The evening began with mingling and networking, allowing students to interact with members of the legal community. As always, this was a much appreciated moment for the 380 guests who engaged in discussions during the five-course meal.
"Le Souper français is the most unifying event in the French-speaking legal community of the national capital! " - Emma-Béatrice Ouellet-Lizotte, a 5th year student in the combined Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctorate program
Dean Dodek has chose this edition of the Souper français to publicly unveil the official mission of the Faculty of Law; "We are committed to excellence in law teaching, legal research and service to the community in both official languages". Dean Dodek unveiled the Faculty’s priorities for the next five years for the first time, in no particular order; open and critical thinking; ethics and professionalism; social justice; reconciliation; equity and diversity; health and wellness; and bilingualism.
This annual event, one of the most prominent in the Faculty of Law, would not have been possible without the organization of the Student Association in collaboration with the Regroupement étudiant de common law en français (RÉCLEF) and the Programme de common law en français (PCLF). It is intended to celebrate the vitality of Canada's French-speaking legal community. Judges, lawyers, parliamentarians, faculty members, students, graduates of the PCLF and the Canadian Law Program (CLE) meet there to demonstrate their firm commitment to access to justice in French in Ontario and across the country.
"Being among the few Franco-Saskatchewanian students in the Faculty, the French Dinner is always a great opportunity to meet other Franco-Saskatchewanian lawyers who now live in the national capital and to share our experiences! " - Sydney Goldstone, 2nd year student in the combined Bachelor of Social Sciences, Political Science and Juris Doctorate program
"Best French dinner so far! Thank you to the planning team for organizing an incredible evening and to DJ Magic Stan for his fire tracks" - Sydney McMahon, 3rd year student in the French Common Law Program
"Coming from Western Canada, I felt very fortunate to be able to attend this event. I didn't think I had the chance to surround myself with so many Francophones in my life. Although I am sometimes embarrassed by my French skills, the Francophone community was very welcoming. I hope to be able to attend in the future. " - Matthew Benson
To learn more about le Souper Français: https://www.aeclssuottawa.ca/souper-franais