Master of Laws (LL.M.)

The core of our Masters in Law program is the  LL.M. (without concentration).  This program offers the greatest flexibility in terms of elective course choices and research topic.   In general, eligible candidates can be admitted to the LL.M. with a research proposal in any area of law, provided there is an appropriate supervisor available.  Applicants interested in those fields in which we offer a specific concentration can choose to apply to either the LLM or to the LLM with a specific concentration, depending on what course of study they wish to pursue.

Applicants to the LLM must choose one of two formats to complete the degree: LL.M. with Major Research Paper or LL.M. with Thesis.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

Starting September 2021, we will offer a course-based option to our LLM without concentration program.

LL.M. with Concentration in Legislative Studies

The Master’s in Legislative Studies offers law graduates an opportunity to specialize in the art of preparing normative instruments (such as statutes, regulations, guidelines, international agreements, codes of conduct and governmental contracts) and in the development of public policy.

In recent years, the roles of legal and legislative counsel have evolved considerably. Legal norm-creating functions are now exercised by numerous actors ranging from the State to international organizations and including Indigenous governments, municipal bodies, NGOs, professional and industrial associations and various regulatory bodies. The Master’s in Legislative Studies is at the forefront of these emerging realities, aiming to educate the different actors involved in the creation, interpretation and application of normative instruments. It will also provide training for those who work in the development of public policy across all areas of law, whether they be indigenous or environmental law, new technologies or international relations.

This program is unique. Although law programs generally involve the content of legislation and other normative instruments, this Master’s in Legislative Studies focuses on the forms, structures, styles, efficiencies and social impacts of these instruments as a matter of governance. It includes, but is not strictly limited to, legislative drafting; it also includes an examination of the principles and rules underlying the creation of norms and the choice of policy instruments, which are rarely considered in the study of particular areas of law.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

LL.M. with Concentration in International Humanitarian and Security Law

The field of International Humanitarian and Security Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa encompasses not only the study of the established laws of armed conflict, but also includes legal scholarship on contemporary challenges to peace and collective security.  Students completing the LL.M. with concentration in International Humanitarian and Security Law have a unique opportunity to study and work on crucial issues of international law, conflict resolution, national security, and peace building.

The LL.M. program facilitates rigorous academic study directed at deepening the understanding of – and contributing to solutions to – the collective security dilemmas of the 21st century. To learn more, we invite you to read about the degree requirements and faculty members working in this field.

You may also wish to consult the information about International Law, under the uOttawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

LL.M. with Concentration in Global Sustainability and Environmental Law

Issues of global sustainability and environmental law are among the most pressing and complex issues at the global, national and local levels. From the UN to Canadian municipalities, and from multinational corporations to individual citizens, attempts to meet the challenges of global sustainability are evolving at an ever-increasing rate. The role of environmental law in addressing these issues is the focus of the LL.M. with concentration in Global Sustainability and Environmental Law.

Through rigorous scholarship, graduate level courses and a range of opportunities for experiential learning, faculty and graduate students work together in the search for solutions to the challenges of global sustainability. To learn more, we invite you to read about the degree requirements and faculty members working in this field.

You may also wish to consult the information about Environmental Law, under the uOttawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

LL.M. with Concentration in Law and Social Justice

The field of law and social justice integrates two areas of intellectual inquiry:

• Analysis and critique of the role of law in the development and maintenance of social, political and economic inequality. This critical perspective focuses in particular on historically marginalized groups such as women; those facing socio-economic disadvantage; immigrants and refugees; linguistic, ethnic, religious and racial minorities; indigenous peoples; those with mental and physical disabilities; sexual minorities; the young and the aged;
• Investigation of the potential of law to be an instrument for social change when it is employed to ensure the just distribution of resources (financial, material and human), or to increase the social, economic and political equality of Canadians.

The LL.M. with concentration in Law and Social Justice supports scholarship dedicated to examining the limits and possibilities of law and of different legal theories in promoting social justice. To learn more, we invite you to read about the degree requirements and faculty members working in this field.

You may also wish to consult the information about Law and Social Justice, under the uOttawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

LL.M. with Concentration in Law and Technology

Law and Technology examines the impact of technologies on law and the legal regulation of technology. The concentration covers a wide range of technologies, both historical and emerging, and their intersection with any field of law, including intellectual property, privacy, human rights, property, torts, competition, consumer protection, contracts, constitutional, and international law. The field examines questions such as how law can facilitate innovation and how law should address the effects of technologies. It considers issues related to the impact of technology on society, such as free expression, equality, access to information, and legal ethics. Examples of emerging areas include smart cities, artificial intelligence, algorithmic decision making, digital currency, virtual reality, access to knowledge, e-government, and cybersecurity. The aim of the program is to provide graduate students with a unique opportunity to take specialized courses, obtain practical experience, and conduct original research on law and technology with a focus on Canadian law, comparative law, or international law.

You may also wish to consult the information about Law and Technology, under the uOttawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

LL.M. with Specialization in Women’s Studies

The Faculty of Law is a participating unit in the collaborative master's program in Women's Studies. This program has been established for students wishing to enrich their training in Law by including an interdisciplinary component in Women's Studies.

To learn more, we invite you to read about the degree requirements and the Institute of Women’s Studies, with whom we jointly offer this program.

We invite you to read the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

You may also wish to consult the information about the Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies.

LL.M. with Concentration in Health Law, Policy and Ethics

Breakthroughs in the health sciences offer tremendous hope to patients and the public.  But with progress, new sets of legal, regulatory and ethical challenges emerge.  Innovation in science requires matching innovation in regulation and governance, and researchers and decision-makers rigorously trained to work across disciplines and to translate knowledge in both domestic and international health policy contexts.  The University of Ottawa’s new Masters in Health Law, Policy and Ethics is designed to train students to meet the pressing challenges faced by health policy-makers, such as growing health care budgets, Canada’s aging population, new disease threats, and the emergence of new forms of care, such as medical aid in dying.  The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law offers students both the largest concentration of health law faculty and the broadest selection of health law courses in Canada. 

The University of Ottawa is home to the interdisciplinary Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, which acts as a hub for the development and dissemination of health-related research and engagement with decision-makers, governmental agencies, and stakeholders.  The Centre has a variety of opportunities for graduate students pursuing research in health law including an annual speaker series, regular Cafés Scientifique, an annual Health Law Day, a biannual National Health Law Conference, and regular interdisciplinary workshops on a variety of research themes, including vulnerability, aging, governance, and technology and innovation.  The Centre also organizes an annual grant-writing workshop, which is designed to support graduate students in drafting successful proposals for external funding.  Several health law faculty members have assisted students in obtaining these awards in the past.  The Centre also co-organizes an annual Health Law Graduate Student Colloquium in conjunction with McGill University’s Research Group on Health and Law.  This Colloquium gives our students the opportunity to network with other health researchers and to present their research to an interdisciplinary audience of experts and decision-makers.

We invite you to explore the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

You may also wish to consult the information about the Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics under the uOttawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.

LL.M. with International Trade and Foreign Investment Law

The Master of Laws Concentration in International Trade and Foreign Investment Law has been ranked as one of the world’s top-ranked LLM programs in international trade law / WTO law by the LLM Guide to master of laws programs worldwide. With the largest number of professors specialized in international trade and investment law in North America, the program will give you access to a unique pool of experts. You’ll be immersed in a dynamic trade and investment law community in Canada’s capital, with professionals involved in international disputes and interstate economic relations regularly invited as guest lecturers.

We invite you to explore the program page.