University of Ottawa Faculty of Law

University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
Name	Faculty of Law
Native name	Faculté de droit
Established	1953
Parent institution	University of Ottawa
Type	Public law school
Location	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Language	English and French
Degrees	JD, LLB, LLM, DCL, Graduate Certificates

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University of Ottawa Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa is a bilingual common law and civil law faculty located in Ottawa, Ontario, affiliated with the University of Ottawa and founded in 1953, offering programs in both English and French linked to Canadian and international legal institutions such as the Supreme Court of Canada, Ontario Court of Appeal, and International Criminal Court. The faculty is known for its dual-degree structure connecting to jurisdictions like Québec civil law and Ontario law, and for partnerships with organizations such as the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Ontario, and the United Nations. It maintains research ties with centres associated with the Council of Canadian Academies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

History

The faculty was established during the post-war expansion of the University of Ottawa and succeeded earlier professional programs linked to institutions including the Common Law School of Canada and provincial law faculties in Toronto and Montréal, drawing faculty influences from figures associated with the Supreme Court of Canada and the Privy Council. During the 1960s and 1970s the school expanded bilingual offerings, aligning with federal bilingualism initiatives from the Official Languages Act and collaborating with bodies such as the Department of Justice (Canada) and the Parliament of Canada to place graduates in clerkships and public service roles. The 1990s and 2000s saw growth in international law and human rights curricula spurred by global events tied to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the Rome Statute, and the Genocide Convention, while the 2010s emphasized access to justice and Indigenous legal traditions in response to commissions like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and reports from the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

Programs include the bilingual JD/Juris Doctor, the bilingual LLB for civil law, graduate degrees such as the LLM and the DCL, and graduate diplomas cooperating with entities like the Council of Europe, the World Health Organization, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Clinical and experiential offerings include legal aid placements with the Ottawa Legal Aid Clinic, internships with the Department of Justice (Canada), and externships at bodies such as the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The curriculum integrates courses mapping to professional regulation from the Law Society of Ontario and the Barreau du Québec while offering specializations in areas connected to practitioners at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, and international tribunals like the International Court of Justice.

The faculty houses research centres and labs affiliated with national and international funders including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and collaborations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Notable units include centres focused on human rights connected to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Indigenous legal traditions engaging with the Assembly of First Nations, technology and law projects intersecting with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and health law initiatives tied to the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization. Research output feeds into panels and inquiries like the Law Commission of Canada and submissions to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Admission criteria follow guidelines used by provincial and national bodies such as the Law School Admission Council-linked processes, and require credentials recognized by the Association of American Law Schools and Canadian legal regulators including the Law Society of Ontario and the Barreau du Québec. The bilingual intake attracts students from regions including Ontario, Québec, and international students from countries represented at institutions like the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The student body participates in advocacy and governance through student organizations that liaise with national groups like the Canadian Federation of Students, the National Association of Legal Clinics, and subject-specific societies connected to the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association and the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

Located on the downtown campus of the University of Ottawa near landmarks such as the Parliament Hill, the faculty occupies facilities that include moot courtrooms modeled after those at the Supreme Court of Canada and clinics co-located with the Ottawa Hospital and the Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton social services. The building supports libraries integrated with the university’s law collection and networks like the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, and technology suites designed for collaboration with agencies such as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Department of National Defence. The campus setting facilitates placements in institutions including the Federal Court of Canada, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and diplomatic missions such as embassies to France and Belgium.

Alumni and faculty have held positions on the Supreme Court of Canada, the House of Commons of Canada, the Senate of Canada, provincial courts including the Court of Appeal for Ontario, executive roles in the Department of Justice (Canada), and leadership posts in international organizations such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. Distinguished names connected to the faculty have also served as leaders of the Canadian Bar Association, commissioners at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and ministers in cabinets tied to the Government of Canada and provincial executives in Québec and Ontario. Category:Law schools in Canada