The Class of 2021 reflect on their law school personal statements
Do you remember 2018? Before the SARS-CoV-2 virus swept across the world? Before the Hong Kong extradition bill was introduced, sparking a wave of protests in its wake? It was the year Ontario passed Bill 5, reducing the size of Toronto’s city council to 25 during an active election. It was the year Meghan Markle married Prince Harry. Most importantly, it was the year that most students in the graduating Class of 2021 began their legal education at U of T Law.
Things have changed since then. In the spirit of reflection, Ultra Vires asked graduating students to submit excerpts from their law school applications to compare them with their post-graduation plans. Excerpts were submitted anonymously.
The following have been edited for brevity and clarity.
“I want to be a lawyer to rectify my regret [of not standing up to my bully], and to fight for people who — perhaps like younger me — don’t know how to stand up for themselves against those with power. People like Eckford, Morgentaler, and the Lovings drive me to make change, and prove to me that the law can be used to achieve this purpose. Legal power is plastic and pliable; it can be a tool of oppression and a site of resistance. It can force people to cross foul lines, or it can instantaneously and universally remove barriers. Law school will help me strive for the latter; particularly with U of T’s academic caliber and numerous clinical opportunities, I will be able to use the law as an instrument of change just as I am an instrument of change.”
This student acknowledges he was naive and recognizes that it is not as easy to use the law in the way he thought it could or should have been used. He will be articling at a litigation boutique because he realized what he liked about social justice litigation was the litigation.
“Not only is UT a global leader in law, economics, and finance, there is also a strong focus on collaboration between these departments. One such collaborative program is the Capital Markets Institute (CMI). Being accepted as a Student Scholar at the CMI would allow me to broaden my understanding of financial markets and their regulation while having opportunities to see how theories may be applied in real-world scenarios. The type of work and research done at the CMI align perfectly with my future career goals so joining the program would be a top priority for me.”
When this student asked about the Capital Market Institute in his first week of school, he was promptly informed they only accept PhD students. He looks forward to articling at a full-service Bay Street firm.
“There isn’t an epiphany moment [about why I want to come to law school]. I know that above all else, I want to serve people with the gifts that I have. […] More than anything else, the reason I’m applying to U of T is because there is a world of opportunities to use the law to help others, and I believe that you want to reach it. I want to reach it too.”
This student had many opportunities to help others at U of T and will continue doing so while articling at a GTA-firm that does public interest work. Her decision to pursue a lower-paying public interest job came at a cost 一 she expects to be in close contact with her bank’s student loan representative for many, many years to come.
“Dining table conversations with my parents was where I learned about the indispensable role lawyers play in helping people realize their dreams and business goals. Without lawyers, my parents would never have been successful in [reaching their goal of] launching products onto the market. Lawyers are the ones that truly help people in turning people’s visions and dreams to a reality. […] Since the University of Toronto is the leading law school in Canada with the best placement rate into corporate law firms, I think it offers me the best chance to realize my dreams in being a partner at a corporate law firm to help people in the same position as my parents were 20 years ago.”
This student will be articling at a full-service firm. He never enjoyed law school and wonders if he’ll like the law. He thinks the only reason he was attracted to law as an undergraduate student was for the money.
“With a JD from U of T, I see myself working in some form of cultural heritage protection […] I may not recover the Elgin Marbles or save a prized artifact from external appropriation, but I want to examine and resolve issues of ownership, particularly at the international level. Ideally, I would obtain a postgraduate degree in the future to supplement my knowledge, but believe that a JD would provide me with the fundamental starting skills for this field.”
At the time, this student just wanted to be Amal Cooney and had no knowledge of how international cultural property law worked. She did not pursue any cultural heritage or IP-related opportunities at U of T. Law school has since erased any interest she had in further education; instead, she will be articling with the Ministry of the Attorney General.
“Since the rule of law is a cornerstone of the functioning order in our society, the law must constantly evolve and adapt to the uncharted territories of conflicting interests of different parties. The problem-solving aspect of law is the biggest draw for me. […] Given my background working for a financial institution, I would love to explore further a career path that keeps me close to the development of new financial technology, as well as the laws and regulations that govern how it interacts with the free market.”
This student says her sentence about the rule of law aged like milk. She has since learned a lot about social justice, community involvement, and the status quo of law and society. She will not forget the importance of being involved in volunteer initiatives that serve the collective struggle while articling at a full-service business law firm.
“In my homecoming, I have commenced taking ownership of my civic identity. I see how, now more than ever, it is vital to expand the discussion of what defines being “Canadian.” […] I want a say in this discussion. More than that, I want to understand Canadian society at its most fundamental level: to parse the laws and agreements, past and present, and to shape the creation of those in the future. Whether my path will lead me toward public policy, immigration law, or human rights law, I do not yet know. I do know, however, that a legal education will play a vital role in giving me the tools and platform with which to engage these issues. I hope you will give me the opportunity to take part in this discussion at The University of Toronto Faculty of Law.”
This student was initially drawn to large international issues and completed an International Human Rights Program fellowship in her 1L summer. She later realized that what drew her to international law was the effect she wanted to have with her legal career, not necessarily the field itself. She will be articling at the City of Toronto where she will continue to engage with her deep sense of civic duty.
“Ultimately, my passion for constitutional law, and the role it plays in protecting individual rights and liberties, has led me to pursue law school. Whether it be the Canadian Constitution or a student council constitution, revisiting governing documents incites important conversations about the responsibility to consider the needs of all constituents. I am eager to join a community that has a rich history in taking a stand against violations of Charter rights.”
This student will be clerking, after which she will probably return to a full-service firm to make a dent in her rapidly growing debt load. Throughout law school, she volunteered with clinics working on constitutional law issues and took courses focused on constitutional law. She hopes to transition into research or teaching in the future.
“My greatest source of enjoyment in chemistry is the analysis. Approaching a chemical reaction requires the study of past research involving similar cases, in conjunction with learned rules and facts, to evaluate the most appropriate methodology. Acquiring an understanding of how past cases, relevant facts, and individual innovation combine to provide a solution – this is what I find the most intriguing about chemistry. This is similar to law, where I will learn a multitude of legal cases and specific laws, then apply them in practice to clients’ cases using my own intuition. […] Following the attainment of my law degree, I want to work to aid the legal rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, with a specific focus on youth.”
After spending two summers at corporate law firms, this student will be clerking at the Ontario Court of Appeal. His analytical skills drew him to clerking and will (hopefully) result in a future career that involves public law. While he does not foreclose the possibility of working with LGBTQ+ youth, it does not pay off debt as quickly as Big Law.
