November 18, 2013
The Definitive Source for Osgoode News
Vol 86 Issue 6
DEAN SOSSIN SPEAKS AT NOVEMBER 14TH’S TUITION TOWNHALL
Are we paying too much for law
school?
TERRY WONG
Contributor
Law school is expensive.
THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, each of us will pay
Osgoode somewhere in the neighborhood of
$22,000. That’s more than 75% of the median
Canadian’s income. When you do the math, each
of us effectively pays Osgoode about $50 per
hour of class time [At 17 credits, $43/hour (17
hrs x 15 weeks x 2 semesters) and at 13 credits,
$56/hour (13 hours x 15 weeks x 2 semesters)].
And keep in mind that this $22,000 only covers
tuition and fees. When you add books and conservative living expenses (as budgeted by the
Osgoode Office of Financial Services), the total
cost of a three-year Osgoode JD easily exceeds
$120,000.
The rising cost of law school is an issue
that should matter to everyone.
Osgoode’s current tuition costs reduce the meritocracy of the admissions system. It cuts down
the diversity of our classes and ultimately, the
legal profession, without reference to a candi-
date’s academics or other qualifications. In a
way, Osgoode’s tuition is like those amusement
park ride warning signs that require that “you
must be THIS tall to ride”, except the Osgoode
warning sign would say that “your personal
wealth and/or acceptance of potentially lifealtering debt must be THIS big to attend the
law school.”
Moreover, Osgoode’s current tuition rates
also limit the career and life choices of students.
Students who might have otherwise pursued
areas of practice such as social justice or the
public service are pulled towards higher-paying options in order to pay off their debt loads.
This in turn reduces the public’s access to legal
services while disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups. The steep price of law school
tuition has contributed to the sad irony of our
legal system: where average Canadians can’t
afford to use a lawyer when they need one, but
simultaneously there is underemployment of
articling students and legal professionals.
Student Caucus April 2013 Report
The following bullets hit on key points from an
investigation done by a Student Caucus member
and published by the Obiter Dicta in April
2013. If you are interested in why you are asked
to pay $22,000 and where that money goes, I
strongly urge you to read the full article. A link
is provided below.
» continued on page 15
In this issue...
Remembering Professor Mandel
page 3 and 4
Quebec Charter of Values
page 5
Jurisfoodence
pages 6 and 7
Film reviews
pages 10 and 11