Located in downtown Ottawa, the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa is not only just a few blocks away from the Supreme Court of Canada, but is also nearby the Federal Court of Canada, and other important legal & policymaking institutions in Canada. This proximity provides students with unparalleled access to the Canadian legal community, including renowned law firms, government agencies, and international organizations.
“Here at Fauteux, we like to brag that one of the things that makes us unique as a law school is our closeness to the Supreme Court of Canada,” says Kristen Boon, the Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean of the Common Law Section.
This is not only a boast about our geographic proximity, but more importantly it’s a proud declaration of the close working relationship we have with the country’s highest court and the impact it has on the experience learning opportunities at the University of Ottawa. This unmatched experience contributes to solidify uOttawa Law’s reputation and its favorable world ranking amongst the Top 100 Faculty of Law in the world and a place in the Top 3 in Canada.
In September, during Orientation week, our Faculty collaborated with the Supreme Court to host an outdoor Welcome Reception in a giant tent on the lawn in front of the Supreme Court of Canada. Although usually reserved for incoming students, this year’s reception was open to all Common Law Section students, since most had missed out on this special treat due to the pandemic.
The keynote address was delivered by Justice Andromache Karakatsanis and the event was attended by Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin, who had been appointed to the Supreme Court bench only days before. Justice O’Bonsawin is a proud alum of the uOttawa law school, having obtained her LLB in 1998 and PhD in 2022.
A highlight was the taking of class pictures on the steps of the Court.
More recently we have been very honoured to host several Supreme Court judges, who have spent time with our students at a few of our events.
On February 17, seven student associations hosted an afternoon Q&A session with Justice Mahmud Jamal. The event brought together the law school community and provided a unique opportunity for students to engage with the esteemed jurist. Students posed a wide range of questions, covering everything from his time on the bench to his thoughts on the future of the Canadian legal system. His wisdom, humor, and candour made for a truly captivating conversation. You can read more about this event here.
Justice O’Bonsawin attended the weekly Community Beading Circle on the morning of March 2, hosted by Tasha Simon, the Intermediate Specialist Indigenous Programs, where she was able to connect with students, faculty and staff in attendance. It was an honour to have Justice O’Bonsawin join Beading Circle, as it is about more than creating beaded stoles to honour Indigenous learners. Beading Circle is about gathering in community to learn together, and building reciprocal relationships grounded in trust. The students were extremely grateful to share this experience and time with her.
Justice O’Bonsawin extended her stay, inviting more students to join her for a Fireside Chat. She shared her journey to the Supreme Court of Canada, highlighting the challenges faced and how she overcame those obstacles. The students in attendance appreciated the opportunity to engage in the Q&A session of the event, asking a variety of questions and even seeking guidance on mentorship.
On March 17, organizers from the French Common Law Program (PCLF) welcomed Justice O’Bonsawin as the guest speaker for the 17th Annual Michel-Bastarache Lecture, at the Rideau Club. Her lecture was entitled "We are people first, members of the legal profession second: eliminating the stigma of mental illness in the legal profession".
The lecture is named after the Honourable Michel Bastarache, c.c., retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada: a distinguished jurist who has devoted much of his distinguished career to the promotion of language rights in Francophone minority communities. Since its inception in 2003, the annual Michel-Bastarache Lecture has become one of the most prestigious francophone legal meetings in the country. It brings together judges, lawyers, legislators, law professors, students and other friends, many of whom are among the more than 2,000 PCLF graduates.
On March 23, Justice Malcolm Rowe returned to Fauteux at an event organized by the Runneymede Society. Long before he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Rowe taught public and constitutional law here between 1991 and 1993. His presentation was entitled “The Importance of Methodology.” A lively question and answer session followed.
The Pro Bono Student Canada (PBSC) was very pleased to host Justice Karakatsanis, on March 29, for the PBSC Volunteer Appreciation Event, which recognized student participants, mentors from the JurisMentor Program and lawyers, supervisors and organization partners from PBSC.
As well, several classes paid visits to the Court for tours and intimate visits with the judges – Professor Adam Dodek’s first year constitutional law small group visited with Justice Sheilah Martin and the Supreme Court seminar taught by Professor Dodek and Visiting Professor Stephen Bindman met with Justice Jamal.
Further strengthening our relationship with the country’s highest court, two of our graduating students have been offered clerkships in 2024-2025. Malorie Kanaan has been offered a position as a law clerk on the team of Justice O’Bonsawin. Kanaan completed her LLL in 2020 and her JD in 2021 at uOttawa. She is currently a candidate in the Master of Laws and Social Justice (LLM) program, while articling at Power Law. You can read more about Kanaan here. Émilie Hogue has also been offered a clerkship on Justice O’Bonsawin’s team. Hogue is currently completing her JD in the French Common Law Program.
We are so grateful to all these Justices for taking time out of their busy schedules to spend time with our students. We can think of no better way to inspire our students to greatness than having the opportunity to connect with and learn from these accomplished leaders.