The Faculty of Law (Common Law Section) has introduced a Public Law Option for students enrolled in the JD program. Our Faculty is home to nationally and internationally recognized public law scholars. We offer a rich array of courses in public law and many of our graduates go on to work as public law lawyers.
The concentration allows students to deepen their knowledge of Indigenous law, a central part of Canadian public law; to gain practical experience in public law through an internship or similar program; and to expand their knowledge of public law into more specialized areas.
Requirements
The Option requirements are as follows:
- Students must complete a minimum of 18 units in public law, including:
- a course in Aboriginal law (3 units);
- an applied course in public law (3 units); and
- an additional twelve units in public law drawn from an approved list of courses available on the Option website.
- Students must complete 18 units in addition to the 12 mandatory units in public law in which all JD students are required to enroll: CML 1104 Public Law and Legislation; CML 1213 Constitutional Law I; CML 2312 Administrative Law; and CML 2313 Constitutional Law II.
- Students must complete their major paper in either an approved public law course (see the list on the Option’s web site) or in a directed research course on public law.
- Students must receive a minimum overall average of 6.0 in their Option courses. This average is calculated by using the results of the courses described in 1(a) and (b) and in the best optional courses.
- Students who complete the Option in French must complete the courses described in 1(a) and (b) in French.
Registering
Registering for the Public Law Option once you have completed the requirements
JD students who wish to receive formal recognition of an Option in Public Law must complete 18 credits in the field of public law. (See requirements).
Once the required units have been achieved, students should obtain the registration form.
Students must complete the form to identify which qualifying courses they have completed and to identify their Major Paper.
The form must then be signed by the Public Law Option Coordinator, and returned to Common Law Student Centre for processing.
Courses
A. A course in Aboriginal Law
- CML 1105 Aboriginal Legal Mechanisms
- CML 2301 Aboriginal Peoples and the Law
- CML 2701 Les autochtones et le droit
- CML 3162 Studies in Aboriginal Law
- CML 3374 Law and Society: Indigenous Women: Advocacy and Law
- CML 3901 Problèmes choisis de droit autochtone / Selected problems in Aboriginal Peoples and the Law (Bilingue)
- CML 4114 Artic Legal Perspectives
- CML 4163 Comparative Indigenous Rights
B. An applied course, internship or practicum selected from the list below or approved by the Option Coordinator as qualifying for the applied course in Public Law
- CML 2178 Conviction Review Project I and II
- CML 2314 Constitutional Litigation
- CML 3119 Studies in Oral Advocacy: Administrative Law Litigation
- CML 3152 Supreme Court Seminar
- CML 3153 Federal Tribunals Practice
- CML 3155 Legal Drafting
- CML 3175 Crown Attorney Assignment
- CML 3176 Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada Internship
- CML 3177 Department of Justice Internship
- CML 3178 Conviction Review Project II
- CML 3174 Dean’s Research and Writing Fellows
- CML 3180 Environmental Law Clinic
- CML 3351 Legal Research & Writing: Clerk to the Regional Senior Justice
- CML 3553 Règles de pratique des tribunaux fédéraux
- CML 3575 Stage avec un procureur ou une procureure de la Couronne
- CML 3576 Stage en droit – Affaires étrangères, commerce et développement Canada
- CML 3577 Stage en droit – Ministère de la Justice
- CML 4101 Studies in Constitutional Law: Directed Research in Constitutional and Public Law
C. Optional courses: Twelve (12) units from the courses listed above in (A) or (B), or from the courses listed below. Additional courses may be added to this list or approved by the Option Coordinator
- CML 2301 Aboriginal Peoples and the Law
- CML 2315 Advanced Constitutional Law and Equality Rights
- CML 2316 Advanced Constitutional Law and Legal Rights
- CML 2317 Advanced Problems in Canadian Federalism
- CML 3113 American Constitutional Law
- CML 3126 Communications Law
- CML 3130 International Criminal Law
- CML 3131 Public International Law
- CML 3144 Defending Battered Women on Trial
- CML 3146 Sexual Assault Law
- CML 3147 Wrongful Convictions
- CML 3149 Canadian Military Law
- CML 3150 Race, Racism and the Law
- CML 3151 Access to Health Care
- CML 3152 Supreme Court Seminar
- CML 3153 Federal Tribunals Practice
- CML 3155 Legal Drafting
- CML 3160 Advanced Criminal Procedure
- CML 3162 Studies in Aboriginal Law
- CML 3163 The Law of the Sea
- CML 3180 Environmental Law Clinic
- CML 3181 Sexuality, Gender and the Law
- CML 3182 Water Law
- CML 3203 Municipal and Planning Law
- CML 3213 Statutory Interpretation
- CML 3214 Legislative and Regulatory Process
- CML 3228 Comparative Constitutional Law
- CML 3233 Labour Law I
- CML 3234 Labour Law II
- CML 3244 Delegated Legislation and other Regulatory Instruments
- CML 3253 Competition Law
- CML 3304 Taxation
- CML 3305 Privacy Law
- CML 3352 International Criminal Law
- CML 3356 National Security Law
- CML 3357 Community Planning
- CML 3360 Securities Regulation
- CML 3364 Advanced Problems in Administrative Law
- CML 3365 Civil Liberties
- CML 3369 Environmental Law
- CML 3373 Labour Law III
- CML 3383 Advanced Taxation
- CML 3390 Law and Policy
- CML 3395 Regulation of Internet Communication
- CML 3397 Immigration and Refugee Law
- CML 3398 Human Rights Laws in Canada
- CML 3399 Human Rights (International Protection)
- CML 4101 Studies in Constitutional Law
- CML 4102 Current Trends in the Practice of Federal Law
- CML 4103 Studies in Administrative Law
- CML 4104 Studies in Public Law
- CML 4111 Studies in Criminal Law
- CML 4116 Advanced Refugee Law
- CML 4130 Natural Resources Law
- CML 4162 Advanced Aboriginal Law
- CML 4163 Comparative Indigenous Rights
- CML 4900 Current Canadian Constitutional Issues
D. Courses offered in the French Common Law Program
- CML 2714 Théorie du droit constitutionnel
- CML 2715 Droit constitutionnel approfondi: Les droits à l’égalité
- CML 2716 Droit constitutionnel approfondi: Les garanties juridiques
- CML 2717 Problèmes du fédéralisme canadien
- CML 3503 Droit municipal
- CML 3526 Droit des communications
- CML 3531 Droit international public
- CML 3533 Droit du travail I
- CML 3534 Droit du travail II : Arbitrage de griefs
- CML 3560 Procédure pénale approfondie
- CML 3564 Droit administratif approfondi
- CML 3765 Libertés publiques
- CML 3769 Droit de l’environnement
- CML 3773 Droit du travail III
- CML 3797 Droit de l’immigration et des réfugiés
- CML 4501 Études en droit constitutionnel
- CML 4502 Études en administration de la justice
- CML 4503 Études en droit administratif
- CML 4504 Études en droit public
- CML 4505 Études en matière de réglementation
- CML 4519 Les droit linguistiques au Canada
- CML 4520 Droit pénal international
- CML 4530 Droit des ressources naturelles
- CML 4700 Problèmes constitutionnels canadiens
E. The Major Paper requirement must be completed in either a required or an optional course listed above or in Directed Research courses, as approved by the Option Coordinator
- CML 3251 Legal Research and Writing (Selected Problems) (4 units) or
- CML 3351 Legal Research and Writing (Selected Problems) (3 units)
- The major paper must be at least 50 per cent of final mark.
