Best Law Schools in Canada – Part 3 – Queen’s Faculty of Law
Have you always wanted to strike a gavel? Have you always wanted to wear a barrister’s wig, even if it has already been scrapped from the court dress collection? Even if your reasons for becoming a lawyer are very shallow (such as the aforementioned ones,) it is important that you receive the finest law education possible. The only way you are going to achieve this if you enroll in Queen’s University, one of the best law schools in Canada.
Please note that this article is part of a series. Please scroll to the end of this article for its respected parts.
About the Queen’s Faculty of Law
The Queen’s Faculty of Law is one of the most distinguished schools for legal education in Canada. Although the law school was formally established in the year 1857, the tradition of legal education in Queen’s can be traced back to as
early as the year 1851. In fact, one of the earliest recipients of the Doctor of Laws degree is Sir John A. Macdonald, who will later on be elected as Canada’s first prime minister.
Presently, the Faculty of Law is housed in the Sir John A. Macdonald Hall. Inaugurated in 1960, the building recently undertook a facelift in the year 2003. Here, spacious classrooms and moot courts can be found, as well as the extensive William R. Lederman Law Library, where you can get your hands on more than 150,000 volumes of legal materials and references.
The Strong Points of the Program
As one of Canada’s best law schools, there is so much you can gain from enrolling in Queen’s University. If you want to enjoy the fame and reputation of the school’s distinguished alumni such as senator David Paul Smith and Supreme Court of Canada justice Thomas Cromwell, then here are several reasons why Queen’s Faculty of Law should be at the top of your law school list:
1) Strong Common Law/Civil Law Program
Queen’s University, in coordination with the University of Sherbrooke, offers a joint common law/civil law program that can be completed in four years. You can stay for a year in the University of Sherbrooke, given that you are fluent in French. Alternately, Sherbrooke students can also finish their law studies in Queen’s.
2) Diverse Program Offerings
At the Queen’s Faculty of Law, you can choose from a wide array of law courses. The school offers interdisciplinary courses, such as Juris Doctor (JD)/Masters in Business Administration, JD/MA Economics, JD/MA Industrial
Relations and JD/MA Public Administration. By undertaking any of its interdisciplinary degrees, you will gain expertise not only in law but in the fields of commerce, economics, trade relations and public management as well.
3) Clinical and Experiential Education
In law, it is not enough that you win your teachers over in a Moot Court. You need to apply your skills in real-life settings. These opportunities thrive in Queen’s Faculty of Law, where you can engage in Clinical Externships, Federal Government Internships, Clinical Family Law, Elderly Law Clinic, Queen’s Business Law Clinic, Correctional Law Project and Queen’s Legal Aid. With these immersions, you can build the knowledge, experience and skill set that you need in order to start a reputable practice.
4) Global Law Programs
At Queen’s Faculty of Law, you will not only learn about Canadian law, but the rulings of other nations as well. It is the only school to feature a study-abroad facility based in England – the Bader International Study Center. The global law program can give you an opportunity to engage in study trips across the most reputable legal organizations in the world, such as the United Nations Office, World Trade Organization and the International Criminal Tribunal, to name a few.
Apart from European study trips, Queen’s also provides law exchange opportunities in prestigious institutions throughout Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
5) Respectable Professors
Toni Pickard, William Lederman, Nick Bala, Allan Manson and Don Stuart – apart from being some of the finest figures in Canadian Law, they have all served teaching stints in Queen’s Faculty of Law. With the legal knowledge and expertise that they share with their students, studying at Queen’s can give you the opportunity to turn out just like them: established professionals in the multi-disciplinary fields of law.
6) Excellent Research and Dissertation
Law is an ever-changing field. As such, Queen’s adapts to the fickle vicissitudes of the legal practice by engaging in pivotal studies and researches. For over 50 years, the university’s esteemed professors and students have helped in the modification and improvement of Canada’s judicial system.
The school’s dissertations range from legal doctrine to theoretical assumptions. Comparative, interdisciplinary and international in nature, they are used in reference by judges, lawyers and policy makers as well.
7) Superb Reputation
Without a doubt, the Queens Faculty of Law proves to be one of the best institutions for legal education in Canada. This is obvious in the school’s status, as it recently took the bronze medal in the Maclean Magazine’s 2012 Law School Rankings. On the other hand, it belongs to the 150-200 tier of the Times Higher Education’s 2012 survey for law schools.
Generally, Queen’s University is heralded as one of the best schools in the planet, landing the 189th spot in the aforementioned survey. This standing makes the university the eighth best institution in Canada, out of the 25 local schools included in the list.
8) Exceptional Placement Rates
Legal education is one thing, but the ability to land a job is another. In a world where elite university graduates barely get jobs, Queen’s graduates are fortunate enough to enjoy high placement rates. As much as 80% of the faculty’s enrollees get an articling position right after graduation.
9) Affordable Tuition
At Queen’s University, you can achieve world-class law education without burning a hole through your wallet (or maybe your parents’ wallets.) Throughout the years, it has extended financial assistance to its many students. In fact, in the academic year of 2011-12, the University has provided $4.8 million worth of scholarships and bursaries for its qualified students.
Feedback from Students
According to its students and graduates, Queen’s University is not just a school, it is a close-knit family as well. The Faculty’s sense of community is very apparent in surveys, with 93% of the student body expressing their experience in the school as good or excellent. The university’s quality of education and community are so impressive, that 93% of the interviewees would go to Queen’s, if they have the chance to restart their law school lives all over again.
In a Nutshell
To become a great lawyer, you need to study in one of the best law schools in Canada: the Queen’s Faculty of Law. Known worldwide for its strong common law/civil law programs, diverse program offerings, clinical and experiential education, global law programs, respectable professors, super reputation, exceptional placement rates and affordable tuition, there is nothing for you can ask for at Queen’s. If you want to make great strides in the field of law, then get started by enrolling in the highly-respected Queen’s Faculty of Law.
Relevant Links:
1. A Comprehensive Overview of the Best Law Schools in Canada – Part 1 (With Photos)
