The path to law school looks different for every student; some gain a foundation in political science or philosophy, some pursue English, history or economics. What if you could get a head start on your career, learn the basics, and leave with a deeper understanding of Canadian and global legal systems?
Members of the first graduating class of the Justice and Legal Studies program join faculty members at the bench dedicated to the new U of G program.
Justice and Legal Studies (JLS), a new undergraduate program housed in Department of Political Science in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, offers a path to learning about the law from a social science perspective. It is a comprehensive education that introduces students to the intricate workings of law, justice and judicial processes to better equip them for a variety of careers in the legal field.
"We want to make sure our students are seeing legal phenomena in the fullest and broadest interdisciplinary perspective," says Dr. Dennis Baker, JLS program coordinator. "Our students learn there is more to the legal system than just its response to crime."
U of G nationally renowned for legal scholarship
Launched in 2021, JLS was developed to meet the growing demand for legal education that extended beyond what the Criminal Justice and Public Policy program offers. The first year, 34 students were enrolled; this past year, there were 400 students across all years in the program.
The structure of the program includes five areas of emphasis based on student interest - Canadian politics and governance, global relations and governance, gender and sexuality, arts and humanities and business and management - helmed by a faculty of widely respected experts.
"We have developed a national reputation for our approach to studying law as part of the social sciences," Baker says. "If you want to study how law and politics interact, the University of Guelph is the place to be."
Introducing students to fields such as family, contract, labour and administrative law expands the range of careers they can pursue either as a lawyer or readies them to work in a variety of roles within the court system, such as court and law clerks, victim services or even journalism and government relations.
JLS teaches students foundational legal skills, like how to read a statute and how to explore jurisprudence using programs like Quicklaw and Law Source, resources not typically introduced until law school. There is also a co-op stream that opens the door to real-time learning that builds relevant work experience and professional networks.
"We're very excited by the experiential aspects of both the program itself and the additional opportunities in the co-op stream," Baker says. "All of our students experience a simulated courtroom trial and that allows them to understand how academic knowledge fares in the judicial process."
Creating a pre-law student society at U of G
Four years ago, Michelle Wilk's plan was to become a criminal defence lawyer, so she enrolled as part of the inaugural JLS cohort, pursuing the gender and sexuality stream before moving into international law. "The program took me down many different roads," she says. "That was perfect for someone like me who likes to explore all my options."
Wilk discovered the program's design elevated a pre-law education, both inside and outside the classroom. "JLS really nurtured my creativity and my desire to learn," she says.
In her time at U of G, Wilk left her mark. She helped found the Guelph chapter of the Runnymede Society, a national student-led organization typically only found at law schools and is the former co-president of the Justice and Legal Studies Society, an academic club for JLS students.
"I owe a lot to the program," she says, "and specifically to the people I was given the opportunity to network with. They really do want to help you."
As a member of the inaugural graduating class, Wilk felt compelled to commemorate their experience and support the students that would follow. Through fundraising efforts, aided by Alumni Affairs and Development, JLS now has a dedicated plaque and bench on campus and the first-ever scholarship created by and for U of G students. "I didn't want to see anyone deterred from studying law because of debt, or grades suffering as a result of financial stress," she says.
After securing a position at SV Law while finishing her studies at U of G, Wilk looks toward law school with a confidence instilled in her by her undergraduate degree in Justice and Legal Studies. "You really do go into law school with a huge advantage having been exposed to so much more."
