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涩里番.CA / Student Affairs Office / BCL/JD Studies

Fall 2025 FAQ for first-year BCL/JD students

FAQ for our incoming cohort / pour notre nouvelle cohorte.

This FAQ document was first prepared following the 1L Town Hall held in June 2022, and is updated each year, mostly recently following the June 2025 1L Town Hall.

A.听Deferrals + Official Documents

  1. What is the deadline for requesting a deferral?
  2. What Official Documents do I need to provide, and when is the deadline?

1. What is the deadline for requesting a deferral?

Deferrals for non-extenuating circumstances can be requested up until August 1. After that date and until the Fall 2025 Add/Drop deadline, only requests for deferrals due to extenuating circumstances will be considered by the 涩里番 Office: /law-studies/courses/deadlines

2.听What Official Documents do I need to provide, and when is the deadline?

The 涩里番 Office needs official copies of all your post-secondary transcripts, except for CEGEP and 涩里番 transcripts. Official transcripts can be sent electronically or by mail, and must come directly from the institution to be considered official. If you graduated from the institution, the graduation date must be clearly identified on the transcript, or sent as a separate document. The deadline for submitting final official transcripts is August 1.

B. Registration

  1. How do we choose which courses to register for?
  2. When do we register for courses?
  3. What courses do we have to register for?
  4. Where can we see which professors teach which courses?

1. How do we choose which courses to register for?

All first-year courses are mandatory, and include:听听

  • LAWG 100: Contractual Obligations (6 credits)听

  • LAWG 101: Extra-Contractual Obligations/Torts (6 credits)听

  • LAWG 102: Criminal Justice (6 credits)听

  • LAWG 103: Indigenous Legal Traditions (3 credits 鈥� Fall only)听

  • LAWG 110: Integration Workshop (3 credits)听

  • PUB2 101: Constitutional Law (6 credits)听

  • PUB3 116: Foundations (3 credits听 - Winter only)听

These courses must be completed in your first year of the program. Students are assigned to cohorts for 1L course registration purposes, which gives students the opportunity to register in an English or French section.

You will be assigned an English section of the course, and you can choose between the English section you have been assigned, or the French section. Detailed registration information, including your pre-assigned course sections, will be emailed to you in early July.

You can also refer to the 1L Town Hall PowerPoint presentation for more information: (sign-in required).

2. When do we register for courses?

Course registration for first-year students begins in early to mid July each year; the exact date will be communicated by email and updated in the SAO鈥檚 Course Registration Guide. We recommend logging into Minerva with your registration information and CRN details ready before 9:00 am. Detailed registration information, including your pre-assigned course sections, will be emailed to you in the first week of July.

For information on how to use Minerva to register, please refer to the 涩里番 Course Registration How-To Guide. After referring to the guide, if you encounter any difficulties, please send an email to sao.law [at] mcgill.ca and include your Student ID in the email.

Comme tous les 茅tudiants de premi猫re ann茅e s'enregistreront en m锚me temps, il peut y avoir un certain retard sur le syst猫me. Connectez-vous sur Minerva avant 9h et ayez les informations de votre inscription et vos cours CRN en main.

Pour savoir comment utiliser Minerva pour s'inscrire, veuillez consulter le Guide pratique de l'inscription aux cours de l'Universit茅 McGill. Si vous rencontrez des difficult茅s d'inscription, veuillez envoyer un courriel 脿 SAO.law [at] mcgill.ca et indiquer votre identifiant 涩里番 dans le courriel.

3. Can we choose which sections we register for and what language we take our courses in?

All first-year law students are assigned to specific English-language sections for every mandatory course.听

Typically, English sections are 001 and 002. To take a course in English, register for your assigned English section. To take the course in French, register for section 003.听

Since English sections fill up quickly, register early if you prefer English instruction. If your assigned English section is full, register for the French section.听听

Please note that, as the 涩里番 Faculty of Law program is passively bilingual, the SAO does not approve section changes for language-preference reasons, and we cannot increase course caps for students who wish to take a course in a specific language. Additionally, students鈥� instructor preference is not sufficient reason to be moved between sections.听

Students may freely change between sections in their assigned cohort, but it should be noted that English sections generally fill up more quickly than their French counterparts. Movement is possible, but ultimately not highly likely.

4.听Where can we see which professors teach which section and class?

You can find all the information about which professors are teaching your assigned sections and courses by referring to our Current Courses information page, or the information on Minerva.听

C. French language requirements

  1. Will I be in a French section? Do we have guaranteed access?
  2. I'd like to ease into French courses; which one should I take?
  3. How can I improve my French while at 涩里番?

1. Is it possible that 1L students will have to take a required course in a language section that they have not requested? Since all 1Ls must take the same courses in first year, will we have guaranteed access to all of the required courses on registration day?

All first-year students will be registered in all first-year courses (just not necessarily the sections of those courses they prefer). Note that you cannot choose your English section 鈥� you will be assigned to one of the professors teaching the course in English.

En raison des contraintes d鈥檈space, il n鈥檈st pas toujours possible d鈥檃ccommoder les pr茅f茅rences linguistiques en mati猫re de cours. Il est donc possible que vous aurez un cours ou deux en fran莽ais.

2. I鈥檇 like to ease into French by taking one French language course each semester. Which 1L course best lends itself to learning in French? What is it like for an anglophone taking a French course?

We cannot tell you which course would be best to take in your second language. It is a personal choice. While students can be anxious about trying a course in French, after they have taken one, they realize that it was not that difficult or stressful, and look back on the experience positively.

Il est important de savoir que la langue d鈥檌nstruction n鈥檃ffecte pas la langue des lectures (ni le fond du cours). Vous aurez 脿 faire des lectures en anglais dans un cours en fran莽ais et des lectures en fran莽ais dans un cours en anglais.

If you want to take a course in French in which there will be more readings in English, we suggest that you take one of the public law courses, such as Constitutional Law. Those courses have more Supreme Court judgments in the materials, and all Supreme Court judgments are published bilingually. On the other hand, some students prefer to take a private law course in French where there are more French-language primary sources because the language of instruction and the source materials are in the same language.

Notre politique de bilinguisme passif vous permet d鈥檌ntervenir en classe, de soumettre vos travaux 茅crits, de r茅diger vos examens et de donner vos pr茅sentations orales dans la langue officielle de votre choix, quelle que soit la langue dans laquelle le cours est dispens茅.

3. How can I improve my French while at 涩里番 (courses, other opportunities)? Are there courses that focus on French in a legal context specifically?

There are a number of ways to improve your French while at 涩里番, such as through the French Language Centre. The Centre offers both student activities and courses.

After the first year, students may additionally take courses through the French Language Centre and earn credits that will count toward the 105 creditsneeded for the BCL/JD. Law students can take up to 6 non-law credits, and this can include a French language course.

Ceux et celles qui souhaitent 茅tudier le fran莽ais 脿 涩里番 doivent d'abord passer un test de d鈥櫭﹙aluation pour d茅terminer leur niveau.

All required Law courses have one section in French. The Faculty also offers a number of upper-year courses in French each year.

Lastly, students planning on writing l鈥櫭塩ole du Barreau du Qu茅bec exam should take advantage of our French course offerings.

D. Methods of Evaluation in Law School听

  1. Do you grade on a bell curve?
  2. How many evaluated exams and assignments should we expect per class?
  3. Are cold calls as scary as other law students suggest?听
  4. How strict are teachers when grading? Is there any way to know what they're looking for in an exam?听
  5. Is Integration week evaluated?听
  6. Will students be given a course outline for every class?听
  7. Are most of the exams open-book take-homes? Or are the examinations rather axed on memorization?听

1. Do you grade on a bell curve?听

No we do not grade on a bell curve.听 We do, however, monitor the range of averages in the classes and we require the averages in various sections of the same course to be in the same range to ensure that there is equity among sections.听

2. How many evaluated exams and assignments should we expect per class?听

It really depends on the individual instructor. In some courses, you will only have a midterm in December and a final in April.听 In others, there will be other assignments. In some classes, there will be more assignments than in others.听 This will all be clearly indicated in your course outlines.

Of course, in Integration Workshop, which is a legal research and writing course, you will have only assignments. Note that instructors understand the magnitude of beginning first year, and as such, are not going to be overloading you with assignments that are unmanageable.听

3.听Are cold calls as scary as other law students suggest?听

The Integration Workshop course is evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis and Integration Week is an integral and compulsory part of the Integration Workshop course. There will be a short assessment at the end of Integration Week.听听听

4.听How strict are teachers when grading? Is there any way to know what they're looking for in an exam?听

In general, professors have high standards for the performance of their students but they mark fairly, reasonably and relatively to the others in the class.听 They are looking for you to be able to use the material you learned in the course in an analytical way and in a way that you can apply it (so not just information or memorization).听听

The reality is that you are all A students now and you won鈥檛 all get straight As in law school.听 It is very upsetting to many law students when they get their first B!听 But a B grade is not a bad grade and most of our graduates who have B averages get great jobs.听

5.听Is Integration week evaluated?听

The Integration Workshop course is evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis and Integration Week is an integral and compulsory part of the Integration Workshop course. There will be a short assessment at the end of Integration Week.听

6.听Will students be given a course outline for every class?听

Yes. The course outline will contain important information about the course including the method of evaluation.听

7.听Are most of the exams open-book take-homes? Or are the examinations rather axed on memorization?听

Regardless of whether an exam is open or closed book, memorization is not prioritized in law school. It is the application and analysis of material that is important.听 As a result, most exams are open book.听

E.听Preparing for 1L / Law School听

  1. Does the law school provide any support for students who feel anxious especially starting this new and difficult program?
  2. Are there any resources we can look into that help law students with all the readings and cases?
  3. How is the adjustment for CEGEP students?听
  4. When incoming 1L students are paired with an upper year student advisor, are those pairings tailored to any extent? Or is it largely just based on availabilities?听
  5. What are habits of the most successful alumni, both in and out of school?听
  6. Is there any support for 1L students? i.e. mentors, writing center, note-taking and exam prep听

1.听Does the law school provide any support for students who feel anxious especially starting this new and difficult program?听

Yes of course 鈥� we have a student advisor in the SAO especially geared to 1Ls, an Assistant Dean for Black and Indigenous Flourishing and a wellness advisor.听

Along with the individuals mentioned, the SAO puts together different support programs throughout the academic year to help support you as you navigate this new program, including Peer Tutors (info to come). Your professors are also great resources when you feel you might need more support in the classroom. In addition, your Law Student Association, sets up a Peer Mentoring program every year, and there is much space for informal support through upper years and others in your cohort.听

2. Are there any resources we can look into that help law students with all the readings and cases?听

There is not really anything off the shelf of that sort although this is something that will be discussed in your Integration Workshop course.听 Our advice is to not let things build.听 It won鈥檛 be possible to read everything in every course before every class. Make sure you read as much of the material assigned before class and at least skim the rest so that you know what is being discussed in that class (and so that you can benefit from the lecture).听 And that at the end of every section in the course, you sit down and pull together the cases, your class notes and other material and make sure you understand the section and go see your prof at that stage if you have any questions. Give yourself time to learn how to 鈥渓aw school鈥�. Others are in the same boat and you will figure out what works best for you. Study groups are a great way to navigate that together.听

3.听How is the adjustment for CEGEP students?听

In the beginning the learning and adjustment curve can be a bit steeper, but Cegep students quickly adjust and do just as well academically as others. Some even win the gold medals!!听 Remember, if we accepted you directly from Cegep, you deserve to be here and we know you can handle this.听

4.When incoming 1L students are paired with an upper year student advisor, are those pairings tailored to any extent? Or is it largely just based on availabilities?听

Typically, the LSA will open a Google Form for interested students around early August of each year. We ask about their academic backgrounds, areas of interest in law, hobbies, personal identity, and whether they have a preference for how these items will be ranked come selection time.

For instance, a mature student might ask to be paired with another mature student; or a Jewish student might ask for a Jewish mentor. We do our best to accommodate these requests come selection time. If a student has not indicated a preference, we typically look at what they have in common with available mentors or mentees (e.g., maybe they both indicated that they enjoy hiking on the weekends) and pair them up that way. Students are usually informed of their peer mentor or mentee's identity around the second week of September and can reach out to organize meetings or hangouts.听

5.听What are habits of the most successful alumni, both in and out of school?听

Immersing yourself in all law school has to offer and understanding where your own limits are. Law school is a personal experience that is bolstered by the people around you and the things you spend time doing. There is no one right way to be a successful alumni, there truly is a way for every student!听

6.听Is there any support for 1L students? i.e. mentors, writing center, note-taking and exam prep?

There are a number of places a 1L can go for support. First, there is the upper year student who will be leading your small group in the Integration Workshop course. Then there are GAs (group assistants) in most first year courses. We also have peer tutors (upper year students), the first year student advisor in the SAO and we do offer sessions on exam prep.听

F.听Orientation & Frosh听

  1. Will 1L classes start Monday Aug 29 or is that orientation? If orientation, when will classes start?

1. Will 1L classes start Monday Aug 29 or is that orientation? If orientation, when will classes start?听

Your law school experience will begin on Monday August 29th and the first day will be a day of Orientation. Tuesday to Friday will be Integration Week where you will have classes (both in plenary and in small group) that orient you to a legal education on topics such as the Civil and Common Law, Private Law, Critical Race Theory etc.听 You regular classes (Contractual Obligations, Constitutional Law etc) will start the Tuesday after Labour Day.听 But Integration Week is compulsory and part of the Integration Workshop course and is an important base for your regular law classes.听

Frosh is tentatively being planned from August 31 to September 5. We will be releasing details on the theme and registration within the next month or so, but the tentative roster of events includes such events as a karaoke night, drunken debates, a scavenger hunt across Montreal, a pub crawl, a formal night, and a day at Beach Club.听

G. Integrating into the 涩里番 Community听

  1. Can we access the library and gym before term begins?
  2. How does it work if we want to join one of the LSA clubs?
  3. I don鈥檛 use social media. Is there an alternative place to get information about student life? Also, is 鈥榲ital鈥� information ever posted just on Facebook, etc.?
  4. How do you get involved in student life? Who should we go see?听

1. Can we access the library and gym before term begins?听

As long as you have your ID setup, gym access is possible. Libraries are currently open to all.

2. How does it work if we want to join one of the LSA clubs?听

We have tons of great clubs and journals at the Faculty that students can participate in. Each fall, we organize a Clubs Day at the Faculty where clubs set up booths, take down contact information from students who are interested in joining, and explain what their clubs do. This year, we will have a 鈥渘ight of 1000 clubs鈥�, where student will get to exchange in a more informal setting with club execs and get a better feel of the clubs culture. Even if you miss Clubs Day, don't worry - clubs take on new members throughout the year, and you can attend club events even if you're not a member of that club's executive!听

Il y aura plusieurs opportunit茅es au courant de l鈥櫭﹖茅 pour rejoindre des comit茅es, obtenir une position d鈥檈xecutif, etc. N鈥檃yez pas peur de d茅poser votre candidature, vous faites maintenant parti de la facult茅 au m锚me titre que les 2L,3L et 4L. Si vous avez des questions au niveau du processus, veuillez contacter le VP Club.

3. I don鈥檛 use social media. Is there an alternative place to get information about student life? Also, is 鈥榲ital鈥� information ever posted just on Facebook, etc.?听

A Facebook account can be helpful, since it's the main platform of communication for most of the clubs at the faculty. Especially in the case of firm events and panels, there's usually Facebook events that will help you keep track and exchange with other students. That being said, the LSA sends out "the Brief" via email which contains most of the important information, so you can still be kept up to date. The CDO also sends out its newsletter via email.听

4. How do you get involved听in student life? Who should we go see?

Monitor the LSA鈥檚 platform. Nous organisons beaucoup d鈥櫭﹙猫nements, mais une bonne portion est g茅r茅e directement par les Clubs. There鈥檚 a lot of drop-in options, with no commitment attached also. We do a lot of promotional work for the events, so keep an eye out!听

H. Degree Planning听

  1. Should students plan to meet with an advisor to discuss courses, minors and majors?
  2. Is taking a minor or major recommended for students who have specific legal interests, or should students who are unsure about their future also consider taking a major or minor?
  3. La Facult茅 permet ses 茅tudiant.e.s d鈥檈ntreprendre un programme de mineure de 18 cr茅dits ou 24 cr茅dits. Est-il possible de convertir une mineure en majeure en obtenant des cr茅dits suppl茅mentaires gr芒ce 脿 des cours d'茅t茅 ou en restant plus longtemps 脿 la facult茅 pour suivre davantage de cours?
  4. How many courses per semester is recommended? Do people generally do 5 classes per semester?
  5. How long are the classes, and how many classes should we take in 1L?听
  6. When is the integration workshop?听
  7. Are there any electives that we need to take?听
  8. How does it work to get courses credited from another Quebec's university? (I did law courses at UQAM that have the same title and description as courses in the BCL/JD program, that I would like to get credited)听
  9. Do you recommend completing the degree in 3, 3.5 or 4 years? What are the advantages and disadvantages in each case?听
  10. I am very interested in studying abroad and have already taken a look at the partner schools. Beyond the GPA requirements, is it hard to be selected/participate in these exchanges?

1. Should students plan to meet with an advisor to discuss courses, minors and majors?听

Yes, our Advisors are always available to discuss about courses or the opportunities that are offered during your Law program such as Minors, Majors, Exchanges but that is not something you should be concerned with at this stage during your first term.

The B.C.L./J.D. program is highly customizable! Students can start to explore options on the SAO鈥檚 website here, with more details on opportunities such as exchange and Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs to be made available under the 鈥淟ecture Recordings鈥� tab when the SAO myCourses page is made available to you.

2. Is taking a minor or major recommended for students who have specific legal interests, or should students who are unsure about their future also consider taking a major or minor?听

There are various reasons for wanting to take a minor such as to explore other areas of interest or to broaden your skills. It鈥檚 a good opportunity to complement your Law degree.听 Keep in mind that a minor is a program outside of the law faculty (ex. faculty of arts, science or management). If you have an interest in philosophy or political science, you can take a minor in that 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 have to be related to a legal interest or a legal career.

3. La Facult茅 permet ses 茅tudiant.e.s d鈥檈ntreprendre un programme de mineure de 18 cr茅dits ou 24 cr茅dits. Est-il possible de convertir une mineure en majeure en obtenant des cr茅dits suppl茅mentaires gr芒ce 脿 des cours d'茅t茅 ou en restant plus longtemps 脿 la facult茅 pour suivre davantage de cours ?听

Les mineurs et les majeurs sont distincte 茅tant donn茅 que les majeures (N茅gociation commerciale et R茅solution des Diff茅rends; ou Droits de la Personne et D茅veloppement International) sont g茅r茅es au sein de la Facult茅 et les mineures (offerts par la Facult茅 des arts, la Facult茅 des sciences, ou la Facult茅 de gestion Desautels de 涩里番) sont g茅r茅es au sein de la facult茅 avec laquelle vous en compl茅tez une. Les deux programmes comportent deux exigences distinctes et il serait beaucoup plus simple de choisir l'une ou l'autre option d猫s le d茅part.听

4.听How many courses per semester is recommended? Do people generally do 5 classes per semester?听

We go by credits rather than by classes because not all courses are 3 credits.听 Some are 4 (JICP, Tax, Bs Ass) some are 1 (Advocacy or Focus Week). The program is 105 credits which, if you follow a regular 15 credit per term load, would take 3.5 year. Some student take summer courses or take a higher load (up to 18 credits) and accelerate their program to graduate in 3 years.听

5.听How long are the classes, and how many classes should we take in 1L?听

You need to take all compulsory classes in first year (each term there are 5 courses plus Integration Workshop). The number of hours of the class per week generally relates to the credit weight.听 For example, Indigenous Legal Traditions is a 3 credit course and it meets for 3 hours per week. The only exception is Integration Workshop which is a 3 credit course but its meeting times are different given the nature of the course.听

Students can refer to this resource for more information: /law-studies/bcljd-studies/structure.

6.听When is the integration workshop?听

Integration Workshop is a course that runs from the very first week of term until mid-term in the Winter semester.听 There is a week devoted to Integration Workshop at the start of each term (where you do not follow your regular classes).听 It then continues with plenary sessions as well with small group sessions led by an upper year student.

7.听Are there any electives that we need to take?听

Not in your first year! You may start taking elective classes starting in your 2nd year.听

8.听How does it work to get courses credited from another Quebec's university? (I did law courses at UQAM that have the same title and description as courses in the BCL/JD program, that I would like to get credited)听

Seuls les 芦鈥壝塼udiants dipl么m茅s en droit鈥壜� et les 芦鈥壝塼udiants en transfert鈥壜� peuvent recevoir des cr茅dits pour 茅tudes universitaires ant茅rieures en droit. Bien que les 茅tudiants inscrits dans le programme BCL/JD puissent prendre jusqu'脿 six cr茅dits hors droit au cours du programme, ces cr茅dits ne peuvent provenir d鈥櫭﹖udes universitaires ant茅rieures.听

9.听Do you recommend completing the degree in 3, 3.5 or 4 years? What are the advantages and disadvantages in each case?听

Everyone鈥檚 journey is different. We have students doing all three of these options and there is no right or wrong answer. The usual pace would have you finishing in 3.5 years. However, you may have valid reasons to want to finish earlier in which case you should do some planning as you will have to do some summer courses or term essays in the summer.听 There may also be no rush (you are a cegep student and don鈥檛 mind spending more time in school and may want to do a minor) in which case you can spread out your degree over 4 terms.听 But note, you must take a minimum of 12 credits per term to maintain full-time status and you may only study part-time if you have been granted permission to do so.听

10.听I am very interested in studying abroad and have already taken a look at the partner schools. Beyond the GPA requirements, is it hard to be selected/participate in these exchanges?听

Poursuivre ses 茅tudes 脿 l鈥櫭﹖ranger dans le cadre d鈥檜n programme d鈥櫭ヽhange est une option tr猫s populaire pour nos 茅tudiants en droit, en particulier au cours de leur dernier trimestre. Nous avons plus de 35 universit茅s partenaires en droit, o霉 nous avons un nombre garanti de places d'茅change pour nos 茅tudiants. One of our requirements to go on exchange is a minimum of 2.70 CGPA, but your letter of intent which explains your academic, career and/or personal reasons for wanting to undertake an Exchange at the host institution of your choice is also a crucial aspect of your application in order to be selected. Students may choose up to 4 Universities as part of their Exchange application so generally students do end up being selected to one of their 4 choices if space permits. An Exchange information session will be given during your 2nd year since you can only go on Exchange as of your 3rd or 4th year.

I. Financing Your Degree + Housing听

  1. When should we pay our tuition and how?
  2. Are there entrance and in-course scholarship opportunities?
  3. When will tuition for out-of-province students be confirmed? Will recent legal decisions affect tuition rates?
  4. How do I find out about on-campus housing?
  5. How do I request financial assistance?

1. When should we pay our tuition and how?听

You will receive an email from 涩里番 Student Accounts when your 鈥渆-bill鈥� is ready to be paid. See Student Accounts website for more info.

2. Are there entrance and in-course scholarship opportunities?

All admitted students are considered for entrance scholarships, you can find a list here: /law/bcl-jd/tuition-and-financial-support
In-Course scholarships: Students can refer to the website here for more information on prizes, scholarships and awards rewarded through the Faculty of Law, including the Dean鈥檚 Honour List (DHL): /lawstudies/financial-support/prizes

3. When will tuition for out-of-province students be confirmed? Will recent legal decisions affect tuition rates?

Tuition and fees for the 2025-2026 academic year are outlined here.

There is no indication that the recent Superior Court decision regarding tuition for out of province students will affect the current tuition rates. See听Student Accounts website听for more info.

4. How do I find out about on-campus housing?

Check out the 涩里番 Student Housing website.

5. How do I request financial assistance?

Contact the Scholarships and Student Aid Office for help with requesting financial assistance, either government aid or 涩里番 financial aid.

J.听Career Development Office (CDO) + Career Planning

  1. Should students who plan to take the QC bar aim to take as many French courses as English ones?听
  2. Do 1Ls have access to OCIs? When do these usually take place? Do firms like NYC's Sullivan & Cromwell interview at 涩里番?听
  3. Would the length of program impact the timeline of applying for summer internships or searching for a job in any ways?
  4. What are habits of the most successful alumni, both in and out of school?
  5. How does the Faculty support students aiming to work locally, nationally, or internationally (e.g., New York)?
  6. What research opportunities exist for students interested in academia?
  7. When should students begin planning for internships or summer placements?

1. Should students who plan to take the QC bar aim to take as many French courses as English ones?听

It depends on the individual. While it is not mandatory to take a certain number of courses in French, if you are not yet perfectly bilingual, it can help you immerse yourself in French within a legal context. It can also give you an indication of how comfortable you feel in a French learning environment. Bar School courses are in French, even though you have the option to answer questions in English.

2. Do 1Ls have access to OCIs? When do these usually take place? Do firms like NYC's Sullivan & Cromwell interview at 涩里番?听

The term OCIs (On-Campus Interviews) specifically refer to 2L organized recruitments for the United States, Toronto, Ottawa, Vacouver/Calgary for students in their second year (if graduating in 3 years) and students in their third year (if graduating in 3.5 or 4 years). With that said, there are many other recruitment processes outside of OCIs, including 1L recruitments and IP recruitments which are open to first year students. It is important to note that to be eligible for a 1L recruitment a student needs to be in either their first year (if graduating in 3 years) or second year (if graduating in 3.5 or 4 years).听听

Regarding the US 2L Recruitment, large firms do participate. Some firms participate more frequently than others. This year, White & Case, Goodwin, Kirkland & Ellis, and Morrison & Foerster, among others, are participating.听听

3. Would the length of program impact the timeline of applying for summer internships or searching for a job in any ways?听

It does.听 Different timelines do influence your eligibility to participate in organized recruitment processes. This is because the jobs you secure during these processes typically turn into your post-graduation job (articling) the following year. For this reason, it is important that you have a good understanding of when you can graduate. There are exceptions to this. For example, securing a summer job through an independent job search as this job does not have the expectation that you will also return the following year to article. Also, for Course aux Stage (Montreal Recruitment) eligibility is dependent on the number of credits completed (typically can apply as of second year).听听

4.听What are habits of the most successful alumni, both in and out of school?听

It is hard to say which are the specific habits of the most successful alumni and students as what works for one person may not work for another. Generally speaking, students who are self-aware and have taken the time to reflect on what motivates them and what is important to them career-wise tend to have an easier time with interviews and networking.听听

5. How does the Faculty support students aiming to work locally, nationally, or internationally (e.g., New York)?

The Career Development Office (CDO) offers networking opportunities and recruitment support for all major markets including Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver/ Calgary and New York/US, as well as many smaller markets of interest to students. We organise five annual career days, plus alumni panels and events, an alumni mentorship program, and numerous info sessions and workshops to help students navigate recruitment at different stages (summer, articling, clerkships, etc). We also offer application support through CV and cover letter reviews, mock interviews and individual advising, which you can book through 12twenty.

6. What research opportunities exist for students interested in academia?

There are many Research Assistant and Teaching assistant positions available within the law faculty and its research groups, as well as other departments at 涩里番 or even other Universities. You can find 涩里番 opportunities posted in Workday, 12twenty, and myFuture. Experience on a law journal is also valuable, and you may want to consider doing an articling clerkship after graduation as part of your path to graduate studies and career in academia. The CDOs clerkship guide provides all the details on different federal and provincial court clerkships.

7. When should students begin planning for internships or summer placements?

For most students, the first two summers of law school will require some level of independent search to find a summer position outside of organized recruitment. Job postings for summer opportunities will usually appear in Workday, 12twenty, and myFuture during the winter semester (Jan-Apr), but it鈥檚 never too soon to start thinking about what you want to do, networking, and preparing your CV and application documents. There are a variety of organized recruitment processes (regulated by a law society or bar association) leading to a 2L summer job for your last summer of law school and/or an articling position upon graduation. These organized recruitment processes usually take place one to two years before the summer or articling employment will begin and your eligibility to participate is based on your graduation date.
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K. LWAs, Wellness, + Accommodations听

  1. What is the best way to take advantage of the LWAs鈥� services as a 1L?听
  2. Are LWA鈥檚 available to 1Ls before we start in the Fall?听
  3. What strategies and resources are available to support mental health and personal challenges?
  4. What academic accommodations are available for students with disabilities or those needing reduced course loads?

1. What is the best way to take advantage of the LWAs鈥� services as a 1L?听

We offer workshops on mental health and wellness topics throughout the year that you can sign up for. We also offer one on one consultations, you can make an appointment with us through the Wellness Hub's Booking Link. You can also get in touch by emailing us if you have questions. To make an appointment for a one on one consultation you do not need to be in distress or have specific concerns, you can also make an appointment if you would just like to talk to us, know more about resources on and off campus or for any questions on wellness and health topics.听听听

2.听Are LWA鈥檚 available to 1Ls before we start in the Fall?听

Newly registered students are eligible for LWA and student wellness hub services as of August 15.

3. What strategies and resources are available to support mental health and personal challenges?

4. What academic accommodations are available for students with disabilities or those needing reduced course loads?

  • Student Accessibility & Achievement Office: /access-achieve/
  • Recorded Accommodations sessions, to be found on SAO myCourses page under 鈥淟ecture Recordings鈥�

L. Black & Indigenous Flourishing听

  1. What is the Assistant Dean鈥檚 role in relation to a 1L student?听

1.听What is the Assistant Dean鈥檚 role in relation to a 1L student?听

Mon mandat englobe beaucoup de choses, mais je vais r茅pondre sp茅cifiquement 脿 ce que mon r么le est par rapport aux 茅tudiants en premi猫re ann茅e de droit. En tant que doyen adjoint, mon r么le aupr猫s des 茅tudiants de premi猫re ann茅e est de les soutenir et de les encourager. Il s'agit de veiller 脿 ce que les besoins des 茅tudiants en droit noirs et autochtones soient entendus, d'aider 脿 comprendre les politiques de l'茅cole et de clarifier les processus.听

I work as a resource person alongside student groups and associations, such as BLSAM and ILADA. I am available for questions pertaining to the faculty and how it works. You can consider me as a resource guide and a helping hand through your journey at 涩里番 Law as well as a facilitator. I will do my best to answer your questions, provide information and point you in the right direction or just to talk. I serve as a resource for those encountering equity and inclusivity issues. I act as an intermediary and liaison between students, staff, student associations, EDI Initiatives, initiatives for Black and Indigenous students internally and externally.听听

I would like to remind you that if you are a Black or Indigenous law student, I am here if you need to talk about anything related to discrimination, racism, racial gaslighting, racial fatigue, microaggressions and passive aggressiveness that you may have experienced, or may be experiencing听

Even if you are not a Black or Indigenous law student feel free to share. Don't be shy to reach out if you have questions related to culture, spirituality or gendered issues, multicultural relationships, and cross-cultural dynamics.听

Writing circles are offered biweekly during the evenings for students to creatively express themselves, each is a one-hour and fifteen minutes session, where you can expect to enter a facilitated space where you are invited to write with the support of prompts, techniques and strategies to dive deeper into your ideas, your power and your voice. Included are experiential activities and mindfulness techniques which students say helps ground themselves and find their core while doing legal work听

Students can also see Assistant Dean Williams by scheduling an appointment. Feel free to reach out anytime.听听

M.听Key online resources for Incoming 1Ls

This list was compiled based on the links shared during the 1L Town Hall.

Getting connected to your future classmates

1. 听
2.
3. Facebook Incoming 涩里番 Law BCL/JD Cohort:听Request link from the LSA

Getting set up with your 涩里番 Email Account and Minerva access

4. Next steps | I've Been Accepted - 涩里番
5.
6. How to log in to Minerva | Minerva for Guests - 涩里番

Learn about tuition, funding opportunities and legal documents to submit:

7. Tuition and other charges | Student Accounts - 涩里番
8.听Student Accounts - 涩里番
9. Legal Documents - 涩里番
10.听Scholarships and Student Aid - 涩里番

Get set up with wellness support and accommodations:

11.听Student Accessibility & Achievement - 涩里番
12. Local Wellness Advisors | Student Wellness Hub - 涩里番

Learn about the Faculty of Law, the program structure and student services:

13. How to Reach Us | Faculty of Law - 涩里番
14. Student Affairs Office - 涩里番
15. BCL/JD Program Structure and Requirements - 涩里番
16. Services | Career Development Office - 涩里番

Find a place to live:

17. Student Housing - 涩里番

Have more questions? 涩里番 also offers pre-recorded and live webinars on many of these topics and more:

18. Webinars | Get Ready! - 涩里番

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