Why I Chose to Study Business Law in Canada

In our last year of high school, at just 17 or 18 years old, we have big decisions to make that could definitely change our lives.  It's hard to weigh all our options and really trust that we'll make the best decisions.  For me, there were many reasons why I could have chosen to study elsewhere. Ultimately, there were even more reasons that drew me to study business law in Canada at the University of Ottawa.  To simplify your research on universities here are the 7 reasons why I chose business law at uOttawa.

1. Has anyone heard of Telfer?

Telfer School of Management is one of the best business schools in Canada and provides a great atmosphere for the students' transition from high school to University.  Telfer has a variety of clubs specific for its students that allow you to really get invested in specific type of business you are interested in.  For me, they had Telfer Law society which hosts activities and conferences with lawyers to get a sense of the business world and open students to networking opportunities.   Also, Telfer 101 Week is a great to make new friendships that will last you throughout University and the group work assigned in class allows you to socialize and really broaden your horizons.  This was perfect for a student like me coming from out of town!

2. UNIQUE PROGRAM

There are very few schools that offer this program, not only in Canada, but in the entire world.  Once you graduate, you will receive: a Bachelor of Commerce at the Telfer School of Management AND a Juris Doctor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa.  After completing your two first years of commerce at Telfer while maintaining your grades, you start automatically law school in third year!  If you realize you prefer the business portion after your two first years, then you can simply opt-out of the J.D. portion and continue your studies in a business option whether it be Finance, Accounting, Marketing or other.

3. 6 years vs 7 years

Most students complete a 4 year Bachelor before starting their studies in law, which means that they will need to complete 7 years of post-secondary education.  However, this program allows you to save a year by completing both degrees in the span of 6 years.  This may not seem like much at the time, but right now I just finished my 4th year and boy am I ever thankful that I only have two years left! The time and stress that you can save by not doing that one extra year is definitely worth it.

4. Being bilingual is an asset

The BCOM/JD program at uOttawa is a French program available in full French or French immersion.  About 20% of the Canadian population speaks French and about 30% of uOttawa students speak French.  That being said having the ability to practice both business and law in French and in English enables you to apply to a diverse pool of job opportunities after graduating.  Just because it is a French program, it doesn't actually mean you need to take 100% of your classes in French.  You only need to take 60% of your classes in French in the BCOM/JD program.  I actually took a few classes in English in both law and business to be able to understand the different notions in both languages.

5. The heart of Ottawa

If you've never been to the uOttawa campus, I definitely recommend coming to the Open House!  You will instantly fall in love with the uOttawa campus location.  Being at the center of the city allows students to have easy access to Centretown for different government job opportunities, to the ByWard Market which is great for foodies like me and to Sandy Hill a residential neighbourhood that offers plenty living arrangements for students.  Everything is at a walking distance which is great if, like me, you have no knowledge about Ottawa before moving there for school!

6. NO LSAT

Say goodbye to LSAT memes because a huuuuge advantage of studying business law in Canada at the University of Ottawa is not having to do your LSAT.  This had a big impact on my decision to choose uOttawa because I knew that if I chose to do my bachelor elsewhere, I would have to take my LSAT in order to get into law school.  For those that don't know what the LSAT is, it's the standardized law school admission test where they grade your logical skills and the score you receive will be evaluated in your admission application to law schools. Not having to do this obviously saves a lot of time and stress!

7. Law in the Capital of Canada?

Ottawa - the home of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal government of Canada - is an astonishing place to study law.  Big names have passed through the halls of Fauteux and it is not uncommon to see guest speakers or panels with an interesting array of lawyers, judges and political figures.  The uOttawa Faculty of Law offers programs in Common Law and Civil Law.  After completing my BCOM/JD, I could add an extra year to my degree in order to practice Civil Law.  This is a great advantage of studying business law at uOttawa because many countries operate under civil law and so I would have access to a broader job market when completing my studies.

These were my 7 reasons for choosing to study at uOttawa.  Hopefully, they helped you establish if the BCOM/JD program is right for you.  If you have any questions about this program, feel free to reach out to me.

Otherwise, there is plenty of useful information about the program itself and the course sequence that is available from the Telfer website as well as the Common Law website that are very useful.