University of Windsor Faculty of Law

Last updated
Faculty of Law
Ron W Ianni.jpg
Ron W. Ianni Faculty of Law Building, University of Windsor
Motto
Bonitatem, disciplinam, scientiam
Motto in English
Goodness, discipline, knowledge
Type Faculty (law school)
Established1967 (1967)
Affiliation University of Windsor
Dean Reem Bahdi
Academic staff
109 [1]
Students712 [2]
Location
Windsor
,
Ontario
,
Canada

42°18′24″N83°3′57″W / 42.30667°N 83.06583°W / 42.30667; -83.06583
Website www.uwindsor.ca/law/

The Faculty of Law (Windsor Law) is a faculty of the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The first class of students matriculated in 1968, and the current building was opened in 1970. [3] The Faculty has grown immensely over the past 50 years, increasing its national profile through its innovations in research and from thousands of alumni across Canada and the world. [4] The 2017 endowment to the Faculty of Law was $10.2 million. [5] The Faculty is also the current academic host institution of the Canadian Bar Review (CBR), the most frequently cited journal by the Supreme Court of Canada. [6]

Contents

Windsor Law publishes two journals: the faculty edited Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice and the student run law journal Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues. Students can take advantage of faculty expertise in Aboriginal Law, Commercial/Corporate Law, Evidence Law, Fiduciary Law, Freedom of Religion & Expression, Human Rights Law, Insurance Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Law, Labour Law, Poverty Law, Remedies, and Tax Law.

Admissions

Admissions to the Faculty of Law have become increasingly more competitive in recent years as the profile of the school has expanded and as more students seek application to Canadian law schools. Each year around 2000 applications for the J.D. program at Windsor Law are received for the 165 places in the first-year class, an acceptance rate of 8%. For the Canadian & American Dual J.D. program, 700 applications are received for 85 places in the Dual J.D. first-year class. [7]

The Faculty of Law takes a holistic approach in admitting students that considers seven unique factors: [8]

Program

The flagship J.D. program offered at the Faculty of Law comprises mandatory first year courses as mandated by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Second and third year students can choose from a variety of courses in order to specialize in areas of particular interest to them.

The compulsory first year curriculum includes: [9]

The Faculty also offers a dual J.D. degree program with the University of Detroit Mercy which grants both a Canadian and American JD. [10] The program is completed in three years, including summers, with students taking courses at both the University of Windsor and the University of Detroit Mercy to fulfil the requirements for both degrees.

Windsor Law offers a joint J.D./M.B.A. program with the Odette School of Business. [11]

In 2010, the faculty began offering a joint Master of Social Work/Juris Doctor (M.S.W./J.D.) program. [12] Students can take either three or four years to complete the dual degree. A Master of Social Work is normally a two-year professional program without a Bachelor of Social Work; it is a one-year program if entrants already hold a B.S.W. degree.

In 2016, the first class of students were admitted to the L.L.M of Windsor Law. [13]

Facilities

In 2018, the University of Windsor announced that the Faculty of Law building would undergo a $35 million renovation. [14] The new construction began at the end of 2020 with an initial timeline of 2 years. However, due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.

The finished building will have the capacity to accommodate 720 students. [15]

Journals

The Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues (WRLSI) is one of the few multi-disciplinary legal academic student-run journals in Canada. First published in 1989, the WRLSI was initially an annual publication. However, due to the increase in submissions received and recognition of its journal, the WRLSI now publishes two volumes each year containing essays from academics, the judiciary, practitioners, law students, and university students both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The legal journal has also been made available through electronic databases such as Lexis Advance Quicklaw, Westlaw, and Hein Online. [16]

While the journal publishes primarily academics and practitioners, the Annual Canadian Law Student Conference is an annual event which showcases the research and scholarship of LL.B., J.D., LL.M., and Ph.D. students across Canada, and provides a forum for discussion and feedback from practitioners and peers. The Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues invites all law students to submit original, scholarly work on any legal topic with a Canadian nexus to be considered for presentation at the 5th Annual Canadian Law Student Conference. Papers should not exceed 20,000 words including footnotes. Footnotes should conform to the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (McGill Guide, 7th edition). Two papers will be chosen as the “Best Student Papers” which are eligible for an award of $250 each. These awards are generously sponsored by Torys LLP. [17]

Created in 1979, the Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice was the earliest Canadian journal devoted to the trans-cultural and international study of individuals and groups excluded from the protections of the domestic or international legal orders. The Yearbook is independently refereed, publishes French and English essays and book reviews, is faculty-run and is supported by an advisory board. The Yearbook encourages a wide diversity of essays from a broad range of disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, philosophy, psychology, history and comparative literature as well as law. [18]

The Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor publishes the Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice semi-annually with the assistance of grants from the Ontario Law Foundation and support from the Faculty of Law of the University of Windsor. From time to time, additional support has included grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The Yearbook is indexed and abstracted in the following: CSA Sociological Abstracts, Canadian Association of Learned Journals, Current Law Index, Current Law Journal Content, Index to Canadian Legal Literature, Index to Legal Periodicals and Books, IndexMaster, CPI-Q, Hein Online, LegalTrac, Lexis Advanced Quicklaw, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, Westlaw & Wilson Web. The Yearbook has continuously been ranked as one of the top subject-specific law reviews in Canada. [19]

Clinics

The Faculty, in conjunction with Legal Aid Ontario, runs a community legal clinic in downtown Windsor called Legal Assistance of Windsor. The clinic is staffed by lawyers, social workers, law students, and social work students, and aims to meet the legal needs of persons traditionally denied access to justice. This clinic provides services in the areas of landlord-tenant, social benefits, and immigration and refugee law. It also assists clients in applications for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board of Ontario.

The University of Windsor runs a second legal clinic, Community Legal Aid, on the campus of the university. This clinic is a Student Legal Aid Services Society (SLASS) clinic, which is staffed primarily by volunteer law students and overseen by supervising lawyers, called review counsel. This clinic operates primarily in the areas of criminal law, landlord tenant law, and small claims matters. The clinic offers free legal services to those who qualify financially and all full-time undergraduate students of the university. [20]

In conjunction with the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, the Faculty has collaboratively created the International Intellectual Property Law Clinic (IP Clinic). The IP Clinic is the only intellectual property clinic that services clients in multiple jurisdictions while allowing students to participate in the practice of international IP law. The IP clinic has received certification from both the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). [21]

The focus of the IP Clinic is to provide intellectual property advice and services to small business and individuals working on entrepreneurial projects, including student entrepreneurs and innovators. Participating students gain experience from conducting patent and trademark searches, drafting and filing prosecution applications, and providing advice on international intellectual property matters.

Another partnership with a Michigan university, Wayne State University Law School, led to the creation of the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic. This practical clinic allows students to gain experience with international environmental legal issues surrounding air quality, environmental justice, Great Lakes water quality and quantity, invasive species and renewable energy. [22]

Advocacy programs

Students at the Faculty of Law participate in one moot during their first year of studies if they are enrolled in the JD Program, and two moots if enrolled in the JD/JD Program. Participation in these moots enables students to implement classroom learning through appellate-style advocacy. The four top advocates of the first year single JD moot compete in the Windsor Law Lerners Moot during their second year, which is held annually in January. [23] The Lerners Moot is judged by a panel of three judges from different divisions of Ontario courts. Upper year students interested in oral advocacy may participate in a range of national and international competitive moots and advocacy competitions. Some competitive moots and advocacy competitions may also be taken for academic credit. [24]

Several of the national moots and advocacy competitions that the Faculty of Law participates in are: [25]

Student services

Student health and well-being are top priorities for the Faculty of Law. Windsor Law has a full-time clinical therapist to assist students with any issues they may face during their time studying at the Faculty. This school has also significantly increased the availability of mental health and wellbeing services, and has taken great steps to ensure that institutional support will continue to be maintained for these services. Fitness bootcamps, board-games club, the Mental Health Awareness Committee and the Pro Bono Students Society are a number of student-led organizations that also contribute towards improving the accessibility of mental health and wellbeing services.

Financial support for students in need has been another priority of the Faculty of Law. Almost $3 million is awarded to students with financial need in bursaries every year. [28]

Deans

List of deans of the University of Windsor Faculty of Law
YEAR(S) ACTIVEDEAN
1967The Honourable Justice Mark R. MacGuigan. B.A. (St. Dunstan's), M.A., Ph.D. (Toronto), LL.M., S.J.D. (Columbia).

Founding Dean.

1968 – 1972The Honourable Justice Walter S. Tarnopolsky, B.A., LL.B. (Sask.), A.M. (Columbia), LL.M. (L.S.E., London); of the Bar of Saskatchewan and of Osgoode Hall.
1972 - 1975McLaren, Jon O.S. LL.B. (St. Andrews), LL.M. (University College, London) (Michigan).
1975 - 1983Ianni, Ronald W. B.A., B.Comm. (Windsor), LL.B. (Osgoode Hall), C.U.E.C.E. (Dip.), I.H.E.I. (Dip.) (Paris), Ph.D. (L.S.E., London); of Osgoode Hall, Barrister‐at‐Law; Member of the Ontario Bar.
Sept. 20 – Dec. 20 1981Kerr, Robert W. B.A. (New Brunswick), LL.B. (Dalhousie), LL.M. (Harvard), J.S.D. (California); Member of the New Brunswick Bar.

Interim Dean.

1983 - 1985Menezes, Julio. LL.B.; LL.M. (Yale). Acting Dean.
1985 - 1990Gold, Neil. B.A. (York), LL.B. (Toronto), LL.M. (York); of Osgoode Hall, Barrister‐at‐Law, also of the Bar of British Columbia.
1990 - 1995Berryman, Jeffrey B. LL.B. (Hons.), M.Jur. (Auckland, New Zealand), L.L.M. (Dalhousie); of Osgoode Hall, Barrister‐at‐Law. Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.
1995 - 1996Gold, Neil. B.A. (York), LL.B. (Toronto), LL.M. (York); of Osgoode Hall, Barrister‐at‐Law, also of the Bar of British Columbia.

Acting Dean.

1996 - 1999Judge Juanita Westmoreland‐Traoré. LL.B. (Montréal), Ph.D. (Paris II).
1999 - 2000Mazer, Brian M. B.A., LL.B. (Saskatchewan), LL.M. (Alberta), of Osgoode Hall, Barrister‐at‐Law.

Interim Dean.

2000 - 2011Bruce P. Elman. LL.B. (Dalhousie), LL.M. (Harvard). Chair, Law Commission of Canada.
2007Mazer, Brian M. B.A., LL.B. (Saskatchewan), LL.M. (Alberta), of Osgoode Hall, Barrister‐at‐Law.

Acting Dean

July 1 – Dec. 31 2011Tawfik, Myra J. B.A Hons. (McGill), LL.B (McGill), B.C.L (McGill), LL.M (Queen Mary College, London-Intellectual Property Law), of Osgoode Hall, Barrister-at-law, also of the Bar of Quebec (1986-2000)

Acting Dean.

2012 – 2015Cameron, Camille. B.A. (Nova Scotia), LL.B. (New Brunswick), LL.M (Cambridge)
2015 – 2021Waters, Christopher. B.A. (Toronto), LL.B. (Queens), LL.M (McGill), D.C.L (McGill).

Acting Dean.

2021–PresentBahdi, Reem. B.A. (Western), M.A. (Western), LL.B (Toronto), LL.M (Toronto).

Acting Dean.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanford Law School</span> Law school of Stanford University, California, U.S

Stanford Law School (SLS) is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law had an acceptance rate of 6.28% in 2021, the second-lowest of any law school in the country. Since October 2023, Robert Weisberg has served as its dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown University Law Center</span> Private law school in Washington, D.C., US

The Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and the most applied to, receiving more full-time applications than any other law school in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Michigan Law School</span> Public law school in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL), Juris Doctor (JD), and Doctor of the Science of Law (SJD) degree programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law</span> Law school of Yeshiva University in New York

The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law is the law school of Yeshiva University. Located in New York City and founded in 1976, the school is named for Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo. Cardozo graduated its first class in 1979. An LL.M. program was established in 1998. Cardozo is nondenominational and has a secular curriculum, in contrast to some of YU's undergraduate programs. Around 320 students begin the J.D. program per year, of whom about 57% are women. In addition, there are about 60–70 LL.M. students each year.

The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law is the law school of the Catholic University of America, a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American University Washington College of Law</span> Private law school in Washington, D.C., US

The American University Washington College of Law 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 northwest Washington, D.C. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the AALS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Miami School of Law</span> Law school in Coral Gables, Florida, US

The University of Miami School of Law is the law school of the University of Miami, a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law is the law school of the University of Pittsburgh, a public research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1895 and became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900. Its primary home facility is the Barco Law Building. The school offers four degrees: Master of Studies in Law, Juris Doctor, Master of Laws for international students, and the Doctor of Juridical Science. The school offers several international legal programs, operates a variety of clinics, and publishes several law journals.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of the Illinois Institute of Technology, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Illinois Chicago School of Law</span> Public law school in Chicago

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law is the law school of the University of Illinois Chicago, a public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1899, it became affiliated with the university in 2019. The school offers programs for both part-time and full-time students, with both day and night classes available, and offers January enrollment.

The Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL) is the law school of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded as an evening program to meet the needs of its local community, NUSL is nationally recognized for its cooperative legal education and public interest law programs.

DePaul University College of Law is the professional graduate law school of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 125 full- and part-time faculty members and enrolls more than 500 students in its Juris Doctor program. The school is recognized for its health law and intellectual property law programs, its experiential learning opportunities, and for its multiple joint degree programs offered in conjunction with other DePaul University colleges and schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law</span> Law school of IIT Kharagpur in Kharagpur, West Bengal

Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur is a law school located in Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. An academic unit of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, it is the first law school to be established in an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). It was set up in collaboration with the George Washington University Law School, Washington DC and is the only law school within the IIT system. It is also the first law school in India imparting full-time Intellectual Property education along with other regular courses prescribed by the Bar Council of India. School maintain a Legal Aid and IP Facilitation Cell to provide legal services to the needy peoples, faculty and students of the school associated with the cell provide legal aid as an enabling and outreach activity.

The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law, branded as Western Law since 2011, is the law school of Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1959, its first Dean was former Supreme Court of Canada justice, the Honourable Ivan Cleveland Rand, who saw the school as developing "in the minds of its students the habit of thinking in terms of the dynamic tradition, in the broadest sense, of our law." The current Dean of Law is Erika Chamberlain, former clerk to Supreme Court Justice John C. Major, who began her tenure in May 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne State University Law School</span> Public law school in Detroit, Michigan, US

Wayne State University Law School is the law school of Wayne State University in Detroit. Wayne Law is located in Midtown, Detroit's Cultural Center. Founded in 1927, the law school offers juris doctor (J.D.), master of laws (LL.M.), online master of studies in law, and minors in law degree programs. Wayne Law's more than 12,000 alumni include judges, justices, law firm partners and government officials working in every major market in the United States and at least 17 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulane University Law School</span> Law school in New Orleans, Louisiana, US

Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of New Mexico School of Law</span> Law school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US

The University of New Mexico School of Law is the law school of the University of New Mexico, a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1947, it is the only law school in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Forest University School of Law</span> Private law school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US

The Wake Forest University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Wake Forest University. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Wake Forest University School of Law is a private American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The school was established in 1894. The current dean is Andrew R. Klein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana University Maurer School of Law</span> Law school in Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law is located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The school is named after Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer, an Indianapolis businessman and 1967 alumnus who donated $35 million in 2008. From its founding in 1842 until Maurer's donation, the school was known as the Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Law</span> Law school in University Park, Pennsylvania, US

Penn State Law, located in University Park, Pennsylvania, is one of two separately accredited law schools of the Pennsylvania State University. Penn State Law offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees. The school also offers a joint J.D./M.B.A. with the Smeal College of Business, a joint J.D./M.I.A. degree with the School of International Affairs, which is also located in the Lewis Katz Building, as well as joint degrees with other graduate programs at Penn State.

References

  1. ↑ "University of Windsor Faculty of Law". LSAC. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  2. ↑ "University of Windsor Faculty of Law". LSAC. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  3. ↑ "Our History". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  4. ↑ "Windsor Law 50th Anniversary". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  5. ↑ "Fall 2017 Access Report" (PDF). University of Windsor Faculty of Law.
  6. ↑ "Windsor Law Hosts Canadian Bar Review". Faculty of Law.
  7. ↑ "Admissions FAQ | Faculty of Law".
  8. ↑ "University of Windsor Faculty of Law Admissions Criteria". UWindsor.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  9. ↑ "Juris Doctor (JD) Program". Faculty of Law.
  10. ↑ "Dual JD Program". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  11. ↑ "Master of Business Administration/Juris Doctor". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  12. ↑ "Master of Social Work/Juris Doctor". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  13. ↑ "LLM Program". Faculty of Law. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  14. ↑ "Transforming Windsor Law | Faculty of Law". www.uwindsor.ca. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  15. ↑ Israelson, David (2021-02-09). "Transforming a 70s law school to reflect changing student and social demographics". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  16. ↑ "Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues".
  17. ↑ "Canadian Law Student Conference".
  18. ↑ "Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice".
  19. ↑ "2006 ExpressO Law Review Submissions Guide". law.bepress.com. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  20. ↑ "Community Legal Aid - Overview of What We Do". UWindsor.ca. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  21. ↑ "International IP Clinic". Faculty of Law.
  22. ↑ University, Wayne State (16 November 2021). "Transnational Environmental Law Clinic - Wayne Law - Wayne State University". law.wayne.edu.
  23. ↑ "Windsor Law Moots". uwindsor.ca. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  24. ↑ "Course Description" (PDF). uwindsor.ca. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  25. ↑ "Windsor Law Moots". uwindsor.ca. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  26. ↑ "Bowman Tax Moot Winners". bowmantaxmoot.com. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  27. ↑ "Gale Cup Winners". galecupmoot.com. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  28. ↑ "2017-2018 Prospectus Windsor Law" (PDF).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.