Short version: I am taking the Ontario licensing exams in June and have only today obtained the study materials provided by the Law Society. I’m looking for advice on how best to use my limited time to prepare. I know the exams are open book, plus I can bring in whatever other materials I want, but will have to leave them in the room.
By way of background, I’ve been practicing in the U.S. for 14 years and have extensive experience in civil litigation, corporate, and transactional. I have some real estate experience but no criminal, family, tax, or estate work.
Is it correct that the exams are multiple choice only?
Should I study anything other than the materials provided by the Law Society?
What are your suggestions for how I can best prepare for the exams?
What are people talking about when they talk about indices?
I had a few other questions but they are escaping me at the moment.
Thanks in advance for all advice/thoughts/tips/horror stories, etc…
Bit of a hijack, but - good lord, man, an open book bar?! That’s incredible! Much more sensible than the American system, too - in the real world, after all, lawyers always have their references close to hand when doing serious work.
I’m studying for the Maryland bar this summer - and while Maryland may not have the reputation for being the most brutal bar, there’s no such thing as an easy bar exam in the United States. They’re all closed book, and most US law students spend the summer after graduation studying for the exam full-time.
Good luck, KSO - and enjoy your opportunity to bring in notes on exam day!
I know. I think that’s why I’m not panicking, even though I haven’t done any studying. Also, I think it’s all multiple choice, no essays. Much, much easier than the U.S. exams… I hope…
Not a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, so I don’t have any experience with their exam, but yes - when I took the exam here in Saskatchewan, it was open book. The thinking was that any lawyer who tried to answer detailed legal questions without consulting reference works was ipso facto committing malpractice, so the Law Society ran open book exams.