Student Life Series

We sat down with Professor Tanya J. Monestier, Professor of Law at the University of Buffalo and author of "Sh*t No One Tells You About Law School", a funny, insightful, and easy to read book that offers law students a compilation of advice culled from the author's fifteen years of teaching experience.

In this episode hosted by Bianca Morello, we speak with two second-year law students. We touch on OCIs, as all three of us had very different paths and OCI outcomes. We also talk about our study habits, the importance of grades, the importance of friendships, and the difficulties of online school.

Many students struggle to approach professors or people in their law school for research opportunities. It may be hard to see the value, experience, and opportunities of pursuing research during your law school years.

This episode compiles candid conversations with racialized law students and a practitioner who recently completed the formal and informal recruitment process. Join our host, Rayleigh Minhyu Lee, to hear about their experiences, how they approached difficult topics, and advice for law students.

The 2L recruit can be a very stressful and sometimes even discouraging time for some students. For students who want to work in a large law firm or are dreaming of a specific firm, this podcast reminds students that there is more than one path to becoming a successful lawyer.

In the latest episode of the Student Life Series, host Bianca Morello sits down with Matthew Boissonneault and Nicholas Crimi, Co-Presidents of Elephant in the Room (uOttawa). As the title suggests, we talk about taking care of your mental health during the “Zoom times”, imposter syndrome, OCIs, work-life balance, and e-learning.

Join our host Bianca Morello for a conversation with Jashan Singh, founder and managing director of Lawyer-ed. Lawyer-ed is a platform that allows pre-law and current law students to express their views on legal, political, and social issues and receive help with job searching and professional development. Jashan shares how Lawyer-ed came to be and their services to support individuals throughout their journey into law.

In this episode, our host Nurulayn Noor sits with Lynda Collins, professor and lawyer, to discuss mental health in the legal field. As overviewed in her course Happiness and the Law, Professor Collins explores ways for law students and legal professionals to prioritize their wellbeing over every other aspect of their lives.

In this episode of the Student Life Series, our host, Bianca Morello, sits down with Professor Anne Levesque and student Sarah to discuss the different activities they planned for the 1L orientation at the University of Ottawa. Some of the topics include the "hybrid" activities they organized, how to prepare for the first year of law school, and how to be most successful whether attending class in-person or online

Sit down with host Sabrina Dueck and guest Louanne Moriarty as they discuss volunteering with a law school legal clinic (specifically, Student Legal Assistance at the University of Calgary). Receive some bonus tips from a pandemic-era grad on how to balance life and law school. Louanne talks about her personal experience working with SLA throughout all three years of law school, the many benefits of volunteering/working at any law school legal clinic, and how to survive law school in general.

As part of the Student Life Series, Bianca Morello sits down for a chat with Chelsea Sawaya and François Bélanger, two students who have just completed their first year of law school at the University of Ottawa. Just like the title suggests, we talk about our classes, how we adapted to law school online, work-life balance and our perspective on grades.

This episode of the Student Life Series is for anyone with student loan debt or thinking about loans (or credit lines) to finance your law school education. Kendall joins us from the Babe on a Budget Blog to discuss her debt-free journey and how she tackles paying down her $200,000 law school debt. We discuss the “snowball” and “avalanche” methods of paying down your debt, and Kendall shares tips on budgeting, creating an emergency fund, and avoiding paying extra interest on your loans.

In the latest episode of the Student Life Series, host Bianca Morello sits down with Matthew Boissonneault and Nicholas Crimi, Co-Presidents of Elephant in the Room (uOttawa). As the title suggests, we talk about taking care of your mental health during the “Zoom times”, imposter syndrome, OCIs, work-life balance, and e-learning.

Mary Rezaee, Scotiabank Small Business Advisor, joins us to discuss Scotiabank’s Professional Student Line of Credit process from application to repayment. In this episode, we ask the hard questions about financing your legal education. Whether you want to apply or you've already been approved, this episode will help you understand the financial basics of interest rates, amortization, repayment, and professional products and services.

Damian Di Biase, a 2L student from uOttawa, talks about his experiences volunteering with different clubs — including the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL), Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR), and the Allies in Law Mentorship program (which he started) — and making life-long connections in the process. We discuss tips for managing extracurriculars, strategies for determining which clubs to join, and the development of unexpected skills.

The first official episode of the Student Life Series is all about the 1L experience. Wiam Akil, a 2L from the University of Ottawa, joins us in a conversation about what to expect during 1L — including small group classes, imposter syndrome, and making friends. In this episode, you'll find tips for balancing your course load, networking, and strategies for connecting with upper-year students.