilingual, another feature students say brings more diversity to the student body and more opportunities upon grad- uation. "Learning in a bilingual environment is a remarkable training for leadership positions in public and private sector work in Canada," says Kasirer. The school has course offerings in a variety of areas, including human rights and legal pluralism, intellectual property law and policy, international law (public, arbitration, criminal), air and space law, private and comparative law, and aboriginal and religious legal traditions. The student survey also brought out the great opportunities to get involved along with the high quality of library holdings at the school. www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com JANU AR Y 2009 41 TUITION: $9,032 TUITION: (QUEBEC STUDENTS) $3,441 $7,038 (NON-QUEBEC STUDENTS)