Back to Law School Summary: News, Analysis and Opinions

For the second year in a row, we have set out to cover the issues and challenges facing Canadian law schools and students as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The main theme we heard from all law schools was how to welcome students while ensuring their safety. The delicate legal and ethical issues of mandatory vaccination testing and policies for students, staff and others on campus have been followed across the country, with our reporters examining provinces and their law schools in articles featuring reports. informative links so readers can keep up to date.

While most schools opted for some level of in-person attendance, many included a hybrid approach that emphasized a virtual option. The pandemic has thus forced universities to innovate and exploit the possibilities of information technologies – from Zoom to multidirectional microphones – as educational tools.

The law students themselves have written personal accounts of the impact of the changing university landscape on their lives. They offered coping tips as well as personal accounts of their experiences writing online reviews, the importance of mentoring, embracing technological change, and how the pandemic has affected their mental well-being. .

This is of course an extremely fluid situation that we will be following closely with columns and news and analysis articles over the coming year. Here is a summary of this year’s articles on the re-entry of law school.

Mandatory vaccination policies for post-secondary institutions implemented across Ontario

Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination has been the rallying cry of schools across Ontario, with the CEO of Colleges Ontario and the Council of Ontario Universities calling on the provincial government to “provide policy across the province that would require vaccination of students, students, staff and faculty, to help ensure optimal protection of public health for all. “

University risks responsibility by not requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination on campus: McGill law professors

As Quebec law schools reopen for in-person classes without requiring students and staff to prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19, 35 McGill University law schools warn the situation exposes Not only are people on campus at “serious health consequences” from the deadly virus, it could also fail to meet an “emerging standard of care” and discriminate against people with disabilities – as well as those who are pregnant or immunocompromised – exposing thus McGill (and by implication of other universities in Quebec) to the risks of actions in civil liability and human rights.

Back to school in Alberta, B.C. will include masks and proof of vaccination

As students in Alberta and British Columbia return to class this fall amid the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual assortment of book bags and cellphones will need to be supplemented with a mask – and in some cases proof of vaccination or preparation for testing.

Mixed approach of some Canadian law schools

Saskatchewan and New Brunswick law schools will adhere to vaccination policies recently put in place by their respective universities, while Manitoba law school will continue virtual learning for the next fall term. Meanwhile, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, home to the Schulich School of Law, wants students, faculty and staff to respond to a survey detailing their “vaccination plans and actions.”

Roomies and Zoomies: pandemic sparked new terms, some innovation in law school education

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on both law students and law professors, but the good news is that it is also sparking welcome and long-awaited innovations in the traditionally stable and passive model of teaching of law schools.

The Best of Both Worlds: The Virtual Door of Opportunity | Bo kruk

The second week of March 2020 forced a radical change on a profession steeped in tradition. Within days, classes that had remained much the same since the days of the slates and the blackboard were teleported to the 21st century. As COVID-19 swept the world, five words became a common refrain: “Wait, you’re muted. “

Why Teaming Up With A Law School Mentor Really Works David Yun

Over the past several months, through the author’s participation in the Western Law 2021 Steering Committee, he has been planning the 1L / 3L mentorship program as part of our people portfolio. This program matches incoming first year students with third year students based on mutual interests and shared experiences.

Beyond the Pandemic: Reflections of a Rising 3L | Jennifer fahrenholt

When the author did a cost-benefit analysis of going to law school in your mid-30s and pursuing her dreams of a legal career as a second career, she certainly did not factor in a global pandemic. into the equation. Nobody saw that on the horizon. Despite the challenges, a full year of virtual law school has been a fascinating experience and one that will be a topic of conversation for years to come.

Social media and legal practice | Serena Eshaghurshan

In some of the author’s previous articles in The Lawyer Daily, she discussed various tips and tricks for incoming and current law students. In this article, she took a different direction and discussed the interplay between social media and success in the legal profession.

Proactive Approach to the Mental Health of Ontario Law Students | Ocean Enbar and Monica Santos

It’s back to school and law students across Ontario are preparing for another unconventional school year. Additional challenges stemming from the pandemic aside, the law school experience is already recognized as a business full of heightened degrees of pressure and stressful experiences.

Pandemic reshaping education | Shreeya devnani

Almost everyone around the world is asking the same question: “When are we going to get back to normal?” For many law students, normalcy meant going to school, attending classes in person, talking to professors during office hours, and meeting friends. Without a doubt, the pandemic has changed these routines and behaviors for everyone.

Should the Law Society of Ontario sponsor a judicial exchange program?

As September approaches, another school year is upon us again. Ideally, the situation regarding COVID-19 will continue to improve, and provided that it does, foreign exchange programs are likely to resume. Such programs typically pair local students with overseas students and involve both welcoming the overseas student and visiting the host family in return. They are supposed to offer a number of benefits, including exposure and immersion in the foreign language and culture. This got Michael Lesage thinking, should the law society sponsor a judicial exchange program for Ontario judicial leaders?

How to Succeed Academically at Ontario Law Schools

The results have arrived. You log into your portal to see your grades and a feeling of disbelief comes over you. Is your highest score 73%? Your lowest undergraduate mark was 76%? How can this be? You go to Facebook and see people discussing their grades. A 90 percent in a course? What? This scenario is common for many first year law students.

Lessons from online bar exam technology fail

The author, Colette Self, had a nightmare a few weeks before taking the legal exam. She sat in front of her computer, unable to connect with her virtual supervisor, watching the minutes go by. 10:29 am 10:30 am 10:31 am His exam time came and went.

Illustration by Chris Yates / Law360

Let’s continue the conversation. If you have an idea for a story or want to add your voice to The Lawyer’s Daily by contributing an article or an analysis column, on law school or any other topic of interest to the legal community in Canada, we want to hear from you. Contact details of the entire team at The Lawyer Daily can be found here.