JD

From lemonade stands to multi-billion-dollar mergers, business law is interwoven into our daily lives. But for businesses to be created, grow and thrive, we need an environment that guarantees that contracts will be honoured, business regulations are stable, and competition will be fair. These rules help make it possible for businesses to operate and for society to benefit, too. Understanding, creating and enforcing those rules is the art and science of business law.

Criminal law is part of the foundation of order in our society. We give government a monopoly on the legitimate use of force to protect individuals’ rights and freedoms from being threatened by private force and fraud. However, giving government alone this power risks turning the criminal law into a tool that could allow the powerful to dominate or subordinate vulnerable or stigmatized individuals and groups. Understanding how government’s criminal law power is legally constrained, and incorporating critical perspectives on criminal law are essential not just for lawyers but for all members of society.

Constitutional and public law regulates the ways in which governments can be given power, how they exercise it and structures relationships between key institutions—like legislatures, the courts, and the executive, or between provinces, the federal government and Indigenous governments. Constitutional and Public Law also sets out fundamental rights that individuals enjoy and provides for their protection by imposing corresponding limits on government power.

International law not only governs Canada’s relationships with other states, but also increasingly shapes domestic policy in Canada. From the Paris Agreement on climate change to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, from extradition agreements for accused criminals to international trade pacts and rules that determine key elements of Canada’s immigration laws, international legal rules leave virtually no aspect of Canadian life untouched. International law is an essential subject for every law student.

Family law is a dynamic field that governs relationships, including marriage, divorce, child custody, and adoption. It blends legal reasoning with real human impact, offering the chance to advocate for vulnerable individuals and help reshape lives. For law students drawn to both litigation and compassionate advocacy, family law provides a deeply meaningful, ever-evolving practice area.

Where legal intellect meets the latest technology: the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and legal research is transforming how society relates to the law. Laws are shifting to adapt to the widespread use of AI, and AI is making the law more accessible in many important ways. AI tools can sift through vast volumes of case law, statutes, and legal commentary in seconds. Studying the intersections between AI and the Law opens doors to innovation, from building smarter legal databases to shaping policy on algorithmic bias and AI ethics.

Understanding Indigenous legal traditions is vital to Canadian law: these systems form a foundational part of Canada’s legal landscape and history. Indigenous laws offer distinct approaches to justice, governance, and community, rooted in centuries of practice. With ongoing reconciliation efforts and legal recognition of Indigenous rights, future lawyers must be equipped to engage respectfully and knowledgeably with these traditions.

Labour law affects workers in the job market and also those outside it: defining the rights and responsibilities of workers, employers, and unions, governing everything from minimum wage and overtime to union strikes and workplace safety. As the gig economy challenges traditional employment, remote work blurs the lines of accountability, and harassment laws continue to evolve, labour law is growing in prominence as an area of study vital to our economy and citizens.