Program Overview

Introduction to the Criminal Justice Program

The Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University offers a comprehensive Criminal Justice Program, steeped in the Weldon Tradition of unselfish public service. This program focuses on the social justice orientation of criminal law, addressing the legacy of slavery, segregation, and colonialism in Nova Scotia.

Program Overview

The Criminal Justice Program is designed to provide students with a broad, practical, and well-rounded educational experience. The program includes both large and small group classes, combining lectures, discussions, and active learning techniques. Students also have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning, including trial and appellate advocacy skills, in-depth approaches to advanced concepts, and substantial opportunities for clinical learning.

Specialization Requirements

To graduate with a Specialization in Criminal Justice, students must:

• Complete the mandatory core criminal law courses LAWS 2008 Evidence and LAWS 2091 Criminal Procedure (8 credit hours total)
• Complete 8 credit hours of electives chosen from the lists below, with at least 1 course from each basket

Basket 1: Advanced Criminal Law Issues Electives

• LAWS 2009 Comparative Criminal Law
• LAWS 2018 Children, Youth and the Law
• LAWS 2045 Criminal Law Problems
• LAWS 2197 International Criminal Law
• LAWS 2235/2236 Mental Disability Law: Criminal
• LAWS 2276 Imprisonment and Prison Policy
• LAWS 2307 The Law of Sexual Offences
• LAWS 2370 Sentencing: Principles, Law, and Policy

Basket 2: Social Justice Electives

• LAWS 2074 International Human Rights
• LAWS 2188 Restorative Justice: Theory and Practice
• LAWS 2251 African Nova Scotians and the Law
• LAWS 2278 Public Policy in Practice
• LAWS 2280 Aboriginal Peoples and the Law
• LAWS 2290 Special Issues in Aboriginal Law
• LAWS 2198 Critical Perspectives on Law
• LAWS 2191 Animals and the Law
• LAWS 2076 Poverty Law and Human Rights
• LAWS 2310 Child Protection Law
• LAWS 2194 Critical Race & Legal Theory I: A Survey of 'Race' & Law in Canada
• LAWS 2305/2306 Global Corruption

Basket 3: Experiential Learning

• LAWS 2046 Criminal Trial Practice
• LAWS 2092 Criminal Clinic
• LAWS 2107 Gale Cup Moot
• LAWS 2160 Supreme Court of NS Placement
• LAWS 2135 Court of Appeals Placement
• LAWS 2171 Sopinka Moot/McKelvey Cup
• LAWS 2238 Public Law Placement
• LAWS 2295 Criminal Appeal Practice
• LAWS 2338 Clinical Advocacy Law and Policy: Responding to Sexual Violence
• LAWS 2003 Dalhousie Legal Aid Clinic (this course is 13 credits, but only 6 count toward the certificate)

Experiential Learning Opportunities

The Schulich School of Law provides various experiential learning opportunities, including:

• Third-year students can spend a term working at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service (DLAS)
• Internships, both in Canada and abroad, can provide the chance to work with organizations dedicated to criminal justice
• Pro Bono Dalhousie provides an opportunity for 180 student volunteers to work with more than 50 community organizations
• Participation in both the Sopinka and Gale Cup moots, which focus on criminal matters
• In the Criminal Clinic course, students shadow a defence lawyer, Crown attorney, or judge for a term

Faculty

The Schulich School of Law's criminal justice faculty members are world-renowned experts in their field. Some of the faculty members include:

• Steve Coughlan, Professor of Law
• Elaine Craig, Professor of Law, Dorothy Killam Foundation Research Fellow, Distinguished University Research Professor
• Robert J. Currie, Professor of Law; Viscount Bennett Professor of Law
• Maria Dugas, Associate Professor of Law
• Adelina Iftene, Associate Professor of Law; Criminal Justice Certificate Coordinator
• H. Archibald Kaiser, Professor of Law; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine (cross-appointment)
• Jennifer Llewellyn, Professor of Law; Chair in Restorative Justice; Director, Restorative Research, Innovation and Education Lab
• Megan Longley, Assistant Professor of Law; Executive Director, Dalhousie Legal Aid Service
• Jonathan Shapiro, University Teaching Fellow
• Michelle Williams, Associate Professor of Law; Co-Chair, Dalhousie University African Nova Scotian Strategy

Career Paths

The opportunities to work in this interesting and complex area of the law are broad and diverse. Whether the goal is to work as a criminal lawyer, for a non-governmental organization, as an academic, or as a legal policy analyst, the education at Schulich Law will prepare students for the career path of their choice.

Criminal Justice Prizes

The Schulich School of Law offers several prizes to students, including:

• The Sarah Welch Paper Prize in Criminal Law
• The (Jack) Sandy Tse Memorial Prize in Criminal Law

Faculty Research

The faculty members at the Schulich School of Law are actively involved in research, with recent publications and projects including:

• Steve Coughlan: Detention and Arrest, 3d ed, Irwin Law
• Rob Currie: Attended meeting of drafting team for the founding statute of the International Anti-Corruption Court
• Adelina Iftene: Sentencing and Penal Policy in Canada: Cases, Materials and Commentary
• Steve Coughlan, Rob Currie & Adelina Iftene: Annual Review of Criminal Law 2022, Thomson Reuters, 2023