A Report On - Western Pre-Law Forum
Thursday, September 21st 2006

Daniel J. Lynde - President of the Western Pre-Law Society

(This article is posted with the permission of Mr. Lynde who retains ownership in the copyright).

Guest Speakers:

Mr. John Richardson
Ms. Beryl Theobald (Western Law)
Mr. Stéphane Émard-Chabot (Assistant Dean, University of Ottawa law school)
Ms. Niki Healey (Richard Ivey School of Business)
Professor Grant Huscroft (R v. Oakes, Associate Dean, Western Law)

On September 21st 2006, Western Law School and the Western Pre-Law Society co-hosted a Pre-Law Forum event at Western’s Law School. The speakers included Assistant Dean (Admissions) Stéphane Émard-Chabot from the University of Ottawa Law School, Head of Admissions at Western Law Ms. Beryl Theobald, Ms. Niki Healey from Richard Ivey School of Business, John Richardson who runs a LSAT prep course based in Toronto, Associate Dean of Western Law Professor Grant Huscroft, and a second-year Western Law student.

This event allowed for undergraduate students and potential law applicants to come out and hear what the admission committees are looking for when reviewing applications for students that are applying to start law school in September 2007. As well, the Western Law’s Associate Dean Professor Grant Huscroft came to teach a Mock Constitutional Law Class.

During the past few years law schools have been offering new combined degrees to allow law students to study a number of different fields while completing their LL.B. All of the speakers spoke of the merits of studying a combined degree, which included the J.D./LL.B., LL.B./MBA, and the LL.L. All of these programs offer students a number of different ways to study law in a number of diverse environments.

The J.D./LL.B. offers students to study both in the Canadian and United States Common Law tradition. The University of Ottawa Law School offers this specialized program with two different U.S. law schools: Michigan State University College of Law in East Lansing, Michigan and American University in Washignton, D.C. Beryl Theobald of Western Law said that there is a possibility that in the future Western Law might offer something similar. Currently, Osgoode Hall and the University of Windsor Law School offer a joint-Canadian/U.S. law degree. Osgoode Hall offers a J.D./LL.B. with New York University Law School and Windsor offers a joint degree with Detroit Mercy College of Law. Stéphane Émard-Chabot also spoke of the merits of studying the National Law Program (LL.L) at the University of Ottawa Law School. Unbeknownst to many undergraduate students that attended the Pre-Law Forum, most of the world practices civil law. The merits of the LL.L. program is that students are able to study both French Civil Law and English Common Law at the University of Ottawa. Beryl Theobald mentioned that Western offers an exchange program with many law schools in Quebec to allow students to study French Civil Law during their three year LL.B. at Western.
Niki Healey gave a presentation about the newly revised MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business. This allows for students to study both law and business, graduating in three years with both degrees. Traditionally, the MBA/LL.B. had been a four year program. The details of this newly revised degree can be found on the Western Law website.

Following these informative presentations, students were able to ask questions about the application process and admissions decisions, as well as what it is like to go to law school. A second-year law of Western Law came and spoke with students about how it is all about balance at law school. She explained that she was really involved during her undergraduate years, which helped her to learn to juggle her time between academics and extra-curricular commitments. Furthermore, Beryl Theobald explained how to put together an effective law school application; including what law school admission committees are looking for in personal statements. Beryl invited Associate Dean Grant Huscroft to come and give a brief constitutional law class on the famous Oakes test. Students were able to see first hand how a class would be structured and were able to ask Associate Dean Huscroft how curriculums are structured in law school ranging from law school tests and research/writing component.

This event was a success due to the numerous people that were involved. I would like to thank John Richardson, Beryl Theobald, Stéphane Émard-Chabot, Niki Healey Associate Dean Grant Huscroft, and Sonia the second year law student that spoke to the students that attended the Pre-Law Forum. From the feedback that I have received over the past few weeks, students found the session to be extremely informative and rewarding, as it provided insight into applications as well as student life at law school. The Western-Pre Law Society is planning another similar event on October 17th.