Law students join with Habitat for Humanity

	Daniel Gervais (3rd from left), interim dean of the Common Law Section, and United States Ambassador David Wilkins (4th from left) were among the officials who gave a hand to lift a wall section that students assembled in front of Ottawa City Hall.

Time and distance have not erased the horrible images of Hurricane Katrina from the minds of first-year Common Law students at the University of Ottawa. Determined to do something to alleviate the misfortune of the people of Louisiana, they embarked on the “House-in-a-box” project, spearheaded by Habitat for Humanity.

The idea of endorsing a humanitarian cause emerged from a discussion in a contract law class. In the days following Katrina’s passage in Louisiana, first-year students were assigned their first contracts case. Guided by Professor Ian Kerr, talk on legal considerations deviated to the theme of social justice and the means in which students helped a family.

That led them to building a house that was later shipped to New Orleans. Over a period of three days in March 2006, a group of about 100 students divided into teams, worked to erect the frame and the roof of the house in front of Ottawa City Hall.

Happy to participate in an international project, the students also wanted to get involved locally. They created the Class of 2008 Community Gift, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Canada. They will raise $75,000 in cash and in kind to build a house for a family in need in Ottawa.

“This is a gift that the common law students want to offer to the community. We want to meet our social responsibility,” says student organizer Julie St-Cyr.

Construction on this initiative will begin in the fall of 2007. The project managers expect the family to take possession of the house in the spring of 2008, just about the same time the students will receive their diplomas. They hope the family will attend 2008 uOttawa Convocation to celebrate their academic and community successes.

For Professor Ian Kerr, the students’ involvement in such projects goes against the public perception of future lawyers as individuals who are highly driven, selfish, and means-ends oriented. “Although I am regularly astounded by the intelligence, humour, ambition and industry of the students at our law school,” he says, “it is their selflessness, goodwill and generosity that shine through in this project.”

Source: www.commonlaw.uOttawa.ca