We can look at brochures, welcome videos and websites, attend zoom events and open houses; but the truth is, you can really never get the full grasp of the law school experience until you’re in it - and sometimes once you’re in it, the feeling of “oh I wish I knew that” tends to come to the surface. Well, during our series we are going to be interviewing students who are currently at several law schools across the country and we’ll be using the same criteria for you all, prospective students, heck, we might even get some transfer students listening in to see what it’s like at different law schools. Our first stop, is Osgoode Hall Law School located in Toronto Canada.
Rachel Cruz is currently completing her J.D. at Osgoode Hall Law School and obtained an Honours BA from York University, with a Major in Law & Society and a Minor in Psychology. Within her degree, she came to learn of the law's role as a form of structural violence, but also its ability as a tool for social change. This knowledge kickstarted her desire to attend law school to learn the ways in which she can use the law to help real people in practice, her interest in pursuing public interest work, and her involvement as a law student with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic as part of Osgoode's Feminist Advocacy Clinical Program.
Alongside her studies, Rachel serves as a Senior Editor for the Osgoode Hall Law Journal and plays an active role within Osgoode’s Asian Law Students Association as their Event Coordinator. She also volunteered with Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) to develop a workshop for high school students introducing the relationship between law, intersectionality and social justice. Outside of law school, she volunteers for Migrants Resource Centre Canada and is an avid plant parent to 20+ houseplants.