Public Law


Faculty List

Political Science

  • E. Acorn, B.A. (Victoria), M.A. (Dalhousie), J.D. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Cornell), Assistant Professor
  • N. Bernhardt, B. A. (Queens), Ph.D. (York)
  • C. Cochrane, B.A. (St. Thomas), M.A. (McGill), Ph.D. (Toronto), Associate Professor 
  • C. Cowie, B.A. (Western), M.A. (Manitoba), Ph.D. (Alberta), Assistant Professor 
  • R. Hurl, B.A. (Toronto), M.A., Ph.D. (Cornell), Lecturer 
  • F. Kahraman, B.A. (Boğaziçi), M.A., Ph.D. (Washington), Assistant Professor 
  • M.L. Kohn, B.A. (Williams), M.A., Ph.D. (Cornell), Professor
  • A. McDougall, B.A. (Toronto), M.A. (Queens), LL.B. (Queens), Ph.D. (Toronto), Assistant Professor 
  • R. Schertzer, B.A. (Carleton), M.Sc., Ph.D. (London School of Economics), Associate Professor 

Sociology

  • ·J. Hermer, B.A. (Western), M.A. (Carlton), Ph.D. (Oxford), Associate Professor, Chair 
  • R. Salem, B.A. (Cairo), M.Sc. (Oxford), Ph.D. (Princeton), Associate Professor
  • E. Fosse, B.A. (Kansas), MA (Harvard), Ph.D. (Harvard), Assistant Professor
  • D. Kwan-Lafond, Ph.D. (York) M.Ed (OISE), BSW (Ryerson), Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
     

Chair: Christopher Cochrane 
Program Advisor Email: pol-advisor@utsc.utoronto.ca 
For more information, visit the Department of Political Science website.

Students will be able to request the Major Program in Public Law in Spring 2025.   

Public Law is the study of how legal systems govern the relationship between different orders of government and between people and governments. This interdisciplinary program is intended for students with an interest in law and politics. Students will acquire an in-depth understanding of rights and justice as well as the institutions and social movements that help realize these ideals. Courses in the program address the normative foundations of legal systems and the role of constitutions and courts in upholding the rule of law. The Major in Public Law also provides students with an opportunity for broad-based study of the Canadian legal system in an historical and international context. The program also examines international law and emerging issues in the study of law and politics. Students are advised that becoming a lawyer requires an additional degree (a J.D. or LL.B. from an accredited law school) and meeting licensing requirements. 

Status in the Public Law Major

Status in the program will be determined at the end of each session (Fall, Winter, and Summer) for all students in the Major in Public Law. Students with cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 or higher will be able to remain in the program. A student in the Major whose CGPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on probation. Students must clear their probation by achieving a CGPA of 2.0 in the next semester. Students who fail to achieve a CGPA of 2.0 in the next semester will be removed from the Major in Public Law. These students should seek advising from the Academic Advising and Career Centre, or the Program Coordinator for the Department of Political Science.

The Department of Political Science hosts the Specialist, Major, and Minor programs in Political Science, the Major and Major (Co-Op) Programs in Public Policy, and the Major and Minor programs in Public Law.

For more information about the programs in Political Science and Public Law, please refer to the Political Science and Public Policy section of the Calendar.

Guidelines for First-Year Course Selection

Students who intend to complete the Major Program in Public Law are recommend to include the following in their first-year course selection: 1.0 credit at the A-level in Political Science.

Experiential Learning and Outreach

For a community-based experiential learning opportunity in your academic field of interest, consider the course CTLB03H3, which can be found in the Teaching and Learning section of the Calendar.