uOttawa Startup Law Clinic

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  • Legal Challenges in Social Entrepreneurship

    By Michael LegerStudent Caseworker Social entrepreneurship refers to pursuing social value through business. This model sits at the intersection of private gain and public good, raising questions about the purpose of business and the limits of market-based solutions. Although the practice is growing in popularity, the traditional legal mechanisms governing for-profit corporations still struggle to…

  • The Canadian Legal AI Deficit

    By Areesha ArshadStudent Caseworker AI-assisted legal tools have improved efficiency in routine business tasks like contract generation and ensuring early-stage compliance. But their rise has uncovered a structural deficit in Canada: Compared to foreign jurisdictions, Canadian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) face a lack of reliable, jurisdiction-specific legal AI tools. As of 2021, Canada…

  • Barriers to Legal Advice for Entrepreneurs: Rethinking Who Can Provide Legal Services

    By Victoria Zbrzezniak Student Caseworker As the clinic winds down its office hours with startup founders, we are turning our attention toward one of the next phases of the clinic’s work: researching and developing policy papers that dive deeper into the questions and challenges we heard about firsthand. In speaking with my fellow student caseworkers,…

  • Behind the Townhall: Lessons from the Startup Law Clinic

    By Ella LimStudent Caseworker For the past two months, the student caseworkers at the uOttawa Startup Law Clinic spoke to over 15 founders and entrepreneurs in Ottawa and in the Greater Toronto Area. During these calls, a common theme of question was related to employment—Is it legal to hire unpaid interns or student volunteers? What…

  • What Every Founder Should Know About Raising Capital: Lessons from Our Clinic Prep

    By Sebastian WooStudent Caseworker This month, our Startup Law Clinic is gearing up for a townhall on one of the most exciting and complex topics in the startup world: raising capital. The session will bring together founders, students, and mentors to unpack the legal and strategic questions that come with fundraising. Although our team hasn’t…

  • Competition as Catalyst: How Canada’s Pro-Competition Agenda Could Empower Startups

    By Tyler LiStudent Caseworker Earlier in October, I attended Canada’s Competition Summit held in Ottawa, which brought together policymakers, economists, and business leaders to talk about how Canada can address issues such as productivity and innovation. This year’s summit made clear that Canada’s growth depends on new entrants willing to challenge the status quo. That…

  • Policy Tailwinds: The Trickle-Down Impact of Canada’s Mandates for Defence and Public-Private Partnership on Startups

    By Adam MawjiStudent Caseworker On October 2, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government launched a new agency, the Defence Investment Agency (DIA). The DIA’s mandate, to overhaul Canada’s defence procurement, comes in line with the government’s commitment to increase defence spending to roughly 2% of GDP (about $63 billion) in 2025–26, and to 5% by 2035.…

  • Protect Before You Pitch: CSIS Warns Startups About Foreign Exploitation Risks

    By Mahdi NaimiStudent Caseworker “Congratulations! You’ve been selected to pitch your startup to investors overseas.” For most founders, receiving that line in their inbox feels like a dream come true. The chance to showcase your idea on a global stage can unlock funding, partnerships, and recognition. But here’s the catch: it can also open the…

  • Turning AI Conversations into Sales: What Ottawa Founders Should Know

    By Tina DerakStudent Caseworker Last Monday, OpenAI and Shopify announced a new partnership enabling Shopify and Etsy merchants to sell products directly through ChatGPT conversations via the new “Instant Checkout” feature. This marks a striking shift in how e-commerce may operate: rather than redirecting users to a storefront or external site, purchasing could become embedded…

  • The Biggest Change in Ottawa Zoning since 2001

    By Alexander HnatovskyStudent Caseworker Online retail and delivery are capturing headlines, and for good reason. In April 2025, gross e-commerce sales across Canada were $4.4 billion. But this amounts to only about 6.2% of total retail trade. In other words, physical retail sales in Canada still matter, especially in areas with higher population densities like…