First Year Students

 

First year at law school as a 1L can be the most intense and amazing experience of your life. It can also be the most exhausting and difficult. The SLS is here to help you in making your first year the best that it can be, by connecting you to what you need and by helping you make connections and access resources.

MSW/JD FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

  • Please see our new JD/MSW handbook for all up to date information on the program. You can find the handbook here

  • There are two streams of the MSW/JD program: Advance Track (students who currently hold a Bachelor of Social Work) and Regular Track (students who do not currently hold a Bachelor of Social Work). The Advance Track is a three-year concurrent degree and the Regular Track is a four-year partially concurrent degree.

  • Advance Track has the following class format:

    • Law I (Fall & Winter)

    • Social Work Courses (Law I Summer)

    • Social Work Courses + Law Courses (Law II Fall)

    • Law Courses (Winter)

    • Social Work Courses + Law Courses (Law III Fall & Winter)

    • Social Work Placement (Winter)

  • Regular Track has the following class format:

    • Social Work Courses (Year 1)

    • Law Courses (Law I Fall & Winter)

    • Social Work Courses + Law Courses (Law II Fall)

    • Law Courses (Winter)

    • Social Work Courses + Law Courses (Law III Fall & Winter)

    • Social Work Placement (Winter)

  • Your contact in the Faculty of Law is Professor Tess Sheldon and your contact in the Faculty of Social Work is Dr. Donnelly

  • Looking for student connections? Please reach out to the Vice President, Academic.

  • Along with the regular orientation for 1L Windsor Law students, you will have an additional orientation for Social Work

  • Be bold in asking for what you need - while Windsor Law is really proud of you and this program, it’s a smaller cohort of students compared to the other Dual and Single JD programs and therefore you’ll need to be confident in seeking out help when you have questions

DUAL JD FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

  • You’ll receive an incredibly informative Handbook from the Director of the Dual JD Program before you start your academic orientation at either school. This has important dates, grade conversion charts, policies for both schools, how to apply for a Nexus card, and other things you’re likely wondering about. If you have questions, you can always reach out to the Director for guidance.

  • You’ll need a Visa (an F-1 Student Visa, not the credit card) to attend classes at Detroit Mercy, but administration will help you through that process. Look for emails from staff and follow the instructions promptly so you’re all ready to start classes.

  • Nexus cards are a way to avoid long lineups when crossing the border and they are recommended for Dual students, but not mandatory. Keep in mind that everyone in your car (for carpooling) must have valid Nexus cards to use the special lane. Sign up for yours as soon as you can, but be aware that there are long delays for NEXUS interviews due to Covid-19.

  • Windsor and Detroit have two ports of entry: the tunnel and the bridge. The bridge is privately owned, the tunnel is not, and both charge a toll. We strongly recommend you use the tunnel to cross into the US. You can sign up for Nexpress (discounted tolls) for the tunnel only, and you can load it right onto your Nexus card. Your first order of student business: remembering Nexpress and Nexus are different things!

  • A handy US/CDN conversion website for all your dollar needs.

  • For exchange, your best rate can be found at the VIA train station’s Windsor Currency Exchange (go in, turn the corner like you’re getting on the train, and you’ll see ‘Windsor Currency Exchange’ in blue on your right). It’s handy for Dual students when they’re paying tuition or just getting cash for regular use. 

  • As you can see to your right, you do not register for courses in first year. You do in upper years, so if you’re hearing about really cool courses, take note of them and plan to take them in 2L & 3L.

  • For ease, here are the current grade conversion charts used to convert grades between Windsor Law and Detroit Mercy Law. Keep in mind that there is one chart for required courses and another for elective courses. 

MBA/JD FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

SINGLE JD FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

Information that’s useful for all JD students at Windsor Law… (not exhaustive!)

  • Your first week of school starts a week to two weeks earlier than upper years! This isn’t a bad thing, we promise. It’s an opportunity for you to meet each other, get used to the school building and faculty, and get your bearings before you’re immersed in law school. It occurs the Monday to Thursday inclusive the week before law school starts, and the dates are on the school’s website - google ‘academic dates, Windsor law’. (*Duals start two weeks earlier because they have a week of orientation at Detroit Mercy, then they join the Single JDs orientation at Windsor Law the week before Labour Day)

  • As part of this first week and extending into the first month or two of law school, Social Orientation occurs! This is where you can choose how much you participate - you can attend all of the events or just one, or just the sports events, or just the parties. It’s all up to you, but get out of your comfort zone and make new friends. You’ll be so glad you did - you’ll still have those friends when you graduate, and you’ll always remember how you first met. Keep your eyes on your email inbox from emails sent by the Social O Committee, and register for the events that interest you and some that are just outside of your comfort zone. Our Trivia Night, Law Night In, and Boat Cruise are fan favourites.

  • Administrative: You’ll be given instructions in your first month about many of the things you’re wondering about, but here’s a few to start you off. Uwin card - your student card can be picked up during the first few weeks of school, including during your academic orientation week. Find their office downstairs in the CAW. Go in the CAW, find the stairs to the basement, go straight at the bottom of the stairs and it’s in that corridor along with the Pharmacy and Dental office. Windsor’s campus bookstore is to your right down the stairs, where you’ll find your textbooks. To find a list of your textbooks go to the uwinsite (Manage Classes) by logging in with your uwin ID. Bus Passes have to be picked up during the first week of classes - check out UWSA bus pass site to find the dates you’ll need to attend at the CAW main atrium (it’s massive, big glass windows with phenomenal views of the bridge, can’t miss it).

  • Classes: You don’t register for first year JD classes at Windsor Law OR Detroit Mercy, you are automatically registered. The schools will send you your schedule in August, and you can find the details on your uwinsite login.

  • Peer mentorship: Sign up Sign up SIGN UP for the peer mentorship program! You’ll hear more about how to do this in your emails from the current Peer Mentor Coordinator, but you definitely want to sign up. You’ll be paired with an upper year Windsor Law student who matches some of what you’re about, and you can choose to talk to them a lot, a little, or whenever you need during your first year. They’re people you can ask about where to find the washrooms and where to find information about externships; they’re also someone you can ask about how to manage the stress of law school and someone you’ll be able to say hi to in the hallways. There is nothing really to lose and everything to gain.

  • Mooting: All first year JD students at Windsor Law and Detroit Mercy participate in a mooting program. It’s part of your Legal Writing & Research learning, and you’ll receive help with preparing and understanding it in class. If you have questions or you’re freaking out because this seems like the scariest thing you’ve done short of the LSAT, talk to us! (Council /Exec members, faculty, peer mentors, etc). We’ve all gone through it too. Your judges will be upper year students, and it’s not nearly as scary as you think it will be. Mooting occurs in the first couple months of Winter term, so it’s not something to worry about in the Fall. Truly. This being said, if you’re like I cannot wait for mooting, you can sign up right away in the fall for the Hicks Morley moot (open to 1Ls and upper yrs; not for credit), or the Transnational Law moot (open to all years; not for credit), and you can in 2&3L apply to take competitive moots. There are many, and Windsor Law will tell you more about them during your school experience.

  • Jobs: Please do NOT stress about 1L summer jobs. There will be a lot of talk about 1L recruit and OCIs (On Campus Interviews), however, there will be plenty of informative seminars to assist you in your job hunt. Please reach out to your peer mentor, Council & Executive members, your connections in upper years to get your questions answered so your anxiety can be lessened. If you’d like an OCI survival guide from an upper year, request one through the contact form on the front page. Bottom line: work hard in 1L to get the best grades you can, and survive the year being as healthy and well rounded as you can. Basically, what your mom has been telling you for years is actually good advice.

LIFE IN WINDSOR

  • Housing: Check out facebook to find Windsor Housing pages or the Windsor All Years page where you can connect with other students seeking student housing or see what others are looking for /offering. You can also search Kijiji, or just use those amazing Google skills you have. The farther away from the law school (and closer to downtown), the cheaper the housing will be, but the longer it will take you in the dead of winter to get to school. Be aware that the bus system in Windsor is… Not always what you’re used to if you’re coming from out of town. Places students have enjoyed that are downtown: Westcourt Place, Victoria Park, Portofino Riverside. Walkerville is also a great area with lots of little shops and heritage housing. Sandwich town is on the other side of the bridge, that is often cheaper. Check out the map when looking at where housing is - the law school is on the far edge of the University grounds. Canterbury College has residences directly opposite the law school.

  • Parking: There is street parking, but be warned that you will forever be leaving class halfway through to feed the meter or picking up parking tickets when you forget to add more to the app. Parking lots nearby are run by the University, as well as Canterbury College (not just for those in residence there), which offer term or yearly passes but don’t offer one time parking. There is also the ‘church lot’ which costs $6 for the entire day. It’s located to the east of the Leddy Library. You can check out the Windsor transit system, as the 1C goes from downtown to school semi-regularly and you’ve paid for your bus pass already (go pick it up!)

  • Food: There are many grocery stores, from Metro to Food Basics to No Frills. Do a Google Map search of those that are near you; if you don’t have access to a car or it’s not on a bus route, this may impact your housing decisions. University of Windsor also has a food bank, and Canterbury College does monthly toonie dinners. If you have a question about where to go for an evening out, ask your peer mentor or a member of Council or anyone you have connection with at Windsor Law - our opinions are diverse on this subject!