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The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law () is the law school at the
University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...
, located in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Established in 1953, the faculty is today divided into Civil Law and
Common Law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
sections, the two formally recognized legal traditions in Canada. The law school has produced a diverse array of successful alumni. These include the current
Chief Justice of Canada The chief justice of Canada () is the presiding judge of the nine-member Supreme Court of Canada, the highest judicial body in Canada. As such, the chief justice is the highest-ranking judge of the Canadian court system. The '' Supreme Court Ac ...
Richard Wagner, and deans of several law schools. The faculty is home to several specialist research centres, including the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics; the Public Law Centre; and Centre for Law, Technology and Society. The faculty is very highly rated and maintains close links with the legal communities in
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, Ontario, and abroad. The Faculty of Law is also home to two elite bilingual law journals, one produced by the civil law section and the other produced by the common law section, which have significantly contributed to the development of law by the
Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; , ) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants eac ...
.


History

The law school was established in 1953 on the initiative of Gerald Fauteux, former Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; , ) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants eac ...
. It began as an exclusively civil law faculty, designed to train lawyers who would enter the
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
legal system, particularly in order to practice in the
Outaouais Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts, the municipality of Cantley, Quebec, Cantley and the Papineau Regional County Municipal ...
region just across the
Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
. In 1957, the faculty began training students in
common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
as well; the two sections were then divided, each with its own programs, faculties, and deans. Graduate programs were introduced that same year by the civil law section; the common law section followed suit in 1981. Although the school has, since 1970, had a system in which students enrolled in either the common or civil law section could receive accreditation in the other legal system, it was not until 1994 that this system was formalized into the National Program. In doing so, the faculty became one of the first in Canada to offer bi-juridical training in both the common law and civil law. The Faculty of Law's current building, Fauteux Hall, was named in honour of Gerald Fauteux and was constructed in 1973. During the 2006 fall semester, then-University of Ottawa president Gilles Patry announced that Fauteux Hall would undergo extensive renovations in 2009. Due to funding cutbacks, a new law building expansion was cancelled; instead, interior renovations were completed in 2012, including substantial changes to the entrance atrium and the
Brian Dickson Robert George Brian Dickson (May 25, 1916 – October 17, 1998) was a Canadian lawyer, military officer and judge who served as the 15th chief justice of Canada from 1984 to 1990 and as a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1973 ...
Law Library, and the construction of the
Norton Rose Fulbright Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) is a British-American business law firm. It is the thirteenth-largest by headcount and 21st by revenue, with revenues of more than $2 billion. The British law firm Norton Rose originated in 1794 when it was establ ...
classroom. Construction of the Ian G. Scott Courtroom, a fully functional courtroom where sitting judges hear regular cases, was also completed in the Brooks Building, which is across the street from the main Faculty of Law building and houses extra classrooms, offices, and spaces for the Faculty of Law's various centres.


Admissions


Common law section

In the Common Law Section, applicants are expected to have completed a three- to four-year undergraduate degree. Acceptance to the common law program is highly competitive. Successful applicants generally have an A− (3.70) undergraduate
grade point average Grading in education is the application of standardized Measurement, measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentage ...
and a competitive
LSAT The Law School Admission Test (LSAT ) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension and logical reasoning. The test is ...
score. The program also requires a personal statement and two reference letters, and claims to use a holistic admissions approach, taking into account a variety of factors including work experience, prior education, and other exceptional circumstances. According to the Faculty of Law LSAC page, the English-language common law program received 2637 applications in 2019, of which 320 were admitted; an admission rate of 12%. The French-language common law program, including the ''Programme de droit canadien'', received 185 applications in 2019, of which 80 were admitted.


Civil law section

In the Civil Law Section, which teaches the legal tradition practised in
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, applicants need only have obtained a
Diploma of Collegial Studies A College Diploma in Quebec for pre-university studies and technical studies (officially titled: Diploma of College Studies, often abbreviated DCS, French: ''Diplôme d'études collégiales'' or ''DEC'') is a degree issued by the Ministry of Ed ...
(DEC) before applying. The Civil Law Section's requirements are generally considered to be less stringent than those of the Common Law Section, since applicants are normally assessed only based on the previous post-secondary grades they received in college or university. Nevertheless, a minimum A− (80%) average is now required for admission from university; students applying directly from
CEGEP A CEGEP ( or ; , ; also written CÉGEP and cegep) is a publicly funded college providing general, professional, academic or a mix of programs; they are exclusive to the province of Quebec's education system. A loanword from French, it ori ...
, however, face stricter requirements.


Language requirements

The language of instruction depends on the program: while the civil law program is instructed entirely in French, the common law program is available in either English or French, with students permitted to take classes in both languages if they wish. In compliance with university policy, all written work may be submitted in either language, with the exception of the French common law program, in which all written and oral work must be submitted in French.


Academics

Graduates of the common law section receive the
Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
(J.D.) degree, while civil law graduates receive the Licentiate in Law (LL.L.) degree. On May 3, 2010, the Senate of the university approved a motion to change the designation of the common law degree from LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) to J.D. (Juris Doctor). The Faculty of Law equally offers
Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...
(LL.M.) and Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degrees in both sections. The faculty is unique among Canadian institutions in that it grants the LL.D. as its terminal research/professional degree, and not a Doctor of Philosophy ( Ph.D.) in law or a Doctor of Juridical Science ( S.J.D.). Most universities only grant the LL.D. ''
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
''.


Joint programs

The following is a list of several joint programs offered by the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law: * The bilingual ''Programme de droit canadien'' (PDC) allows only 18 to 20 students a year to simultaneously earn a J.D. and a LL.L. degree in three years. * The National Program allows students in either common law or civil law to separately complete a degree in the other legal system in four years. * The Dual J.D. program is a combined Canadian-American legal program offered in conjunction with either the
Michigan State University College of Law The Michigan State University College of Law (Michigan State Law or MSU Law) is the law school of Michigan State University, a Public university, public research university in East Lansing, Michigan. Established in 1891 as the Detroit College o ...
or the
Washington College of Law The American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL or WCL) is the law school of American University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It is located on the western side of Tenley Circle in the Tenleytown section of northw ...
at
American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...
; students obtain two degrees in four years. * The J.D./
MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...
program is a combined law–business program enabling students to receive concurrent common law and
business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...
degrees in four years. * The LL.L./MBA program enables students to receive concurrent civil law and business degrees in four years. * The J.D./MA is a combined law–
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
degree which enables students to receive a master's degree from
Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...
's
Norman Paterson School of International Affairs The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA ( )) is a professional school of international affairs at Carleton University that was founded in 1965. The school is based at Richcraft Hall on Carleton's campus in Ottawa, Ontario, C ...
, which they attend full-time for a year between their first and second years of legal education. * The LL.L./DVM program allows students enrolled in the civil law section to receive a specialized degree in international development and
globalization Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...
. * The J.D./Sciences Politiques program allows students to enroll in common law from high school. It is a six-year program, with the first two years and the final year spent in Political Science and years three to five in Common Law.


Tuition fees

Tuition at the University of Ottawa's Law School varies according to the program being studied. Students enrolled in the civil law program pay the lowest fees, with the tuition rates 2012–2013 set at $8,833.46; this stands in contrast to the common law program, where annual tuition rates for 2014–2015 are $16,772.40. Students in the National Program pay $10,077.70 for their extra year of study. Students enrolled in the Dual J.D. program with an American law school pay what the University of Ottawa has termed "regular Canadian law student rates during the entire program," meaning the regular common law tuition fees at the school.


Reputation

The Faculty of Law is well known for its successful mooting program and track record of international successes. The moot team has won the Vis Moot, the Oxford Intellectual Property Moot, and various other competitions, outperforming rival schools like
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
in many cases. Offerings in areas of practice including
environmental law Environmental laws are laws that protect the environment. The term "environmental law" encompasses treaties, statutes, regulations, conventions, and policies designed to protect the natural environment and manage the impact of human activitie ...
,
health law Health law is a field of law that encompasses federal, state, and local law, rules, regulations and other jurisprudence among providers, payers and vendors to the health care industry and its patients, and delivery of health care services, with a ...
,
criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...
,
tax law Tax law or revenue law is an area of legal study in which public or sanctioned authorities, such as federal, state and municipal governments (as in the case of the US) use a body of rules and procedures (laws) to assess and collect taxes in a ...
, and
technology law Information technology law (IT law), also known as information, communication and technology law (ICT law) or cyberlaw, concerns the juridical regulation of information technology, its possibilities and the consequences of its use, including comp ...
have become highly developed, with diverse practical and academic offerings being made available to students in those areas. The school is also known for its strong focus on public-interest law. More recently, there have been efforts to bolster offerings in business and corporate law with the creation of the new Business Law Clinic.
Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...
magazine last released its annual law school ranking on September 19, 2013, and has not released any rankings for law schools since then. In that evaluation, Ottawa's common law program was ranked 10th overall in Canada, scoring particularly well (3rd overall) in the category for Supreme Court clerkships. The civil law section was ranked 3rd in Canada among other civil law schools (the majority being in the province of Québec). In 2019, the law school was ranked 5th in Canada according to University Magazine. It was ranked in
Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The THES''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
2024 ranking as the 58th best law school in the world and consequently the 4th best law school in Canada.


Notable faculty

* Constance Backhouse, Canadian legal scholar and historian, University Research Chair and President of the American Society of Legal History * Donald Malcolm McRae, legal scholar * David Paciocco, legal scholar, justice of the
Court of Appeal for Ontario The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently mistakenly referred to as the Ontario Court of Appeal) (ONCA is the abbreviation for its neutral citation) is the appellate court for the province of Ontario, Canada. The seat of the court is Osgoode Ha ...
*
Benoît Pelletier Benoît Pelletier (10 January 1960 – 30 March 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, academic, and politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Liberal member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1998 to 2008 and was a prominent cabinet ministe ...
CM OQ, constitutional legal scholar and former
cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
in the Quebec government * Amir Attaran, legal scholar, litigator, cell biologist and immunologist, works on environment and health law, racial equality advocate *
Michael Geist Michael Allen Geist is a Canadian academic, and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. He is the editor of four books on copyright law and privacy law, and he edits two newsletters on Canadian infor ...
, world-renowned expert on privacy, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the
University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...
*
Vern Krishna Vern Krishna, , is a professor of law at the University of Ottawa and of counsel at TaxChambers LLP. He is the author of fourteen texts in tax, international tax, and business law, as well as numerous articles and case comments. His writings are ...
, scholar, tax expert *
Tracey Lindberg Tracey Lindberg is a writer, scholar, lawyer and Indigenous Rights activist from the Kelly Lake Cree Nation in British Columbia. She is Cree-Métis and a member of the As'in'i'wa'chi Ni'yaw Nation Rocky Mountain Cree. She won the Governor General ...
, award-winning writer, scholar, lawyer and Indigenous Rights activist *
Allan Rock Allan Michael Rock (born August 30, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, former politician, diplomat and university administrator. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations (2003-2006) and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, ...
PC OOnt QC, former president of
University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...


Notable alumni


Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada

*
Louise Arbour Louise Arbour, (born February 10, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, prosecutor and jurist. Arbour was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Pr ...
, former
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univer ...
, former
puisne justice Puisne judge and puisne justice () are terms for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. The term comes from a combination of the two French words, (since, later) and (born) which have been combined as or ; meaning ...
of the
Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; , ) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants eac ...
, and former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and
Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
(LL.M '71 in the Civil Law Section) *
Michel Bastarache J. E. Michel Bastarache (born 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and retired puisne justice on the Supreme Court of Canada. Early life and education Born in Quebec City on June 10, 1947, Bastarache earned his Bachelor of Arts degree ...
, former
puisne justice Puisne judge and puisne justice () are terms for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. The term comes from a combination of the two French words, (since, later) and (born) which have been combined as or ; meaning ...
of the Supreme Court of Canada (LL.B '78) *
Louise Charron Louise Charron, (born March 2, 1951) is a Canadian jurist. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in October, 2004, and is the first native-born Franco-Ontarian Supreme Court judge. (This distinction has sometimes been attributed to Lo ...
, former
puisne justice Puisne judge and puisne justice () are terms for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. The term comes from a combination of the two French words, (since, later) and (born) which have been combined as or ; meaning ...
of the Supreme Court of Canada (LL.B '75) * Michelle O’Bonsawin, current puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (LL.B '98) *
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
, current
Chief Justice of Canada The chief justice of Canada () is the presiding judge of the nine-member Supreme Court of Canada, the highest judicial body in Canada. As such, the chief justice is the highest-ranking judge of the Canadian court system. The '' Supreme Court Ac ...
(LL.L '79)


Politicians

* Brooks Arcand-Paul, politician, member of the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. Since 2012 the Legislative Assembly has had 87 members, elected first past the post f ...
(J.D. '16) *
Maxime Bernier Maxime Bernier (; born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the founder and leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC). Formerly a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Party, Bernier left the caucus in 2018 t ...
, politician, former
Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
and current Leader of the
People's Party of Canada The People's Party of Canada (PPC; ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party was formed by Maxime Bernier in September 2018, shortly after his resignation from the Conservative Party of Canada. It is placed from the right to the far ...
(LL.L '88) *
Martin Cauchon Martin Cauchon (born 23 August 1962) is a Canadian lawyer and politician in Quebec Canada. He served as a Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal Cabinet of Canada, Cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien. He unsuccessfully ran for the 2 ...
, politician and former Member of Parliament (MP) for the
Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...
and former federal
Cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
as Minister of Justice (LL.L '84) *
Bob Chiarelli Roberto Chiarelli (born September 24, 1941) is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who served from 1987 to 1997 and again from 2010 to 2018 who represented the ridings of Ottawa West and Otta ...
, former
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Ottawa (LL.B '67) *
Howard Hampton Howard George Hampton (born May 17, 1952) is a politician who was a member of Provincial Parliament for the province of Ontario. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, from 1987 to 1999 in the electoral district of Rainy Ri ...
, politician and former leader of the
Ontario New Democratic Party The Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP; , NPD) is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum. It is Ontario’s provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. The ...
(LL.B '83) *
Ahmed Hussen Ahmed Hussen (; born 1976) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. A member of the Liberal Party, Hussen has also sat as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto-area riding of York South—Weston since the 2015 federal election. He pre ...
, current Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (J.D. '11) * Jean-Paul L'Allier, politician and longtime
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
, from 1989 to 2005 (LL.L '62) *
Jean Lapierre Jean-Charles Lapierre (May 7, 1956 – March 29, 2016) was a Canadian politician and television and radio broadcaster. After retiring from the government in 2007, he served as a political analyst in a variety of venues. He was Paul Martin's Q ...
, politician and former MP for both the Liberal and Bloc Québécois parties, and former
Cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
(LL.L '78) *
John Manley John Paul Manley (born January 5, 1950) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the eighth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2002 to 2003. He was Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2004. ...
, politician and former MP for the Liberal Party and former federal Cabinet minister (LL.B '76) *
Madeleine Meilleur Madeleine Meilleur (born November 22, 1948) is a Canadian nurse, lawyer and former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2016. She represented the riding of Ottawa—Vanier ...
, member of the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...
and
Attorney General of Ontario The attorney general of Ontario is the Attorney general, chief legal adviser to Monarchy in Ontario, His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and, by extension, the Government of Ontario. The attorney general is a senior member of the Executi ...
(LL.L) *
Réal Ménard Réal Ménard (born May 13, 1962) is a Canadian politician, who was a Bloc Québécois member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 2009. He was the second Canadian member of Parliament to come out as gay. Ménard is a political scient ...
, politician,
gay rights activist A list of notable LGBTQ social movements, LGBTQ rights activists who have worked to advance LGBTQ rights by political change, legal action or publication. Ordered by country, alphabetically. Albania * Xheni Karaj, founder of Aleanca LGBT org ...
, former member of the Canadian House of Commons for the Quebec riding of Hochelaga (LL.L '07) *
Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...
, politician and former
premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario () is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly; as such, the premier typically sits as a member of Provincia ...
(LL.B '81) *
David McGuinty David Joseph McGuinty (born February 25, 1960) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has been the Minister of National Defence since May 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, McGuinty has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Ottawa S ...
, politician and current Liberal MP for Ottawa South (LL.B '86) *
Yasir Naqvi Yasir Abbas Naqvi (born 25 January 1973) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament (MP) for Ottawa Centre (federal electoral district), Ottawa Centre since the 2021 Canadian federal elect ...
, MPP for
Ottawa Centre Ottawa Centre may refer to: *Ottawa Centre (federal electoral district) *Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district) Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represen ...
and former president of
Liberal Party of Ontario The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP; , PLO) is a political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. The party has been led by Bonnie Crombie since December 2023. The party espouses the principles of liberalism, with their rival the Progressive Co ...
* Paul Okalik, politician and
Premier of Nunavut The premier of Nunavut (; Inuinnaqtun: ''Hivuliqti Nunavunmi''; ) is the first minister for the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The premier is the territory's head of government, although their powers are somewhat more limited than those of a pr ...
and first
Inuktitut Inuktitut ( ; , Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics ), also known as Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the North American tree line, including parts of the provinces of ...
-speaking person to be called to the Bar of that territory (LL.B '97) *
Annamie Paul Annamie Paul (born November 3, 1972) is a Canadian activist, lawyer, and former politician who served as the leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2020 to 2021. She was the first Black Canadians, Black Canadian and first Jewish Canadian, Jew ...
, former leader of the
Green Party of Canada The Green Party of Canada () is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1983 with a focus on green politics. The Green Party is currently the fifth largest party in the House of Commons by seat count. It elected its first member of ...
(LL.B '95) *
Gil Rémillard Gil Rémillard (born November 25, 1944) is a Canadian academic, university professor and politician. Biography Born in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, Quebec), Rémillard is the son of Carmel Rémillard and Jeannine Desjardins. He studied at the ...
, politician and law professor (LL.L '68) *
Allan Rock Allan Michael Rock (born August 30, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, former politician, diplomat and university administrator. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations (2003-2006) and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, ...
, politician and former MP for the Liberal Party, former federal Cabinet minister, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, and president emeritus of the
University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...
(LL.B '71) *
Gérald Tremblay Gérald Tremblay (born September 20, 1942) is a former Canadian politician and businessman who served as mayor of Montreal from 2002 until his resignation in 2012. He also served as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community. Before ...
, politician and former
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Canada's second-largest city (LL.L '69) * Stephanie Vallee, member of the
National Assembly of Quebec The National Assembly of Quebec (, ) is the Legislature, legislative body of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; ). The lieutenant governor of Que ...
and Minister of Justice (Quebec) (LL.L '93)


Judges

* Gerald Lebovits,
New York City Civil Court The Civil Court of the City of New York is a civil court of the New York State Unified Court System in New York City that decides lawsuits involving claims for damages up to $25,000 and includes a small claims part (small claims court) for case ...
judge, law professor at
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
,
Fordham University School of Law Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. According to Fordham University School of Law's ABA- ...
&
NYU School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-b ...
(LL.L '79) * Lise Maisonneuve, Chief Justice of the
Ontario Court of Justice The Ontario Court of Justice is the provincial court court of record, of record for the Canadian province of Ontario. The court sits at more than 200 locations across the province and oversees matters relating to family law, criminal law, and prov ...
(LL.B '89) * Marc Noël, Chief Justice of the
Federal Court of Appeal (Canada) The Federal Court of Appeal () is a Canadian appellate court that hears cases concerning federal matters. History Section 101 of the Constitution Act, 1867 empowers the Parliament of Canada to establish "additional Courts for the better Admi ...
(LL.L '74; LL.B '75) * Simon Noël, Justice of the
Federal Court (Canada) The Federal Court () is a Canadian trial court that hears cases arising under certain areas of federal law. The Federal Court is a superior court with nationwide jurisdiction. History The court was created on July 2, 2003, by the ''Courts ...
(LL.L ‘74) * Paul Rouleau, Justice of the
Court of Appeal for Ontario The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently mistakenly referred to as the Ontario Court of Appeal) (ONCA is the abbreviation for its neutral citation) is the appellate court for the province of Ontario, Canada. The seat of the court is Osgoode Ha ...
(LL.B '77) *Janet. E Mills, Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (LL.B' 91)


Academics

* Céline Lévesque, Dean of the Civil Law section of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law from 2014 to 2019 (LL.L '90) * Camille A. Nelson, Academic, Dean of
American University Washington College of Law The American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL or WCL) is the law school of American University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It is located on the western side of Tenley Circle in the Tenleytown section of northw ...
(LL.B '94) * Dr. Lorna A. Turnbull, Dean of University of Manitoba Faculty of Law (LL. B '89)


Lawyers

* Mark Bourrie, Canadian author and lawyer *
France Chrétien Desmarais France Chrétien Desmarais, (born July 5, 1958) is a Canadian lawyer and businesswoman. She is the daughter of Jean Chrétien, 20th prime minister of Canada. Chrétien Desmarais is married to André Desmarais, president of the Montreal-based ...
, a Canadian lawyer and businesswoman. Daughter of former prime minister
Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a retired Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. He served as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, leader of t ...
, and married to
André Desmarais André Roger Desmarais (born October 26, 1956) is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. Early life He is the youngest son of Paul Desmarais Sr. and Jacqueline Desmarais. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he attended Lakefield College School in Ont ...
, president of the Montreal-based
Power Corporation of Canada Power Corporation of Canada is a management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. Its core holdings are insurance, retirement, wealth management and investment management, including a portfolio ...
(LL.L.) *
Faisal Kutty Faisal Kutty is a lawyer, academic, writer, public speaker and human rights activist. He served as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and is an Associate Professor of Law Emeritus at Valparaiso University. He has previously taught a ...
, lawyer, writer, human rights activist and academic teaching at
Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the ''Journal of Law and Social Policy'', and the ''Osgoode Hall Law Journal ...
and at
Valparaiso University Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana, United States. It is an independent Lutheran university with five colleges. It enrolls nearly 2,300 students and has a campus. The university is known for its Luthe ...
(LL.B '94) * André Marin, former
Crown Attorney Crown attorneys or crown counsel () or, in Alberta and New Brunswick, crown prosecutors are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada. Crown attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code and vario ...
, law professor, Director of Ontario's S.I.U. and
Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...
Ombudsman An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
. Current Ontario Ombudsman (LL.L '88; LL.B '89) *
Maureen McTeer Maureen Anne McTeer is a Canadian author and lawyer, married to Joe Clark, the 16th Prime Minister of Canada. Family and education McTeer was born to John and Bea McTeer. Her father taught her and her older sister, Colleen, to play hockey, re ...
, author, lawyer and wife of former prime minister
Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian businessman, writer, and retired politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. He also served as Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada), leader of the ...
(LL.B '76) *Hugh Verrier, attorney and the chairman of White & Case LLP and director of the firm's strategy and operations around the world (LL.B '81)


Others

* Peter Chiarelli, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
's
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
(LL.B '91) *
Murray Costello James Murray Costello (February 24, 1934July 27, 2024) was a Canadian ice hockey player, executive, and administrator. He played four seasons in the National Hockey League and was the younger brother of Les Costello. He was a lawyer by trade a ...
, NHL hockey player, President of
Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...
, inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
, the
IIHF Hall of Fame The IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It was founded in 1997, and has resided at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto since 1998. Prior to 1997, the IIHF housed exhibits at the Interna ...
,
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and mu ...
, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a recipient of the Order of Hockey in Canada. * Mario Dion, Parliament of Canada, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (LL.L '79) * William J.S. Elliott, former Commissioner of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
(LL.B '79) *
Mitch Garber Mitch Garber (born September 5, 1964) is a Canadian lawyer, investor and business executive. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2019, that country's highest civilian honour. Career Mitch Garber is a member of the Executive Advisory Cou ...
, Canadian business executive, CEO of Caesars Acquisition Company, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, the
World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada, and since 2004, sponsored by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best ...
, and Chairman of
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...
(LL.L '89) * Kevin Gilmore, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
's
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
(LL.L '86; LL.B '87) *Mehdi Hakimi, Executive Director of the Rule of Law Program and Lecturer in Law at
Stanford Law School Stanford Law School (SLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Stanford University, a Private university, private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law had an acceptance rate of 6.28% i ...
(J.D.) *
Marc Mayrand Marc Mayrand is a Canadian public servant who served as the sixth chief electoral officer of Canada from 2007 to 2016, where he oversaw Elections Canada. Career Mayrand studied law at the University of Ottawa and the London School of Economics ...
, civil servant, former
Superintendent of Bankruptcy The Superintendent of Bankruptcy is a Canadian government position charged to ensure that bankruptcies and insolvencies in Canada are conducted in a fair and orderly manner. References

Federal departments and agencies of Canada Insolve ...
and former Chief Electoral Officer of
Elections Canada Elections Canada () is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering elections in Canada, Canadian federal elections and Referendums in Canada, referendums. History Elections Canada is an agency of the Parliament of Canada, and reports ...
(LL.L '76)


See also

*
List of law schools in Canada A number of law schools in Canada operate as a faculty or as an affiliated school to a Canadian public university. Twenty law schools offer common law schooling, whereas seven schools offer schooling in the civil law system. Although the judicial ...
*
University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ottawa Law, University Of Law schools in Canada University of Ottawa Faculty of Law Universities and colleges established in 1953
Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
1953 establishments in Ontario