Program Overview

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Master of Laws (LLM) and Concentration in Legislative Studies

The University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law offers a Master of Laws (LLM) degree with a concentration in Legislative Studies. This program reflects Canada's bilingual and tri-juridical legal system, as well as its location in the country's capital.

Program Overview

The LLM program is a joint endeavor of the Common Law and Civil Law Sections, welcoming law graduates from both legal systems and countries worldwide. Courses are offered in English or French, and occasionally in both languages, allowing students to complete their graduate studies while learning about Canada's other legal and linguistic traditions.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, applicants must have an undergraduate law degree from a Canadian university or an equivalent foreign law degree, or exceptionally, a degree deemed equivalent by the program's Admissions Committee. Candidates must have completed their undergraduate law degree with an average of at least 70% (B), calculated in accordance with graduate studies guidelines. Particular attention is paid to relevant legal experience, prior research, and letters of reference.

Program Requirements

The Master of Laws degree offers both a thesis option and a research paper option. Students can pursue these options in any subject, with an emphasis on two fields: International Law and Human Rights Law. In the context of the master's with research paper, students have a choice of eight concentrations, including Legislative Studies.

Concentration in Legislative Studies

Students in the concentration in Legislative Studies must complete the following requirements:

• Compulsory Courses:
  • DCL 5310: Normative Theory and Policy Implementation
  • 3 course units from: DCL 5301 (Legal Research Methodology) or DCL 5322 (Legislative Research and Drafting Methodology)
• Optional Courses:
  • 6 course units from a list of approved courses, including DCL 5302 (Philosophy of Law), DCL 5308 (Comparative Law), and DCL 5323 (Selected Topics in Legislative Drafting)
  • 3 optional course units from a list of approved courses, including API 5116 (Democratic Government and Public Policy) and DCL 5344 (Selected Topics in Public Policy)
• Research Paper: MRP 6999 (Major Research Paper), which must be 50 to 60 pages in length

Duration and Status

The requirements of the program should be fulfilled within two years for full-time students and four years (12 terms) for part-time students. Students can enroll in the program on a full-time or part-time basis.

Particular Regulations

These regulations supplement the General Regulations in effect for graduate studies. Part-time students may not take more than one activity in a given term. With the approval of the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies in Law, a candidate may be allowed to take a limited number of graduate courses in other faculties.

Language of Instruction

Courses are offered in English or in French, and occasionally in both languages. Students may complete the course requirements of their program in either English or French or a combination of both, subject to the availability of the courses required for the program in question.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 units), or the research proposal, or the thesis proposal, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory, must withdraw from the program.

Research at the University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa is one of Canada's top 10 research universities, with a strong focus on excellence, relevance, and impact. Research is conducted in a spirit of equity, diversity, and inclusion, with four strategic areas: creating a sustainable environment, advancing just societies, shaping the digital world, and enabling lifelong health and wellness.

Research at the Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law has a strong research focus, with the Civil Law Section and Common Law Section both actively engaged in research activities. The Faculty is home to several research centers and institutes, including the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and the Centre for Trade Policy and Law.

Courses

A wide range of courses are available to students in the LLM program, including:

• DCL 5106: Indigenous Legal Theory: Worldview, Language and Legal Concepts
• DCL 5107: Critical Approaches to Health Law, Policy and Ethics
• DCL 5111: Applied Learning: Seminar of Legal Presentations
• DCL 5112: Clinical Activity - International Trade and Foreign Investment Law I
• DCL 5120: Advanced Human Rights
• DCL 5121: Studies in Human Rights I
• DCL 5122: Studies in Human Rights II
• DCL 5131: Children's Rights: An Interdisciplinary Approach
• DCL 5135: Contemporary Issues in Law
• DCL 5143: Indigenous Law Clinic
• DCL 5200: Special Topics in Legislative Studies
• DCL 5201: Special Topics in Humanitarian and Security Law
• DCL 5202: Special Topics in Trade and Foreign Investment
• DCL 5203: Special Topics in Law and Social Justice
• DCL 5204: Special Topics in Law and Technology
• DCL 5205: Special Topics in Health Law, Policy and Ethics
• DCL 5206: Special Topics in Global Sustainability and Environmental Law
• DCL 5301: Legal Research Methodology
• DCL 5302: Philosophy of Law
• DCL 5303: Studies in Legal Theory I
• DCL 5308: Comparative Law
• DCL 5309: Legal Theory Seminar
• DCL 5310: Normative Theory and Policy Implementation
• DCL 5321: Introduction to Legal Drafting and the Profession of Notary
• DCL 5322: Legislative Research and Drafting Methodology
• DCL 5323: Selected Topics in Legislative Drafting
• DCL 5324: Legislative and Regulatory Processes and Legal Constraint
• DCL 5326: Studies in Indigenous Legal Issues
• DCL 5327: Comparative Indigenous Rights/Legal Regimes
• DCL 5340: Sustainability and Law
• DCL 5341: Comparative Environmental Law
• DCL 5343: Environmental Law Internship
• DCL 5344: Selected Topics in Public Policy
• DCL 5345: Law and Public Policy
• DCL 5501: Méthodologie de la recherche juridique
• DCL 5502: Philosophie du droit
• DCL 5503: Théories contemporaines du droit
• DCL 5507: Réflexions critiques ŕ propos du droit, des politiques et de l'éthique de la santé
• DCL 5508: Droit comparé
• DCL 5509: Problčmes théoriques choisis de droit public
• DCL 5510: Problčmes théoriques choisis de droit privé
• DCL 5511: Apprentissage appliqué: Séminaire d'exposé juridique
• DCL 5512: Activité clinique en droit du commerce et des investissements internationaux I
• DCL 5513: Activité clinique en droit du commerce et des investissements internationaux II
• DCL 5521: Initiation ŕ la rédaction d'actes et ŕ la profession notariale
• DCL 5522: Stage de droit notarial
• DCL 5523: Publicité des droits et propriété
• DCL 5524: Relations familiales
• DCL 5525: Négociation et transferts de propriété
• DCL 5526: Engagements financiers
• DCL 5527: Décčs et transmission des biens
• DCL 5528: Examen des titres immobiliers
• DCL 5529: Droit des sociétés et baux commerciaux
• DCL 5530: Droit des entreprises réglementées
• DCL 5531: Les droits de l'enfant - une approche interdisciplinaire
• DCL 5532: Droit notarial approfondi I
• DCL 5533: Droit notarial approfondi II
• DCL 5535: Enjeux contemporains en droit
• DCL 5600: Thčmes choisis en études législatives
• DCL 5601: Thčmes choisis en droit humanitaire et droit de la sécurité internationale
• DCL 5602: Thčmes choisis en droit du commerce international et investissements étrangers
• DCL 5603: Thčmes choisis en droit et justice sociale
• DCL 5605: Thčmes choisis en droit, politiques et éthiques de la santé
• DCL 5606: Thčmes choisis en droit de l'environnement et du développement durable
• DCL 5610: Interprétation des lois
• DCL 5710: Théorie normative et la mise en oeuvre des orientations
• DCL 5722: Méthodologie de la recherche et de la rédaction juridiques
• DCL 5724: Filčre législative et contraintes juridiques
• DCL 5726: Thčmes choisis de droit autochtone
• DCL 5730: Aspects internationaux des droits de la personne
• DCL 5731: Problčmes choisis de droit de la personne I
• DCL 5732: Problčmes choisis de droit de la personne II
• DCL 5736: Séminaire de recherche juridique
• DCL 5740: La durabilité et le droit
• DCL 5741: Droit de l'environnement comparé
• DCL 5743: Stage en droit de l'environnement
• DCL 5744: Thčmes choisis en politiques publiques
• DCL 5745: Droit et politiques publiques
• DCL 5821: Stage en milieu professionnel
• DCL 6121: Studies in International Law I
• DCL 6122: Studies in International Law II
• DCL 6123: International Human Rights
• DCL 6125: International Trade Regulation
• DCL 6126: International Humanitarian Law: Contemporary Challenges
• DCL 6127: Law and Developing Countries
• DCL 6130: National Security Law
• DCL 6150: International Humanitarian and Security Law Internship
• DCL 6300: International Investment Law
• DCL 6319: Advanced International Economic Law
• DCL 6339: Special Topics in Law
• DCL 6342: Contracts II
• DCL 6350: International Economic Law Case Studies
• DCL 6364: Selected Topics in Civil Law
• DCL 6550: Stage en droit humanitaire et en droit de la sécurité internationale
• DCL 6700: Droit international des investissements étrangers
• DCL 6712: Droit, médecine et biologie
• DCL 6719: Droit international économique avancé
• DCL 6728: Droit international privé
• DCL 6731: Problčmes choisis de droit international I
• DCL 6732: Problčmes choisis de droit international II
• DCL 6734: Organisation internationale du commerce
• DCL 6736: Droit international humanitaire
• DCL 6739: Thčmes choisis en droit
• DCL 6939: Thčmes choisis en droit / Special Topic in Law
• DCL 7022: Stage de cléricature / Judicial Clerkship
• DCL 7033: Recherche dirigée / Directed Research
• DCL 7066: Mémoire de recherche / Research Paper
• DCL 7300: Technoprudence: Legal Theory in the Information Age
• DCL 7301: Regulation of Internet Commerce
• DCL 7302: Regulation of Internet Communications
• DCL 7304: Technology Law Internship
• DCL 7307: Digital Music Law
• DCL 7310: Technopolicy: Interplay Between Technologies and Existing Legal Rules
• DCL 7311: Studies in Intellectual and Industrial Property
• DCL 7312: Competition Law
• DCL 7313: Statutory Interpretation
• DCL 7315: Patent Law
• DCL 7317: Communications Law
• DCL 7318: Law for Technology
• DCL 7319: Technology for Law
• DCL 7366: Technology Law Project
• DCL 7401: Drafting Seminar I
• DCL 7500: Techno-Théorie: Théorie du droit ŕ l'čre de l'information
• DCL 7502: Réglementation des cybercommunications
• DCL 7504: Stage en droit de la haute technologie
• DCL 7506: Droit de la communication dans le cyberespace
• DCL 7508: Problčmes choisis de propriété intellectuelle et industrielle
• DCL 7509: Études approfondies du droit de la concurrence
• DCL 7510: Technorégulation: Interaction entre les technologies et l'état actuel du droit
• DCL 7511: Études en propriété intellectuelle et industrielle
• DCL 7566: Projet en droit de la technologie
• DCL 7706: Perspectives juridiques sur le cyberféminisme
• DCL 7707: Le droit de la musique digitale
• DCL 7712: Problčmes choisis de droit et technologie
• DCL 7718: Droit des technologies
• DCL 7719: Technologies pour le droit
• DCL 8330: Legal Research Methodology and Theory
• DCL 8500: Droit comparé des successions
• DCL 8730: Méthodologie et théorie du droit
• DCL 9997: Projet de thčse / Thesis project
• DCL 9998: Examen de synthčse / Comprehensive Exam