First Year Curriculum

 

In first year, students take eight required courses: Constitutional Law; Contracts; Criminal Law; The Foundations of Canadian Law; Legal Ethics and Professionalism; Legal Research, Writing and Advocacy; Property and Torts. These are full-year courses except for The Foundations of Canadian Law (Fall Term only), Legal Ethics and Professionalism (Spring Term only); and Legal Research, Writing and Advocacy (Fall and January Terms only).

5110 - Constitutional Law:
A survey of constitutional law fundamentals including the rule of law; the Crown and the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government; and judicial review. The nature of Canadian federalism will be explored, along with Aboriginal rights and the rights of individuals under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Five credits, full year.

5115 - Contracts:
An introduction to the law concerning binding obligations voluntarily entered into, commonly called contracts. The following concepts are covered: how contracts are created; the problems in the contractual relationship; and remedies for breach of contract. Five credits, full year.

5120 - Criminal Law:
An introduction to criminal law including an overview of the criminal process, the principles of criminal liability, the elements of specific crimes, and statutory and common law defences. Five credits, full year.

5125 - The Foundations of Canadian Law:
An introduction to our rich legal tradition that provides the background for the study of law. Topics covered may include legal history; the common law tradition; modern elements of the legal system; responsible government and the rule of law; federalism; the position of the Aboriginal Peoples within the legal system; and the impact of race, gender, and economics on the law. Two credits, fall term.

5130 - Legal Ethics and Professionalism:
An introduction to legal ethics, the legal profession and core elements of professionalism. Two credits, Spring Term.

5135 - Legal Research, Writing and Advocacy:
Through a combination of lectures, small group instruction and assignments, students will learn to plan and conduct library and computer-assisted legal research, to analyze cases and statutes, to write legal memoranda using proper citation, and the fundamentals of written and oral advocacy. Three credits, Fall and January terms.

5140 - Property:
This course consists of two parts: the law of personal property, and the possession and ownership of land. After exploring selected aspects of the law of personal property, the following topics are covered: the origin of interests in land; the concepts of estates and future interests; fees, tenancies and rights in the land of another; and land ownership and family obligations. Five credits, full year.

5145 - Torts:
The law of torts is concerned with the compensation of a wide range of civil wrongs. The focus of this course is on the legal rules governing the tort of negligence. Other topics which may be examined include the intentional torts, nuisance, strict liability, defences, the assessment of damages and modern alternatives to tort law such as statutory compensation. Five credits, full year.

The Small Group Program


Students in first year will take one of their full year courses (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property or Torts) in a small group of approximately eighteen students. The small group format is used to introduce students to the basic skills required by law students. It also provides first year students with an invaluable support system, strengthened by the fact that the students in each small group will also be in the same section of the other first year courses thus taking all of them together. For each group, teaching assistants will conduct hands-on legal research instruction in the library, assist with skills learning and generally act as mentors to the students in their group.

The Academic Session


The academic session at the Faculty of Law comprises a period of approximately thirty weeks. The session is divided into three terms. The Fall Term starts on September 2, 2008, and ends on December 12, 2008. The regular winter term is divided into two terms; the January Term starts on January 6, 2009, and ends on January 30, and the Spring term starts on February 9 and ends on April 30.

The January Term


In 1998, the Faculty of Law altered its academic year from a semester system to a trimester system. In addition to a regular thirteen week fall term and a condensed ten week spring term, the Faculty now offers a four week January term, during which each student enrols in a single intensive course. The January term was designed to promote active learning and to attract distinguished Visiting Professors to Western.

During the January term, first-year students take only one course, Legal Research, Writing and Advocacy. The course teaches important practical skills required for a successful legal career. Building on skills developed during the fall term, students have an extended period in which to focus exclusively on researching and writing a detailed memorandum of law. They also receive instruction in written and oral advocacy, culminating in an appellate advocacy exercise at the end of the term. The term is taught in a small group format, allowing students to receive intensive individual attention and feedback

 

Course Offerings Chart