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National Program

Discover the value of Canadian multijuralism:
Enhance the versatility of your J.D. with the National Program in Civil Law

Few legal issues today can be classified as purely local or even domestic. Globalization, technology and the recent pandemic have revealed the extent of state interdependence and highlighted the need for jurists who are knowledgeable in multiple legal traditions. The National Program in Civil Law is your opportunity to gain the edge that is Canadian multijuralism, and better position yourself to solve the evolving, complex poly-jural questions that characterize the Digital Age.

Earn your LL.L. in English through online, asynchronous courses.

The National Program in English is accessible online with an asynchronous modality. This option allows participants to follow the program at their own pace and availability. The video below provides an overview of the National Program in English.

Concurrently, the National Program in French is offered in a synchronous, in-person format in Ottawa. This program provides an immersive French-language experience, facilitating direct and enriching interaction with the civil law student community at the University of Ottawa. For more information and to access additional resources about this program, we invite you to visit the dedicated page for the National Program in French.

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Le programme national en droit civil
National Program in Civil Law

Increase your professional opportunities
Not only are civilian legal systems an integral part of Canadian institutions, they also transcend Canada's national borders. Civil law is practised in Latin America, most of Europe and Africa, and in much of Asia and the Middle East. Earning a Civil Law degree will open new opportunities as it enhances your professional versatility and mobility, making you an asset to the public sector, Canadian law firms and the legal departments of international companies.

Experience a rich, bilingual and multicultural learning environment in the Nation’s Capital
The Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa is the only place in North America where you can earn a one-year, fully online, LL.L. degree in English that will allow you to be eligible for the Quebec Bar and fluent in any civil law environment. Learn from our comparative law experts, well-versed in many of the world’s great legal systems, including Civil, Common and Indigenous Legal traditions.

Overview: National Program in Civil Law

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  • Degree: Civil Law (LL.L.), recognized for admission to the Quebec Bar School
  • Duration: one year, full-time or at your own pace, part-time (10 courses)
  • Delivery: Online and asynchronous
  • Language: courses taught in English. If you are interested in the French version, visit the Programme national
  • Cost: tuition fees of $1,922.34 per course (3 cr.) + $234.39 administrative fees for a total of $2,156.73 (approximately) 
  • Deadline : admissions are on a rolling basis
  • Start date: Fall term

National Program courses

  • Please visit the National Program (LL.L) page
    note: if the program is followed part-time, the duration will exceed one year.

Admission requirements

  • You have a J.D. degree from a Canadian common law school or you are about to graduate from a J.D. program in a Canadian common law school.

    You have a minimum average of 70%. (University of Ottawa Common Law graduates must have a cumulative grade point average of 4,0.)

Our graduates

Many University of Ottawa LL.B. / LL.L. graduates move on to challenging and rewarding careers.

  • Richard Fridman, Partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Toronto (LL.B. 1995, LL.L. 1996, LL.M. New York University School of Law)
    Former Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles D. Gonthier and Consultant at McKinsey & Company. Featured in Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
  • Kevin Gilmore, President of 4Sports Consulting, - LL.L. 1986, LL.B. 1987 (Magna Cum Laude – Highest Sanding in the final year, Order of Merit 2019)
    Former President and CEO, Impact de Montréal and Partner, Bold Sports and Entertainment, former VP Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles Kings and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Canadiens de Montréal. Member of the Board of Directors, Canadian Olympic Committee (2013-2020).
  • Naiomi Walqwan Metallic, Professor, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax (LL.B. (Dalhousie), LL.L. 2006, LL.M. (Osgoode), Order of Merit 2019)
    Former law clerk to the Honorable Michel Bastarache of the Supreme Court of Canada in 2006-2007. (Originally from the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation in Quebec. She was the first Mi’gmaq person to clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada). Named to the Best Lawyer in Canada® list in Aboriginal law since 2015 and Canadian Lawyers’ Magazine 2018 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Human Rights, Advocacy and Criminal law.
  • My Chi To, Executive Deputy Superintendent of Insurance at New York State Department of Financial Services (LL.L. 1994, LL.B. 1995, M. Phil. Oxford, 1998 (Rhodes Scholar))
    Former Law Clerk to the Honorable L’Heureux-Dubé and Partner, Debevoise Plimpton in New York.

Course sequence

Course sequence - National Program (LL.L)

National Program (LL.L) - 30 credits

4th year

DRC4390 - Obligations I

DRC4391 - Property Law

DRC4392 - Persons & Family Law

DRC4393 - Civil Law Reasoning

DRC4395 - Obligations III

DRC4396 - Private International Law

12 credits - optional in civil law