Health

Health law in Canada encompasses the regulation and governance of health care providers (including institutions, professionals, and businesses) under federal and provincial legal frameworks. Some of the legal issues that arise in the area of health law include informed consent, confidentiality, privacy of health information, and medical negligence. Health law practitioners can be found working for provincial and federal government departments, full-service business law firms, boutique firms with a health/medical malpractice law specialization, and in-house with health care providers or corporations in the health sector.

Health law is, by its nature, a very interdisciplinary field. Depending on your area of focus within this sector, see also our web pages on Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Corporate Law; Intellectual Property/ Information Technology; and Public Interest, Public Sector, & Human Rights Law.

What courses can I take?

Courses to consider in the upper years*

• Health Law and Bioethics
• Contemporary Issues in Health Law, Ethics and Policy
• Mental Health and the Law
• Public Health Law in Canada: The Role of the State, Law and Human Rights
• Occupational Health & Safety

*Not all courses are offered in each academic year. Please consult the Course Calendar and Upper Year Courses by Subject Area resources.

How can I get hands-on experience?

Experiential opportunities

• Clinical Legal Education Health Justice Initiative Clinical Placement

How else can I get involved?

Community/volunteer

• Health Law Club

How can I connect with employers?

Work and networking ideas

Networking opportunities

• Firm tours (check UTLC Events tab for details)
• Informational interviews (go to UTLC > Resource Library > Interviews for guidance)
• Events hosted by professional associations such as the Health Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association
• Lawyers Doing Cool Things

Fellowships & internships

Past paid Donner Fellowship placement sites include:

• Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario (HALCO)
• SickKids

Paid opportunities

Employers offering paid summer and articling opportunities in this area include:

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Department of Justice
• HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario (HALCO)
• Ministry of the Attorney- General - Ontario Ministry of Health and Long- Term Care

Many full-service law firms, as well as boutique firms, also offer services in the area of health law

What resources can I look at?

Online career resources and events

The following resources are available to current UofT Law students and alumni through UTLC:

• Recruitment Guides: Students can find recruitment guides on UTLC listing positions for 1L summer, 2L summer and articling recruitment cycles for a range of legal markets
• Government Interview and Information Guide
• CDO Event: Career Information Sessions (current students only)
• Upper Year Student Directory to connect with students who have worked with health law employers