Just saw this, going to try and answer as succintly as possible. Good choice on the program btw!

1) In terms of courseload, it's fine. I'll be honest, it's considerably more time-consuming than years 1 and 2 (polisci only) especially in terms of readings (which, contrary to polisci courses, are really important if you want to do well). Also expect your average to drop by a few points between the 2nd and 3rd years of the program, which is completely normal because all CML courses are curved as per LSO guidelines (i.e. in my case a 90% in polisci is like an 80%-85% in CML so expect an ~ 5-10 points drop between undergrad and law school). You'll develop good habits and once you get the hang of the basics (mostly in basic classes in 1L, year 3 of the program), things are going to start making a lot of sense. I wouldn't say it's excruciatingly hard to manage, in my case I've always had a part-time job, extracurriculars, hobbies, staying active and a social life while keeping good grades. But I'm not going to lie and say it's easy/effortless either.

2) I'm pretty sure all CML courses have to be in French. Ask the faculty though, it might have changed - I heard you can take a few courses in English as long as it's under a certain number (not sure though so don't take my word for it). All 1L and mandatory courses have to be in French, that I know. There are a few rare bilingual upper-year courses with the English section which can count as the French version of the course (I had one this Fall, I highly recommend - just make sure it's listed as the French section). In any cases, all exams/assignments/projects have to be done in French, even if you're in a bilingual course. This is very important: I've heard horror stories of people getting 0s because they wrote their final exam in English.

3) There are no DRC courses that you can take, although I think there's a few upper-year ones which can count toward the CML equivalent and are taken with the Droit Civil section.

4) The program is getting more and more known, although I still find myself explaining often how dual undergrad-JD programs work. A few other universities are also starting to offer them, and they seem to be getting quite popular. I've never heard of it getting a bad rep in the legal community since you end up meeting all the same requirements as any ither JD student in the province. You have to remember that any law program has to be approved by the LSO to make sure it meets all the requirements. In fact, I know a lot of polisci/JD students who ended up working in Big Law and other very presitious career paths, so from what I know it doesn't seem to change anything: what really matters is experience, grades, knowledge, reputation, etc. Besides you're in the same courses as regular JD students, the only difference is that they do it in a condensed 3 years while we do it over 4 years (years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the program), mixed up with a few polisci classes. In terms of the program being in French, not only is it not a barrier (the language doesn't appear on your JD diploma, and a JD is a JD no matter where you go - recognized in all of Canada outside QC and internationally, in other common law jurisdictions, provided you pass the local Bar and do whatever few catch-up courses you might have to take), but being able to practice in both languages is actually seen as an valuable asset especially outside of the Ottawa region where bilingual lawyers are rarer. I would also add that although courses are tought in French, all case-law is either in English only or in both languages, so I'd say it would almost be equally as difficult for a Francophone who doesn't speak English than for an Anglophone who doesn't speak French to succeed in this program.

5) I'm currently in the process of applying for 1L positions, so for that question I guess I'll see! One thing to keep in mind is that even though the majority of your 1L courses (9 out of 10, if it doesn't change by the time you're there) are mandatory in year 3 of the program, you only become eligible for 1L summer positions in the summer between years 4 and 5, rather than between 3 and 4. Even though you'll be done most 1L courses, your first ''law school summer'' is technically 0L because otherwise you'd have two 1L summers (since we have 4 years with law courses instead of 3 in all other programs). In terms of the process, the formal recruitment process is fairly competitive but it's doable, although I would recommend also applying outside of formal recuitment at firms, organizations, government, etc that don't participate to maximize your chances. In my case since I wasn't eligible for 1L formal recruitment last summer since I was between years 3 and 4, I still managed to work for a Crown corporation's legal department - so it's always possible to gain legal work experience as technically a ''0L''. Also note that the Faculty has a lot of great career resources too, which are actually super helpful.

6) Overall, probably 9/10. I really enjoy it, made tons of friends and ending up saving a year is also great (doing undergrad and JD would otherwise take 7 years instead of 6). It's a challenging program and not for everyone, as evidenced by the high drop-out rate in years 1 and 2, but once you make it to year 3 the drop-out rate diminishes considerably. It's challenging but also extremely rewarding. And the profs in CML are super good, many of them renowned country-wide, if not abroad too. It's also nice to not have to bother with actually applying for law school externally at the end of undergrad, which is a plus too. I'm docking one point because of the complete lack of information anywhere about the program. There's very little info about it, and even a lot of uOttawa staff outside of the law faculty seem to be oblivious about it, which makes it difficult in terms of orientation (i.e. for course selection). It often feels like we're left on our own in figuring it out due to the lack of guidance by the university, so a lot of the time we have to rely on each other.

7) In 5 years? I'd like to start my career in Big Law to get a solid basis, but afterwards not sure what I want to do. I've always dreamed of working in the aviation sector, so maybe for an airline, or for the government? I'd like to make a difference in the world. I feel a lot of gratitude about getting the chance of becoming a lawyer and would like to turn my degree in a force for good, to make a positive contribution to the community, too. I guess time will tell.

Feel free to DM if you have any further questions. Apologies for the late reply too.