This course will allow students to explore the legal and policy issues surrounding Community Wealth Building in Canada. In recent years a host of factors have eroded the boundaries between non-profit, government and business sectors, leading to numerous social innovations in dealing with community sustainability and economic development in disadvantaged communities and the agencies which serve them.

Students will examine the primary regulatory issues which have emerged in this area, including: Corporate organization (Community Interest Corporations); tax (CRA & CED/social enterprise regulations); nonprofit/charitable (Program Related Investments, responsible/mission based investing). 

A special emphasis will be placed on understanding the “impact investment” framework that is emerging to finance these developments. During the course students will meet social entrepreneurs and leaders in the field of community economic/social enterprise development and impact investment/social finance.

Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare. From accelerated drug development to precision diagnostics and personalized treatment, the landscape is rapidly changing. Yet, while health AI offers tremendous promise, it also brings numerous risks and challenges, for instance, relating privacy, safety and liability, informed consent, and bias and discrimination. 

This course will unpack health AI and its many intersections with law. We will investigate the degree to which existing legal frameworks, such as privacy laws, equality guarantees, and tort law principles, are adequate to address the risks. We will also take up issues relating to specific health-AI applications, such as mental health apps and AI in women’s health. Throughout, we will discuss possible law reform, including the potential role and shape of bespoke AI legislation in Canada.

uOttawa Family Law Negotiation Competition: Sat. Oct. 25^th

(Tryouts for the Walsh Negotiation Team)

Register with Prof. Rockman by Sun. Oct. 12^th

Upper year English and French common law students are invited to participate in uOttawa’s Family Law Negotiation Competition - the tryouts for the Walsh Negotiation Team.

Winners of the tryouts comprise the competitive team that trains under Professor Rockman in the winter term (a three-credit, graded course) and represents our school at the province-wide Walsh Family Law Negotiation Competition in Toronto.

The uOttawa Negotiation Competition will be held on Saturday, October 25^th.

Students compete in pairs. You may propose your own partner, and every effort will be made to accommodate you. If you do not propose a partner, you will be assigned one. Winners are selected individually.

To register for the uOttawa Negotiation Competition:

Send your CV and cover letter to Professor Rockman at [email protected]

Deadline to register: Sunday, October 12^th

See our promo video with photos of our outstanding past winners:

https://youtu.be/bWP4Fu-duM0

The University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic will be holding information sessions for first year students interested in learning about the Clinic

• October 9, 2025 | Information session about the uOttawa Community Legal Clinic for 1L’s (EN only) 
   11 h 30 – 13h | FTX 137 | Zoom: https://bit.ly/legal-clinic-oct9
• October 16, 2025 | Information session about the uOttawa Community Legal Clinic for 1L’s (FR only) 
  11 h 30 - 13 h | FTX 137 | Zoom: https://bit.ly/legal-clinic-oct16

The deadline to apply for scholarships and bursaries is November 3, and we're here to help you get it done!

Join us for in-person drop-in sessions every Thursday from September 18 to October 30, between 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–3:00 PM in FTX 230.

Whether you have questions, need guidance, or just want a quiet space (with support nearby!) to work on your applications, you're welcome to drop by. No appointment needed — just come in, settle down, and get started!

BYOL – Bring your own laptop!

Join the international exchange team for their Drop-In Sessions for the 2026-2027 exchange programs!

No appointment needed just stop by to learn more! You can find all the details on their website: Student Mobility Drop-In Sessions.

Information Sessions of the Faculty of Common Law:

French Faculty Info Session: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 11:30 AM in FTX 136.

English Faculty Info Session: Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 11:30 AM in FTX 147.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your options and get all your questions answered! 🌟 We can’t wait to see you there!

There are numerous clerkship opportunities available at courts across the country. Clerking is a challenging and rewarding experience. While the work will vary from court to court and from Justice to Justice, students are generally given the opportunity to research and draft pre-hearing memoranda, edit judgments, draft post-hearing memoranda, and assist in writing papers and speeches.  The opportunities open to law clerks upon completing their clerkships vary – from working in law firms, to government, to graduate studies and more. These positions are directed towards students with strong research, writing and communications skills.

The Kawaskimhon Moot was first held as the University of Toronto in 1994 and welcomes students from nearly every law faculty across Canada each year. Kawaskimhon a word of Cree origin roughly translated to “speaking with knowledge” – is a consensus-based, non-adversarial moot that incorporates Indigenous legal traditions alongside federal, provincial and international law. There are no winners or losers. Instead, mooters participate in roundtable negotiations on a particular topic in Indigenous law, representing their assigned party.

To learn more about the moot, including how to submit an application, visit the Kawaskimhon page.

Faculty of Law Students are invited to participate in the Dentons Canada LLP/University of Ottawa Negotiation Competition. In teams of two, students will compete to obtain the best possible results for their client through negotiation.

Please be advised that the negotiations are held in English only.

Negotiation Competition: Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 6:00pm Dentons – 99 Bank Street, Suite 1420

Registration:

Opens: Thursday, September 25, at 10:00am

Closes: Thursday, October 2, at 4:00pm

Virtual Information Session: Tuesday, September 23 1:00pm – 1:30pm ET

Find out more at: https://publisher.dentons.com/experience/negotiation

International Research and Experiential Learning is pleased to announce the launch of three new programs designed to foster global research collaborations and opportunities at the University of Ottawa:

• The Doctoral Mobility Program for inbound students from Europe and Latin America who would like to conduct research visits at the University of Ottawa.
• The new Global Open Program for uOttawa early career researchers from all disciplines who would like to initiate new collaborations with partners anywhere in the world.
• The new Network Development Program for uOttawa researchers from all disciplines who would like to develop and expand new research collaborations with Asian partners with the eventual goal of establishing a self-sustaining research network.

The application deadline for all three programs is January 12, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST.

Consult ourwebsitefor further details or email [email protected].

On October 7, 2025, Danica Steadman, Manager of Associate & Student Programs will host a presentation for students to gain insights on the legal landscape in Ottawa. In the evening, following the presentation there will be an opportunity to connect with lawyers from Gowling WLG that will be held at their Ottawa office (160 Elgin, Suite 2600). See upcoming events for more details on how to register.

If the UO-Academic Integrity Training (ITD 1100-A00 or ITD 1500-A00) appears in your course schedule in uoZone for the Fall 2025 term, please complete the module through Brightspace as soon as possible and no later than November 1st 2025. The module takes approximately two hours to complete. If you have any questions about the module, please consult the FAQ on academic integrity

Academic Regulations

Become familiar with the Common Law Section’s Academic Regulations, the Academic Integrity and Policy on Academic Fraud and other regulations of the University of Ottawa. It is understood that, by the act of enrolling, students agree to abide by these regulations.

Exams

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that the courses selected do not result in class schedule or exam schedule conflicts.

The use of the Examplify software will be possible in selected courses. Please verify the exam timetables to know if your final exam will offer this option.

More information about how to register for the use of Examplify will be sent to all students soon.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Please consult the important dates and deadlines web page to learn more about enrolment deadlines, term dates, statutory holidays, breaks, exam periods, tuition deadlines and more.

Students in the Final Year of their Program

Make sure you are on track for graduation! Verify your program sequence and requirements, and ensure that you have satisfied all your requirements by using your Academic Advisement report in your uoZone, Student Centre. Please email us at [email protected] if you have questions or concerns.

Options

If you intend to graduate with an option, please make sure that you are on the right track to validate it.

Students may register for the Access/Equity Tutorials by filling out the online application form. Details about eligibility are available on the Tutorial Program website.