Sander Duncanson
Jan 16, 2019
Osler associate Sander Duncanson tells Global News that a partnership program between the University of King’s College and the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law teaches students skills that are “particularly well-suited for a career in law.” In a one-on-one video interview, Sander discusses how students admitted to the University of King’s College Foundation Year Program in Liberal Arts are provisionally pre-admitted to the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law. Sander, who attended the program and is an associate in Osler’s Regulatory, Environmental, Aboriginal and Land Group, explains the benefits of the program.
“It’s a pretty interesting program; you read a ton of material — for a first-year undergraduate program, a lot — a lot more than other programs,” Sander tells Global News. “And they really encourage you to not only read a lot, but also think very critically and analytically about that and debate it, and make arguments about it. And those types of skills translate quite well into law.”
Sander also says that skills like critical thinking have translated well in his own career, and talks about the importance of students thinking broadly.
“…I think a lot of students these days feel like everything needs to be very well mapped out for them – I guess this kind of helps with that,” Sander says. “But a liberal Arts program, especially King’s College, encourages you to think much more broadly than that, and really challenge the way that you think about things, think about the world, and I think that helps you no matter what you want to do.
“But going into law, especially, dealing with really complex issues, lots of heavy material, reading a lot but then also analyzing it, debating it, arguing about it; those are exactly the same types of skills that you use as a lawyer — a law student first, and then as a lawyer — so it does work quite well.”
Watch Sander’s full interview “How useful is an Arts degree? Halifax-Calgary partnership aims to increase enrolment in law” on January 16, 2019 in Global News.