The University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law - Common Law Section has secured $4.2 million in funding from The Law Foundation of Ontario (LFO), through the Comprehensive Program (2026-2029).
This grant, which works out to approximately $1.4 million per year for three years, represents a significant increase over previous annual Comprehensive Grants provided by the Foundation. It offers a valuable opportunity for the Faculty to continue supporting its students and the wider community. The funding will help expand experiential learning opportunities, respond to access to justice needs across Ontario through pro bono and community-based work, foster diversity and inclusion, and advance the Faculty's deep commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
"The ongoing impact of this grant cannot be overstated," says Kelli-Anne Day, Director of the Experiential and Clinical Learning Hub. "It will equip our law students with the practical experience they need to become effective advocates while simultaneously expanding access to legal services for members of our community who might otherwise go without."
The LFO has supported legal education for more than 50 years, with a focus on programs that respond to community needs, foster equity and inclusion, and promote experiential learning. At uOttawa, this funding plays a critical role in sustaining programs that are central to the Faculty's mission.
Over the past year alone, funding has supported hands-on clinical and experiential learning opportunities, including placements in clinics such as the University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic, Ecojustice, and the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). These initiatives enable students to develop practical legal skills while providing essential legal services to underserved communities.
"Experiential learning is fundamental to legal education - the courtroom, the clinic, and the negotiation table are where theory becomes practice and where great lawyers are shaped," adds Day. The Faculty is excited to continue offering our students these exceptional opportunities through the support of this grant."
The grant also supports public interest fellowships, mentorship programs, and equity-focused initiatives, including Indigenous student programming and the Equity & Access Tutorials, small-group academic supports designed to assist first-year students from equity-seeking communities in building foundational legal skills. Together, these efforts help create more inclusive pathways into the legal profession while reinforcing the importance of public service and community engagement.
We thank The Law Foundation of Ontario for its continued support and confidence in our shared commitment to access to justice and legal education.
