The French Common Law Program accepts approximately 80 entering students each year. The program is offered over three distinct and compulsory terms: the fall term from September to December, the January term over the first three weeks of January, and the winter term from February to April. Students enrolling in the French or English Program may take courses in the other language. The opportunity to study law in English and in French is one of the distinct advantages offered at the University of Ottawa. Students may also enroll in courses offered by the Civil Law Section.
The curriculum and academic requirements in the French and English common law programs are essentially the same. The French common law program is one of only two programs of this type in the world. It is designed to respond to the needs of Franco-Ontarians for both French legal education and legal services, and also to train Francophones from other provinces. French program students must take all their compulsory courses and at least 75% of their upper year courses in French, French being the language of instruction and evaluation.
Besides, the Programme de formation pré-droit (Pre-law Training Program) is an equity program funded by the Department of Justice of Canada and offered to immigrants and refugees admitted to a Canadian common law program in French. The program lasts 4 weeks and takes place during the month of August preceding the participants’ first year of study.
