LAW496
Legal History: Women and the Law in Recent History
(Ampleman-Tremblay)
Prerequisite courses:
Prerequisite for:
Instructor(s): Professor Sandrine Ampleman-Tremblay
Course credit: 3
Method of presentation: Seminar
Teamwork: Yes
METHOD OF EVALUATION
Participation (15%)
Personal Reflection (10%)
Presentation (15%)
Term paper (60%)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will introduce students to the legal history of women’s rights. It will delve into how Canadian law has impacted women, their bodies, and their rights in recent history while providing comparative insights where appropriate. The course will articulate the importance of women’s rights as a subset of legal history and pursue numerous objectives. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with the history of women’s rights, know women’s contribution to Canadian law and legal institutions in recent history, have improved their communication skills in legal history; and be able to think critically about the law, its past, and its future.
Topics may include women’s legal status, reproductive rights, the arrival of women in the legal profession, and the evolution of the legal protection of women against sexual and gendered violence.
Of note:
The course may raise issues that are difficult to discuss and cause personal challenges for some students. The students and the instructor shall work together to make sure all discussions are held in a safe space.
This is a seminar focused on class discussions. Part of the grade is based on the student’s in-class participation.
SPECIAL COMMENTS
Description updated 2025-26. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.
REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY)
All readings will be available electronically.