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

November 5, 2025 | RDC Sage Advice Speaker Series: Moving Towards the Enforcement of First Nations Laws and Regulations in Our Communities with Senator McCallum
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | FTX 351 | Event in English | Registration Required

November 5, 2025 | Planning Your Law School Summers: Paths and Possibilities (French)
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | FTX 147 | French Event | Register in The Source | Target : Students eligible to commence articling in June 2027 & 2028.

November 5, 2025 | Law Practice Program, pathway to the Lawyer Licensing process in Ontario
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Zoom | Bilingual Event | Registration Required

November 5, 2025 | SA Criminal Law Students' Association : Motion to Mingle
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | FTX Atrium Tsampalieros | Event in English | Registration Required

November 6, 2025 | Conway Professionalism Speaker Series : Practical and Ethical Dimensions of Solo, Small and Freelance Practice
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | FTX 302 | Event in English | Registration Required

November 6, 2025 | Planning Your Law School Summers: Paths and Possibilities (English)
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | FTX 351 | English Event | Register in The Source | Target : Students eligible to commence articling in June 2027 & 2028.

November 6, 2025 | Community Beading Circle
11:30 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. | FTX 413 | Drop-In

November 6, 2025 | Working for Human Rights with Justin Mohammed (Justice Canada)
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | FTX 570 | Event in English and French | Registration required

November 10, 2025 | Associate Chief Justice Aston Hall (OCJ) on Shaping a More Inclusive Justice System
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | FTX 361 | Bilingual Event | Register in The Source | Target : All

November 12, 2025 | RDC Community Reading Circle: Nationhood Interrupted by Sylvia McAdams
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | FTX 413 | Event in English | Drop-In

November 12, 2025 | The Adjudication of Climate Change : Young Scholar Workshop
12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | FTX 570 | Bilingual Event | Registration Required

November 13, 2025 | Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession Speaker Series: The Gates of the Sea: Migration and Rescue at the Edges of Europe
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | FTX 302 | Event in English | Registration Required

November 13, 2025 | Community Beading Circle
11:30 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. | FTX 413 | Drop-In

November 18, 2025 | The Centre for Law, Technology and Society: What Freedom of Expression Asks of Us
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | FTX 147 | Event in English | 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

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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