About Entrepreneurship

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset entails cultivating an environment where students are empowered to think beyond the traditional legal landscape, identify innovation opportunities, and take calculated risks to effect legal practices and policy change. It means fostering critical thinking, adaptability, and resilience, instilling in them the courage to venture into uncharted legal territories, start new initiatives, and leverage the law to create a broader societal impact.


Our students are provided a unique opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset through startup courses, pitch competitions, internships and experiential learning opportunities.

program
Kristen Boon
WORD OF THE DEAN

“Whether your goal is to join a firm, start a business, work with non-profits or consult, you will develop the tool kit necessary to add value and succeed wherever you work.”

Kristen Boon - Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean of Common Law

Entrepreneurial skills in a legal profession stimulate :  

  • innovation and problem-solving; 
  • business development; 
  • access to justice; 
  • adaptation to technological advances;  
  • the use of generative artificial intelligence; 
  • improving legal services; 
  • promoting diversity and inclusion.

Events

Global Entrepreneurship Week
Nov 13-17 2023

Oh the Places You’ll Go with a Law Degree
Nov 13 2023

Dejardins Elevator Pitch Competition
Nov 14 2023

Keep up to date with entrepreneurship events at the Faculty of Law and at the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub.

Startup Weekend
Connect with students across all faculties to encourage and promote entrepreneurship. Learn more about the Startup Weekend.

Startup Garage
Provides three essential ingredients to accelerate your venture over the summer term: cash, space and support. Check out the Startup Garage.

More to come.

Experiential Learning

Beyond skill development, experiential learning offers students real-world opportunities to apply their skills through internships, hackathons, and pitch competitions, as well as starting their own business.

Sample Courses

The 2023 World Economic Forum report identifies top skills for the future as: creative thinking, analytical thinking and technological literacy, as well as flexibility, adaptability and resiliency. Our course offerings in Law & Entrepreneurship will contribute to skills development in all of these areas.

Studies in Business Law: Community Wealth Building Law

Studies in Business Law: Small and Solo Practice

Studies in Business Law: Becoming a Social Entrepreneur

Studies in Business Law: Law for Start-Ups

course

University of Ottawa Entrepreneurship Hub

The University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub provides the resources, programs and networks to support students at any point in their entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial journey, whether they are dreaming about launching their own business, pursuing their ideas or seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills for the job market.

News

Research
Students working in the Entrepreneurship Hub space
Research

The Solutions Lab: uOttawa students reimagine how legal services are accessed in Canada

Roughly 80% of Canadians have unmet legal needs. Research shows that while most Canadians can identify a legal problem when they’re facing one, many a…
Faculty of Law - Common Law Section
overhead shot of a group of people
Faculty of Law - Common Law Section

Fostering Success: 5 Benefits of an Entrepreneurial Mindset for Law Students

Entrepreneurship is more than just a buzzword; it’s a mindset. It’s about identifying challenges and turning them into opportunities. Here at the Com…
Faculty of Law - Common Law Section
Photo of exterior of Fauteux building with 4 small circular portraits inset
Faculty of Law - Common Law Section

Law Researchers Leverage Emerging Technologies to Improve Teaching and Learning

Four researchers at the Faculty of Law are using emerging technologies to improve and expand the way teaching and learning are done at the law school,…