The CIAJ is making an open call for applications to join their national Student Committee. CIAJ is a non-profit organization that promotes professional development, research, and education for judges, courts, and tribunals across Canada. Their work includes research in access to justice, professional development sessions on how to write judgments and decisions, and judicial internships for law students. 

The CIAJ Student Committee recommends and conducts projects under the CIAJ’s research mandate, including the promotion of the CIAJ and access to justice through podcasts, articles, and other communications products. Members of the committee may also be asked to advise on CIAJ projects or judge essay competition submissions. 

To apply, you must currently be attending an accredited law school in Canada. Please send your CV and a letter expressing why you’d like to join the CIAJ Student Committee to [email protected]

The 2024 Administrative Law & Governance Colloquium on “Executive Power” will take place in Winter Term and can be taken as a Directed Research Project for 3 credits. More information is available here. Interested 2L and 3L students should contact Professor Paul Daly.

CML 4104 JA – Studies in Public Law: Global Pathways to Refugee Protection (January 2024)

This hybrid seminar offers a small group of students an opportunity to engage with the legal, political, policy, and operational dimensions of various government-facilitated pathways to refugee protection. Drawing on the insights of individuals with lived experiences of displacement as well as world-leading experts from academia, government, civil society, and local communities, this course blends an understanding of theoretical subtleties with opportunities to engage with the real-world state of play around the development, expansion, and diversification of new legal pathways. Please consult the Course Search Engine for the course description and instructions on how to apply.

Deadline to apply: Oct. 31 by 5:00 pm

CML 4107 E - Studies in Business Law: Becoming a Social Entrepreneur (Winter 2024)

This course will explore the intersection between law, social change, and entrepreneurship. Emphasis will be placed on exploring a range of entrepreneurial strategies for driving large-scale change, as well as practical skills development for social entrepreneurs, including how to identify opportunities and build change-oriented projects; how to engage effectively with key stakeholders (including boards, governments, civil society actors, and funders); organizational management; strategic planning; and leadership. Students will have an opportunity to engage with real-world case studies and social entrepreneurs invited as guest speakers. Students will be tasked with preparing social change strategy documents and deliver funding pitches to an invited philanthropist. Please consult the Course Search Engine for the course description and instructions on how to apply.

Deadline to apply: Oct. 31 by 5:00 pm

Success Accelerator Group Sessions for Common Law Students

Every Thursday will feature a different topic from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. Facilitated by Rand-Al-Houssan. Location: FTX 102. Note: any Common Law JD Student is welcome to register for any topic (topics will be released every month). Bring your lunch. Refreshments will be served! Register through The Source (under Events > Workshops).

BIPOC Success Accelerator Group

Every last Thursday of the month from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. Topic: Open-ended. Facilitated by Rand Al-Houssan and Debra Love. Location: FTX 102. Note: this group is intended for students in the Common Law-JD program who identify as BIPOC. Bring your lunch. Refreshments will be served! Register through The Source (under Events > Workshops).

Are you interested in judicial clerkship opportunities at the Supreme Court of Canada and/or the Court of Appeal for Ontario? For many recent graduates, clerking is on of the highlights of their professional careers. 

Find out more about these judicial clerk positions by visiting the respective courts' websites and reviewing the Clerkship 2025-2026: Clerkship Programs guide as well as several recorded information sessions available in The Source Document Library. Apply internally by October 16, 2023.

For further guidance, schedule a one-on-one meeting with a Professional Development Counsellor via the Book Appointment tab in The Source by selecting the "clerkship" appointment type.

The Ottawa Law Review (OLR) is currently accepting submission proposals for publication in a special issue of Volume 56. This issue focuses on recent developments in language rights and
will be edited by Professor François Larocque, Canadian Francophonie Research Chair in Language Rights, and Professor Yan Campagnolo, Vice-Dean of the French Common Law Program.

To learn more about the Call for Proposals for OLR's Special Issue click here.

Upper year (2L and 3L) English and French common law students are invited to participate in the BLG Negotiation Competition - the tryouts for the Walsh Negotiation Competitive Team.

Winners of the BLG Negotiation Competition comprise the competitive team that trains under Professor Rockman in the winter term (a three-credit, graded course) and represents our school at the province-wide Walsh Family Law Negotiation Competition in Toronto on March 9^th.

The BLG Negotiation Competition will be held on Saturday, November 4^th.

Students compete in pairs. You may propose your own partner, and every effort will be made to accommodate you. If you do not propose a partner, you will be assigned one. Winners are selected individually.

To register for the BLG Negotiation Competition:
Send your CV and cover letter to Professor Rockman at [email protected]
Deadline to register: Monday, October 23^rd.

For more information, watch our promo video: https://youtu.be/uE8AoLWpTRs

As of Oct. 19, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (noon), first-year students in the English JD program will be able to enrol in a thematic course for the Winter 2024 term. The first-year thematic course is mandatory for all students admitted to the English JD program and allows you to select one course from a variety of interesting options designed to broaden your perspectives on the law. You can use the Course Search Engine to browse the different 1L thematic courses offered for 2023-2024.

Thematic courses are all limited capacity courses; plan to have a second and third choice. Should your first choice of course be unavailable, we recommend you enrol in another thematic course and add your name to the waitlist for your preferred thematic course by using the Waitlist & Swap Function (video tutorial available on the University of Ottawa Enrolment Support web page). Modifications of enrolment for first-year thematic courses will be possible until Feb. 2, 2024.

If the UO-Academic Integrity Training (ITD 1100-A00 or ITD 1500-A00) appears in your course schedule in uoZone for the Fall 2023 term, please complete the module through Brightspace as soon as possible and no later than November 3, 2023. The module takes approximately two hours to complete. If you have any questions about the module, please consult the FAQ on academic integrity.

Mental Health & Wellness Counsellor

The Common Law Section has a dedicated Mental Health and Wellness Counsellor who is a member of the Counselling Services staff and is available to provide counselling services to Common Law students at Fauteux Hall. 

When you contact Counselling Services, you will be initially scheduled for a brief mental health intake appointment (virtually or in-person at the SHWC in Minto) with an intake officer to discuss your mental health concerns and needs. The initial intake appointment is a first step to accessing counselling. From there, you will be directed to our dedicated counsellor and/or referred to other appropriate services on or off-campus that are best suited to your needs.

To schedule a mental health intake appointment with an intake officer, please telephone 613-562-5498, visit the Student Health and Wellness Centre in person (801 King Edward Ave., Room N203 on the 2^nd floor) or follow the online booking instructions available on the UpPatient app.

Common Law Student Centre

The Common Law Student Centre is your first stop for all student inquiries regarding program requirements, policies and procedures, registration, courses, exams, accommodations, equity and academic success, financial aid and career and professional development.

You can contact the Common Law Student Centre by email, by phone 613-562-5800 ext. 7158, or in person at Fauteux Hall (room 237). You can also access their virtual line system (QLess) and choose the option that best suits your needs. Please consult the Student Centre webpage for their office hours.

Regular academic advisement appointments are also available on The Source.

Wellness Mentor-in-Residence, Debra Love

Debra Love acts as the Common Law Section’s Wellness Mentor-in-Residence. She is honoured to support you on your path of continued wellbeing. Debra will be accepting appointments this Fall on Wednesdays from 12pm-1pm via Zoom. You may reserve book a meeting with her via The Source. You can meet with Debra in French or English.