Zeina Bou-Zeid
Assistant Professor
| Degrees: | Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Law ('99) |
I chose Carleton University for two reasons. Carleton University was one of the only universities in Canada in the mid-1990s to offer a B.A. Honours in Law. Other universities offered a minor or concentration in law but Carleton’s B.A. in Law was a unique opportunity to explore a variety of political, economic and social issues from a legal perspective. Also, I chose Carleton because its location in Ottawa provided me with the chance to research the law outside the classroom. Home to federal and provincial courts and tribunals, the national archives, the Parliament of Canada and government departments and many non-governmental organizations and political think tanks, Carleton’s location allowed me to explore how various actors utilize the law to their advantage or are impacted by the law.
The B.A. in Law was where I began to develop the necessary skills required to work as a university instructor. The law courses I was enrolled in taught the importance of developing effective writing skills to communicate one’s ideas to different audiences, oral communication techniques that allow one to make assertive arguments supported by well-articulated reasons, to become proficient in a wide variety of research techniques and cultivate the confidence to express a critical analysis of current legal issues. As a university instructor I use these skills every day to communicate with my students, design dynamic classroom presentations, research new and controversial legal topics and offer my analysis of the legal landscape.
I did not follow the same path as most graduates of the B.A. in Law. I enjoyed the experience of studying law and I was certain that I wanted to pursue a career as a university instructor so I decided to continue studying law in the M.A. program at Carleton University. After completing this program I pursued a Ph.D. in Law at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. My transition to employment at Carleton University in the Department of Law and Legal Studies has been an easy one. Working as an instructor I have been able to further develop the skills I learned at this very department and share my enthusiasm for the study of law with a new group of students every year. The Department of Law and Legal Studies emphasis on interdisciplinary research and theoretically informed analysis provided me with the tools to pursue an academic teaching career that values a diversity of perspectives. Also, I have been provided with many opportunities to engage and explore timely legal issues, pursue my research interests on the impact of laws on marginalized communities in Canada and network and share my research with people of various backgrounds and experiences.