Rob Leckie is a J.D. candidate at Western Law. He completed his undergraduate degree at Queen's University. In this interview, Rob Leckie expands on his journey to law school.
Why did you choose to pursue law?
I majored in Political Studies at Queen’s University. While at Queen’s, I had the opportunity to learn about the theories and philosophies that underlie many of our modern laws. Learning how to actually apply these laws in the real world felt like a logical next step. The fact that a lot of my classmates were interested in pursuing law school probably also helped put it on my radar as something I might be interested in.
The biggest factor in my decision to attend law school, though, was my experience running a landscaping business during my undergrad. Through this venture, I came to appreciate the myriad legal issues faced by small business owners. I enjoyed working through these issues, and by pursuing a career in law, I hope to help other business owners address their own legal concerns.
What did your journey to law school look like?
My route to law school was a bit circuitous. I’m definitely not someone who knew they wanted to become a lawyer from an early age. I only realized I might be interested in going to law school toward the end of my second year of undergrad. I didn’t have the best grades in first or second year, so I had to hustle a bit in my final two years to get my grades up. After I graduated from Queen’s, I still wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, so I took a one-year certificate program at George Brown College called Sport and Event marketing. After that, I worked in marketing for about a year. I enjoyed marketing a lot, but I still had it in the back of my head that I wanted to pursue law school. I ended up applying, and luckily I got into Western Law.
What did you consider when applying to law schools?
Aside from the obvious academic considerations, the main thing I looked at was where I could see myself spending three years. Academics are important, but at the end of the day law school is three years of your life and you want to enjoy it. A school could have the best reputation, the strongest faculty, and the broadest course offerings, but if you aren’t happy there you probably won’t be able to take full advantage of those assets.
Why did you choose Western Law?
I chose to attend Western Law because of its experienced faculty, reputation for collegiality, and robust clinical opportunities. Western Law’s small group system lets students complete all of their first-year classes with the same cohort of about twenty other students. This small group system eases the transition to law school and provides students with a valuable social and professional network. On top of that, there’s a strong sense of community at Western Law, and students are always willing to go out of their way to help one another. The school’s wide range of clinical opportunities was another big factor in my decision to attend Western. Through my involvement with the Western Business Law Clinic, I’ve had the opportunity to work with practicing mentor lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to small and early-stage businesses.
How did you prepare for the LSAT?
I took the Harvard Ready LSAT course, which I can’t recommend enough. The instructors are amazing and are really invested in the success of their students. I also did a bunch of self-study prep.
What do you think makes a good law school application?
There’s no typical law student. Every law school applicant brings with them different experiences, strengths, and perspectives. So, as cliché as it sounds, I think the most important thing to consider, especially when writing personal statements, is to be true to yourself. A personal statement written on the topic of social justice by someone with no serious interest in social justice, for example, isn’t going to be very compelling. Apart from that, I think it's important to have family and friends look over your application materials. Attention to detail is critical in law school and beyond, and you want your application materials to reflect that.