The Common Law Section is deeply committed to social and racial justice; advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in our faculty; and instilling these values in our students. Our scholars are confronting the most pressing issues of the day, from climate change to reconciliation, to the ethics of artificial intelligence and the regulation of our privacy. We are national and global leaders in multiple fields, including Aboriginal and Indigenous Law, Dispute Resolution, Environmental Law, Health Law, Immigration and Refugee Law, International Trade, Business and Human Rights Law, Law and Technology, Public Law and Social Justice. We house the Legal Writing Academy, the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, the Centre for Environmental Law and Global Sustainability, the Refugee Hub and the Public Law Group. We are also home to the internationally renowned Human Rights Research and Education Centre.
Our students receive the high-quality education required to create confident, well-informed, astute, and empathetic advocates. With our proximity to Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada, the University of Ottawa provides incredible opportunities to study and experience Canada’s legal systems. Students also learn from an incredible range of legal experts and faculty members who, on any given day, may be seen testifying before a parliamentary committee, providing expert commentary in the media, or contributing to public policy debates. Students can also take advantage of a wide selection of internship placements; opportunities for valuable work experience at one of the Faculty’s three student-run legal clinics; and work-study placements, where students can earn academic credit and experience within the government, courts, tribunals, and industry sectors.
Common Law graduates go on to become lawyers, policy makers, business leaders, and so much more. Law is a highly valued education beyond the legal world, continually increasing in prestige. Our graduates include Supreme Court judges, cabinet ministers, premiers, activists, senior public servants, entrepreneurs, business leaders, leaders of the bar, Stanley Cup champions, community leaders, and indigenous leaders. You can consult the members of the Common Law Honour Society to see some of these leaders.
Our law school has achieved so much. And we continue to have high aspirations because we recognize we are nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. Building the law school of the future demands deliberate and innovative collaboration with significant partners. It requires expanding and inspiring meaningful engagement with our community. We are dedicated to our leadership role in Canada’s reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. We are committed to conducting highly relevant research and advocacy that guides and drives the evolution of our society. We are publicly engaged in research and work that transcends disciplines and goes beyond the borders of our country. None of this should be done in the silo of the law school. Collaboration and community will be at the center of everything we do to ensure we help create exceptional citizens in our communities and our nation.
It’s here, at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, where our country’s future is being formed. Thank you for being a part of it.
Dr. Kristen Boon
Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean
Faculty of Law, Common Law Section