|
| 
 
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs):
GENERAL QUESTIONS:
Where is Windsor,
Ontario?
- Windsor is the southernmost
city in Ontario, Canada that you can reach via Hwy.401. Our southern
Ontario location borders Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit
River, which produces a temperate climate. The striking skyline
of Detroit, Michigan serves as a scenic backdrop. The heart of
Windsor, one of Canada's busiest gateways, is located south of
the United States. Vehicles crossing the international boundary
through the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel or the Ambassador Bridge exit
directly into Windsor. We house a diverse ethnic population with
over 90 cultures represented in Windsor.
What is the travel
time between the two schools?
- The University of
Windsor and the University of Detroit Mercy are located approximately
10 KMs from each other. The typical travel time ranges from 12
minutes to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of traffic at the
border.
- Students are strongly
encouraged to acquire both a NEXUS
Pass and NEXPRESS
Pass. During peak travel times, these significantly reduce the
wait times at the border.
What are the border
crossings between Windsor and Detroit?
Where do students
in the Program live, in Windsor or Detroit?
- Students typically
choose to live in Windsor, Ontario during their three years in
the Program because of the lower cost of living, the greater availability
of housing both on and off campus, and the smaller community that
embraces newcomers.
What is the
average age of the incoming class?
- The average age is
24 years.
How many students
are in the Program?
- Presently we have
79 students enrolled in the Program.
How long is the Program?
- Completion of the
Program takes three years, including the summer following first
year which generally takes two months. During this two month time
period, you are required to complete two courses, Taxation and
Professional Responsibility, at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Are summer courses
mandatory?
- Yes, all students
in the Program must complete Taxation and Professional Responsibility
in the summer following first year. Generally, these courses are
scheduled for the third week of May to the third week of July.
- There are no required
courses in the summers following second and third years.
What is the focus
of the Program?
- The Program is based
on a comparative study of Canada-US issues, with emphasis placed
on corporate/commercial law.
- Students can also
take courses outside the focus of the Program with their electives.
To facilitate this, both
schools have identified courses that could appropriately be included
in the streams of Litigation, Taxation, and Intellectual Property.
- For those students interested in the area of Intellectual Property,
they are permitted to take courses in this area at the University
of Windsor Faculty of Law, the University of Detroit Mercy School
of Law, and Wayne State University Law School. There is no added
cost for courses taken at Wayne State; however, such courses will
not reduce the 104 required credits that students must complete
for the Program.
Can I speak to a
current student?
Can I visit, view
a lecture, and meet people?
I have an inquiry
regarding visa matters, is there someone I can speak with?
- We have an American
Immigration firm which works closely with the JD/LLB Program.
- Immigration services
are provided to every student at no additional cost.
- If you have any concerns
about your eligibility or status with respect to granting of student
visas, please contact the Program Director
who can provide you with more information.
APPLICATION QUESIONS:
What, if anything,
do I require in order to apply to the Program?
- Applicants must have
successfully completed their undergraduate degree not later than
the beginning of August in the year of entry into the Program.
What is the application
deadline?
- The application deadline
for the Program is 15 April of each year.
- Please note that
the J.D./LL.B. Admissions Committee works on the basis of rolling
admissions; thus, the earlier your complete application is submitted,
the earlier the Committee will review it.
Is it possible to
apply for both the JD/LLB Program and the LLB Program at the University
of Windsor?
- Yes.
- When applying through
OLSAS, please ensure that you check the boxes for both the JD/LLB
Program and the LLB Program.
Is it possible to
apply for both the JD/LLB Program and the JD Program at the University
of Detroit Mercy?
- Yes.
- If you are NOT applying
for another law school in Ontario, then you are permitted to apply
for both the JD/LLB Program and the JD Program at the University
of Detroit Mercy through LSDAS. When applying through LSDAS, please
ensure that you check the boxes for both the JD/LLB Program and
the JD Program.
- If you are also applying
for a law school in Ontario, then you would apply for this school
and the JD/LLB Program through OLSAS, and apply for the JD Program
at the University of Detroit Mercy through LSDAS.
Is it possible to
apply for the JD/LLB Program, the LLB Program at the University
of Windsor, and the JD Program at the University of Detroit Mercy?
- Yes.
- For students wishing
to apply to all three Programs at the two schools you are required
to apply through both OLSAS and LSDAS.
- You apply for both
the JD/LLB Program and the LLB Program at the University of Windsor
through OLSAS.
- You apply for the
JD Program at the University of Detroit Mercy through LSDAS.
If I have applied
to both the JD/LLB Program and the LLB Program at the University
of Windsor and I am rejected by the LLB Program, am I automatically
rejected by the JD/LLB Program?
- No.
- Admission Procedures
for these two Programs operate separate and independent of each
other.
- An applicant can
conceivably be rejected by the LLB Program at the University of
Windsor and, yet, still be accepted for the JD/LLB Program at
the two schools. The inverse of this can also occur.
Is it more difficult
to get accepted to the JD/LLB Program than the LLB Program at the
University of Windsor?
- It is not possible
to compare the above two Programs in this manner because the methodology
used by each Admissions Committee is quite different.
- In assessing applicants,
the LLB Admissions Committee and the JD/LLB Admissions Committee
use the following seven criteria: Grade
Point Average and University Program; Work Experience; Community
Involvement; Personal Accomplishments; Career Objectives; Personal
Considerations; and Law School Admissions Test Score.
- However, the manner
in which the two Admissions Committees use these criteria is very
different.
- The LLB Admissions
Committee seeks applicants who excel across the board in all seven
criteria and, as such, it places equal weight on each of the seven
criteria.
- The JD/LLB Admissions
Committee assesses applicants in light of all of the above seven
criteria; however, it places greater weight on the applicant's
Grade Point Average (GPA) and Law School Admission Test Score
(LSAT). Please bear in mind, however, that a high GPA and a high
LSAT will not garner automatic acceptance to the JD/LLB Program
because there are still five other criteria to be considered.
TUITION & APPLICATION
FEE QUESTIONS:
How much is tuition?
- Students enrolled
in the J.D./LL.B. Program pay tuition to both the University of
Detroit Mercy School of Law and the University of Windsor Faculty
of Law.
- One of the unique
features of the Program is locked-in tuition fees. In order to
increase accessibility and stability at a time when tuition fees
are rising yearly, both schools expect to hold annual tuition
constant for the three year Program. Therefore, upon admission
to the J.D./LL.B. Program, the amount of tuition in first year
is the same amount charged in second and third years.
- Tuition for the incoming
class of 2004/2005 has been set at $8,500CDN for the University
of Windsor Faculty of Law and $13,600USD for the University of
Detroit Mercy School of Law.
- At this time, tuition
has not yet been set for 2005/06 academic year.
What other costs
can I expect?
- In addition to its
tuition, the University of Detroit Mercy charges Student Bar Association
Fees. For 2003/2004, this amounted to $70 per year.
- In addition to its
tuition, the University of Windsor charges for a number of other
services, e.g. medical, dental, etc. For 2003/2004, these additional
charges amounted to about $500; however, you can opt out of some
of the charges if you wish, e.g. dental coverage, thereby reducing
the amount you pay.
What is the tuition
fee for foreign students?
- There is no additional
charge if you are a foreign student. You will be charged the same
tuition as Canadian and American students in the Program.
When is tuition paid?
- Fees are due and
payable at each school prior to the commencement of regular term
classes. The student's name, identification number, address, and
telephone number should be recorded on the remittance form to
ensure that the records are properly credited.
LSAT AND GPA QUESTIONS:
What are the minimum
acceptance criteria for the Program?
- The J.D./LL.B. Admissions
Committee considers seven criteria - Grade Point Average and University
Program; Work Experience; Community Involvement; Personal Accomplishments;
Career Objectives; Personal Considerations; and Law School Admissions
Test Score.
- Of these seven criteria,
in reviewing applications, the Committee places greater weight
on the applicants' Grade Point Average and Law School Admission
Test Score.
Are there cut-offs
with respect to LSAT and GPA scores?
- There are no cut-offs
for the Program with respect to these scores.
What are the average
LSAT and GPA scores for the incoming class?
- For the past three
years, the incoming classes have had an average LSAT score of
154 and an average GPA of 3.0 or 75.0.
What is the latest
date that an applicant can write the LSAT?
- February is the latest
date in which to write the LSAT in order to submit your complete
application by the 1 March deadline.
Do you consider only
the highest LSAT score achieved?
- No, the Admissions
Committee considers the applicants' cumulative LSAT score.
What is considered
with respect to GPA?
- The Admissions Committee
considers the applicant's cumulative GPA score. However, if the
applicant scored significantly higher in the later years of his/her
course of study, then this will also be considered by the Committee.
|
