Dean's Welcome
Welcome to Western Law
In an era of unprecedented change, the world needs skilled, ethical and visionary lawyers more than ever. Society depends on the legal profession to navigate complexities, uphold justice, and drive transformative change. At Western Law, we’re dedicated to preparing our students to meet these challenges head-on, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and experience to make a meaningful impact.
Our JD program is known for its rigorous curriculum, its wide range of clinical and advocacy opportunities, and its unparalleled student experience. Our signature small group program provides first-year students the opportunity to engage with their professors and classmates in a comfortable setting; to receive regular, individualized feedback on their legal research, writing, and advocacy; and to build a lifelong support network.
Western Law is the only Canadian law school to offer interested first-year students the option of taking corporate law. This allows students to begin taking advanced business law courses at an earlier stage and to build a depth of expertise in fields like competition law, corporate securities, corporate social responsibility, insolvency and restructuring, and mining finance.
However, our strengths extend far beyond business law. We boast expertise, academic programming and experiential opportunities in international law, constitutional law, human rights, criminal law, litigation and advocacy, and intellectual property among many other areas. Regardless of their chosen path, we help students find success through our robust student and career services, wellness programs and personal mentorship.
Our faculty engage in research that has an impact not just on other scholars, but also on domestic and international policy, business, health, government, and civil litigation. We have strong interdisciplinary ties to other departments at Western, including philosophy, health studies, history, earth sciences, information and media studies, and political science.
Our innovative and dynamic graduate program welcomes students with both legal and non-legal backgrounds. In fact, our Master of Studies in Law is specifically designed to educate non-law students in the legal frameworks that underlie other business and social endeavours.
The students, faculty and staff of Western Law come from a diverse range of personal, cultural and academic backgrounds, and together form an inclusive, close-knit community. Part of this community is our collective commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment, ensuring that every student feels valued and empowered to get the most out of their education. I hope that you will join us and find out for yourself what makes Western Law unique.
Andrew Botterell
Acting Dean of Law
