1) Knowing your prof is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for getting high marks, but it sure helps. I personally learned very little from visiting office hours, but most of my profs know me because of it. If you don't understand a concept in a course, visiting your prof will help. If you're thinking of law school, you need to start thinking about reference letters. Making friends with your prof is the necessary first step. There is a possibility that your prof will mark easier or bump up your final mark if you know him/her; other people will say that this is not how U of T works. LOL!! Won't comment further.
I visited my prof's office hours once in my third year and my prof told me that I was the only one who visited him all semester, and was super friendly to me. Look, knowing your prof may or may not help you in the end, but it doesn't hurt, and there is no high cost associated with visiting office hours and speaking to your prof before or after class. The decision that maximizes your utility, is therefore, to always know your prof.
There's a range of economic courses in the upper years. Some theory-based, some math-based, even some history-based. Choose courses that play to your strength, this is crucial.
Yep. They're cute people. I know one who is already planning world domination. Don't even think about law school if you are still in first year. Focus on staying on top of school and building a solid group of friends, this is smart investment. Read more (wish I followed this, now I regret it).
That depends. Some people can't handle four, some get 4.0s while taking six. Take five in your first year, see how it goes, and then adjust accordingly. There's absolutely no shame in taking a fifth year, if you want to maximize your chances to achieve high grades in order to go into law school.
I like your questions, PM me if you have more.