Word from the Dean

Kristen Boon

We know that adults learn best by doing. This is central to the idea of andragogy.

It is also why experiential learning is at the heart of our offerings in the Common Law Section. Here you can develop a strong foundation of legal knowledge in our classrooms, and, through real-world experiences, you’ll transform that knowledge into skill, judgment, and confidence.

Every year, we offer over 400 opportunities for hands-on learning: legal clinics, moot competitions, internships, fellowships, volunteer placements and more. These experiences give you the chance to practice the skills that will define your career; oral advocacy, negotiation, legal writing, casework, litigation and client relations. You’ll learn how to read a room, develop a winning strategy, and build the judgment and confidence that every lawyer needs.

You’ll also make a real difference. Our students work on urgent issues like social inequality, climate change, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and artificial intelligence.

I participated in the international law Jessup Moot when I was in law school, and I still remember the research, the practices, and the fun.

We are a leader in experiential learning, and we continue to expand our programs to give students even more opportunities to align their passions with their career goals. Our new Director, Experiential and Clinical Learning Hub, Kelli-Anne Day, will be bringing even more in the way of new ideas and strategies to our work. Discover what's possible on our experiential learning page

Upcoming Events

October 15, 2025 | Cover Letter Basics: Presenting your story
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | FTX 147 | Bilingual Event | Register in The Source

October 15, 2025 | Getting Ready for Toronto 2L Interview Week - Employer Panel
12:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Event in English | Target : 2L | Register in The Source

October 15, 2025 | Atelier de Référence Juridique, La Revue de droit d'Ottawa
11:30 a.m. — 12:50 p.m. | FTX 147B | Event in French | Registration Required

October 15, 2025 | Rethinking Our Futures in an Age of Planetary Crisis
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | FSS 4007 | Event English | Registration Required

October 16, 2025 | Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession Speaker Series: Contesting Colonial Borders: Asserting Jurisdiction, Citizenship, and Nationhood through Haudenosaunee Legal Orders
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | FTX 302 | Event in English | Registration Required

October 16, 2025 | Séances d'information sur la Clinique juridique à l'intention des étudiants 1L
11:30 a.m. – 12:50  p.m.  | Hybrid: FTX 137, Zoom | Event in French | Drop-In

October 16, 2025 | Preparing for Toronto Interview Week
11:30 a.m. – 12:50  p.m. | FTX 351 | Bilingual Event | Target : 2L | Register in The Source

October 16, 2025 | Film Screening: BRIBE, INC.
5:30 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.  | FTX 302 | Event English | Registration Required

October 17, 2025 | 3L Career Boost 
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | FTX 230 | Bilingual Event | Register in The Source | Target : Students eligible to commence articling in June 2026.

October 21, 2025 | 4th CAFA Conference on academic freedom in the Americas 2025
10:45 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. | ZOOM | Registration required

October 22, 2025 | Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession Speaker Series: Kuleana, āina-based initiatives and the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | FTX 351 | Event in English | Registration Required

October 22, 2025 | Bar Admissions Information Session
11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. | FTX 147 | Bilingual Event | Target : 3L | Register in The Source

October 22, 2025 | Succeeding in Government Interviews
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | FTX 137 | Bilingual Event | Register in The Source

October 22, 2025 | Citation Workshop, Ottawa Law Review
11:30 a.m. — 12:50 p.m. | FTX 359 | Event in English | Registration Required

October 23, 2025 | Student-Proposed Internship Q&A Session
11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. | FTX 351 | Bilingual Event | Register in The Source

October 23, 2025 | Community Beading Circle
11:30 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. | FTX 413 | Drop-In

October 23, 2025 | 9th Annual Canadian Food Law and Policy Conference
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | CRX Espace Innova | Bilingual Event | Registration Required

October 23, 2025 | Rethinking Innovation for Africa’s AI Age
11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. | FTX 302 | Event in English | Registration Required

October 24, 2025 | 9th Annual Canadian Food Law and Policy Conference
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. DMS 4104 | Bilingual Event | Registration Required
 

Please visit the webpage for more Upcoming Events.

Important dates and deadlines

  • Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 | Term Dates
  • Oct 27-31 | Reading Week for the Common Law Section
  • Nov. 1 | Deadline to pass the mandatory training on academic integrity
  • Nov. 17-28 | Teaching and course evaluations
  • Dec. 3 | Courses end
  • Dec. 4-17 | Exam period

Please visit the webpage for more Important dates and deadlines.

Opportunities

Academic

News

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On October 2–3, the University of Ottawa's Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics hosted the conference "Reframing Mental Health Law", gathering nin…
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To every lawyer who feels they must do it all themselves, who take on too much and ends up burnt out: It’s okay to ask for help.
Professor Chidi Oguamanam
Faculty member

Reclaiming knowledge: Professor Chidi Oguamanam explores Indigenous intellectual property rights

As technology transforms how knowledge is produced, shared, and monetized, Indigenous Peoples around the world face growing risks of being sidelined i…

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Contact us

Faculty of Law - Common Law Section

Fauteux Hall
57 Louis Pasteur St
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6N5

Fax: 613-562-5124