Trevor (far right) and the guys at the LSS Boat Cruise – Safety first!
Year of Law School: Incoming 2L
Age: 22
Hometown: Qualicum Beach, BC
What did you do before law school? I went to Vancouver Island University and finished a degree in Economics.
What area of law are you interested in? Ah yes, the question with the elusive answer! I suppose I’m interested in business law generally. I find the areas of natural resource development and mergers and acquisitions especially interesting.
A fun fact about yourself: I thought long and hard about this one, and the best I could come up with is that I don’t really like eggs (poached, fried, boiled, etc) unless they are smothered in Hollandaise sauce.
What was your favorite part of Orientation Week? As corny as it sounds Orientation Week was about so much more than the events or the lectures. My favorite part about Orientation Week, in retrospect, was meeting the group of people that would end up being some of my closest friends (in law school or otherwise). That is not to say that I did not spend the rest of the year at law school meeting more of the incredible people that attend UBC Law, but I met the group of people that I am now closest with on the second or third day of Orientation.
What was the best advice an upper year gave you when you started school? The best advice I received in first year law school was actually from a first year professor. This prof told a group of us in our small group that it was important throughout the course of first year law (and probably law school generally) to find reasons and occasions to celebrate. While first year law was certainly the most rewarding and incredible year of my life, it came with a lot of hard work, its fair share of stresses, and moments of feeling overwhelmed. Following this professor’s advice, I found that the best way ensure that you don’t get too caught up in the difficulty of 1L, is to celebrate and reward the moments in which you overcome that difficulty. Did you just hand in a paper that was worrisome when you first started it? Take some time to have a drink with friends. Finish all of your readings for a class early? Go see a movie, or play a board game, or do whatever it is that you enjoy. Maintaining some semblance of a life outside of classes is essential to your health, and will ultimately lead to a fuller, more successful law school experience, and in my first year I found that finding reasons and occasions to celebrate was a great way to balance law school and life.
What was the worst advice an upper year gave you when you started school? I received mostly great advice from my upper year friends, and found them all to be very encouraging and understanding (a legacy I hope to maintain as I move into upper year). However, I was told that I would have to prioritize my readings because it would be impossible to finish them all. This was certainly untrue (at least for me and most of the people I knew). Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely readings that can be “neglected” if need be for the sake of more important readings (for example, readings for a course that is based entirely on a final paper can often be “neglected” for readings from a course based on a final exam). However, it is entirely possible to finish all of your readings on a nightly/weekly basis, and still have time for the celebrating that I mentioned above.
What was your favorite part of first year? The first two months of first year were definitely my favorite time. At this point, law school is still such a fresh and exciting experience. The sun still serves as an apparent feature of the Vancouver environment, which cannot be said in the November-April months. You’re still meeting new people, and getting to better know all those people you met in Orientation Week and in your small group. Other than getting used to the reading schedule and a paper or two, the months of September and October are without the significant academic challenges that occur later in the year. Overall, I remember this time in the year to be pretty carefree, sunny, and exciting!
What was the most challenging part of first year? Without wanting to cause unnecessary stress and worry, it was definitely final exams. The law school does and excellent job at making sure that you are prepared for this time, and are as relaxed as possible, however this is still a time of the year where there is a lot of pressure to succeed, and that comes with some stress. That being said, it’s all worth it for the feeling of walking out of the last final exam, knowing you have completed one of the most challenging years of your education (and perhaps even of your life).
What was your favorite social event of first year? It should be noted that each and every social event of the year will be touted by its sponsors as the “premier social event” of the year. This is untrue, despite how much you want to believe that the social events are just one prolonged climax where the latest event tops the previous. That being said, I remember the boat cruise as being a really great social event. I also thoroughly enjoyed the end-of-the-year party.
What would you do differently in 1L if you could go back now? I think overall, I would want to worry less about the intermittent assignments from first year. While it’s definitely important to put time and effort into the assignments, they are not worth stressing too much over. I would want to go back and spend a little bit more time enjoying first year law, and less stressing over the smaller assignments.
What extracurriculars would you recommend to 1Ls? As Treasurer of Legal Education Outreach (LEO), I feel I am obligated to promote this club over all else! In all seriousness, I would recommend that you get involved in extracurriculars that you think will further a personal interest of yours, will be a rewarding experience, or will help you escape the routine of law school work. I was involved with LEO because I think it is a tremendously satisfying experience to go into high schools and get grade 12 students inspired about the law, post-secondary education, and law school. I also joined the law school intramural basketball team, and had a great time meeting some upper year law students, getting exercise, and playing a sport that I love.
What was your favorite class? Favorite professor? I loved Contracts, and consequently my favorite professor was my Contracts prof., Joel Bakan. It has been suggested to me by friends that my love of contracts and the professor who teaches it borders on weird, but I like to think they’re just jealous.
Any Words of Wisdom to incoming 1Ls? Enjoy every second of first year law school. It truly was the most incredible year of my life. Try and strike that balance between doing all the work that is asked of you, and taking time for yourself to be with friends, family, or loved ones. Take time to celebrate your accomplishments, or your new found friendships in whatever way you best like to celebrate. Don’t get too caught up in the stressful side of law school; step outside of that element of the experience to enjoy the other parts of the 1L experience. Soak it all up, and I promise you that you will finish the year and be able to look back upon it as fondly as I look back upon my first year.