Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) - Resources

COVID-19 Expanded Research Assistant Program – Summer 2020

April 21, 2020

Dear 1L and 2L JD students,

Below are a few more Windsor Law RA positions, not part of the ERAP program. Instructions for applying are in the ads.

All the best,

— Laverne Jacobs, Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) 

Professor Wissam Aoun is looking for two (2) full-time Research Assistants in the area of patent law, to assist him with his ISED-funded Patent Law Online Clinical Text Book project. The interested students are expected to spend most of the summer working on this project, with compensation set at the current Windsor Law research assistant rate. Interested students must have either already taken patent law, or have a clearly demonstrated interest and experience in the area of patent law. Student applications should include a short statement of interest indicating why they are interested in this area and why they would make a good fit for this position, as well as an unofficial law school transcript. Students are asked to send in their applications by noon on Monday, April 27, 2020 to Ms. Tiffany Brown (tiffanyb@uwindsor.ca).

2020 – Summer RA Position Posting – Professor Tanovich

Were criminal law and/or evidence your favourite law school courses? Do you see yourself practicing criminal law? If yes, please consider submitting an application to be one of my research assistants. Your application should include a cover letter setting out why you are interested in working with me and your relevant skills and experiences. I am looking for students who have a demonstrated interest in criminal law, strong grades in criminal law (and LRW) courses (formal transcript not required) and previous research or criminal law experience. For first-year students, mid-term grades can be submitted. The application is due April 27th and should be sent to tanovich@uwindsor.ca. Interviews may be conducted on Blackboard. I will also be hiring a second RA for this project through the COVID-19 Expanded RA Program.

So what is my summer project? UBC Press has launched a new series examining landmark cases in Canadian law. I would like to begin working on a book for this series on R v Corbett [1988] 1 SCR 670. This is one of the most famous and influential Supreme Court of Canada decisions. It is a landmark criminal law decision that sets out a framework for assessing the admissibility of an accused’s criminal record as an impeachment tool for the Crown when the accused testifies. Corbett applications, as they are now called, are one of the most common criminal law applications. In Corbett, the Crown wanted to cross-examine him on his previous conviction for murder. That earlier case also went to the Supreme Court of Canada (R v Corbett [1975] 2 SCR 275) and would be included in the book as some believe that he was wrongfully convicted of that murder. Indeed, a significant portion of the book will be dedicated to laying out the facts of both of these cases. In deciding the admissibility issue and ultimately ruling in favour of the Crown, Chief Justice Dickson placed great reliance on the jury system and faith in jurors to defeat arguments that allowing the Crown to introduce the accused’s record will result in unfair prejudice. At a time when trial by jury is under attack, this part of the decision will make for an interesting and important examination. The decision continues to be relied on to defeat arguments about the unreliability of jury decisions.

I am looking for a student who would be responsible for identifying the contexts in which Corbett’s reading in of a discretion has been applied outside of the prior criminal record context. The student would also be responsible for collecting all reported Corbett cases post-2006 and coding them. All of this will be done remotely in accordance with the University’s current research policies. The position includes 180 hours at a net rate of $16.50 per hour. While students may only work a maximum of 35 hours per week, students can do the work on their schedule. The only requirement is that the research be completed by the end of August.

Professor Thomasen is looking to hire 2-3 RAs to work on three projects: one on the legality of Amazon Ring police-partnerships in Canada; one on the use of robot/AI-systems in response to COVID; and one doing research for a book chapter on the impact of artificial intelligence on tort law in Canada. The work will be part-time, and take place primarily through May and June with flexible hours. You can work from anywhere. If interested, please send your CV and cover letter to thomasen@uwindsor.ca by 4pm on April 27. In the cover letter please provide a short description of your interest in one or more of the projects, and any relevant research/subject-matter experiences, interests, or courses taken. For the Amazon Ring project, some experience with Canadian privacy law is considered an asset; for the book chapter, having taken tort law will be considered an asset. For all three of the projects, intellectual curiosity will be considered an important asset!

Migrant Farmworkers Research Associate 

I am looking for part-time research assistants who will assist with the Migrant Farmworkers Project.

The legal regime that affects migrant workers functions at the complex intersection of immigration law, criminal law, border security, international law and international bilateral agreements, employment law, workers compensation law, human rights law, health and safety law, food law, law and political economy of agriculture, among others.  

The students will assist with legal research, data collection and analysis in one of two intersectional areas of law (of their choice) towards a casebook to aid legal professionals, advocates and workers. In addition to identifying case-law and regulations, this will also involve coordinating with lawyers who work in the area to identify issues that come up in migrant worker cases and in helping design an online website for the casebook.

The students will also assist with creating legal education materials connected to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic among migrant workers, including creating audio and video materials, social media advocacy, and updating them on the website for Justicia for Migrant Workers

You must be self-motivated and innovative in these tasks and you must show demonstrated interest in social justice advocacy and migrant worker issues in your cover letter. Do mention any related courses (does not have to be from law school) or background and experience. Preference will be given to students who have web-design and social media technology skills (e.g. knowledge of WordPress, graphic design, audio/video editing tools, etc) or who have the competence and enthusiasm about acquiring these skills. 

The position is for 160 hours of work (with the possibility of more) in the summer at $16.50 net pay/hr after deductions. Please email me (Professor Vasanthi Venkatesh) at vasanthi@uwindsor.ca with a cover letter, unofficial transcript, and a resumé by April 27.


April 20, 2020

Dear 1L and 2L JD students,

Please note that all of the COVID-19 ERAP job ads will be posted on this webpage as of this afternoon. Please use the drop-down boxes below to see available positions offered by the named Windsor Law professor or institute.

In terms of deadlines, if you are interested in a position, please be sure to apply by April 27, 2020 directly to the professor in charge of the project. The professor may invite you for a non-face-to-face interview.

Please note these key dates and points:

  • Apply by April 27, 2020 directly to the professor in charge of the project, following instructions provided by the professor or Institute regarding material to submit etc.;
  • Successful students will be notified on Friday, May 1, 2020 at noon;
  • Students must accept only one COVID-19 ERAP position and must accept by Saturday, May 2, 2020 at noon;
  • If you are offered more than one position, please be sure to advise any professors of jobs that you are declining so that the position may be offered to another student.

Please note that a few additional RA opportunities not related to the COVID-19 ERAP initiative will be posted on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 21, 2020 and others may be posted in the future. Please check the webpage regularly.

— Laverne Jacobs, Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) 

Professor Wissam Aoun is looking for a Research Assistant in the area of administrative law, and particularly, the area of procedural fairness and economic licensing. The interested student is expected to spend approximately 150 hours over the course of the summer, with compensation set at the current Windsor Law research assistant rate. Ideally, interested students will have already taken administrative law and have a keen interest in this area of law, demonstrated through their application, but all student applications will be accepted and all students are eligible. Student applications should include a short statement of interest indicating why they are interested in this area and why they would make a good fit for this position, as well as an unofficial law school transcript. Students are asked to send in their applications by noon on April 27th 2020 to Ms. Tiffany Brown (tiffanyb@uwindsor.ca).

Professor Beverly Jacobs is actively searching for a Research Assistant that can assist her with the following Research and Writing Projects:

  1. Chapter entitled “Indigenous Legal Orders and Religion” in a book edited by Professors Richard Moon, Beverly Jacobs and Jeffery Hewitt
  2. Paper for Oxford Encyclopedia of International Criminology Entitled “Indigenous Justice in Oceana”;
  3. Combine and edit LLM and PhD dissertations into book publication
  4. Book proposal for University of Toronto Press to publish her LLM and PhD dissertations into one book publication.

The Research Assistant will assist in the following research:

  1. Update research on ILO and religion
  2. Update research on Indigenous Justice in United States, New Zealand and Australia
  3. Update research on Haudenosaunee Legal Orders
  4. Research to assist in writing a book proposal

One Research Assistant will be hired from May 1 to August 31, 2020. All work will be done remotely. Any interested students in first year or second year law can email their applications to Professor Beverly Jacobs at Beverly.Jacobs@uwindsor.ca by April 27, 2020. The applications must include a resume, a short statement that highlights an interest in Indigenous laws and justice and why you are interested in research and writing in this area of law.

I am hiring one student for up to 160 hours of work this summer. I currently have three writing projects at various stages of completion for which I require the assistance of a student with strong research and writing skills.

  1. Climate Change Class Actions: I need help finding sources and finalizing footnotes.
  2. Comparative Class Actions: I am in the late stages of drafting a paper arising from a roundtable held at Stanford Law School last year. I require help with footnotes and research in other jurisdictions.
  3. Theorizing the Collective: I am researching a theoretical piece on the nature of the collective. What are the various conceptualizations of “collective” or “group” harm? The RA will help with brainstorming, summarizing journal articles, and drafting.

Students who have relevant experience in any of these three areas will be given special consideration. Please email me at kalajj@uwindsor.ca. Application deadline: April 27, 2020.

Call for Part Time Research Assistant Employment for Summer 2019

I am hiring a research assistant for 160 hours of work, at a pay rate of $18.80 (after deductions, the net rate is $16.50). Students who have just finished first or second year are eligible for the position. The work can be undertaken full time over 6 weeks, or part time over the summer, and timelines are negotiable based on both our schedules. The work can be done remotely, but if this pandemic ever ends, access to a law library is useful.

The selected student will assist me with research on a number of projects related to labour and employment law. I currently envisage of the work to be on two projects, although I may end up shifting my research focus. The first is a project about the emergence and consequences of public sector labour law as the paradigm of unionized work in Canada, characterized as it is by a primarily feminized workforce. The second is a project about the current state of labour injunction law in Canada. To apply for this position, please email me (cmumme@uwindsor.ca) by April 27th, 2020, with a copy of your CV, law school grades, and a cover letter. In your cover letter, please indicate your availability over the summer, whether you have another job, and a description of any relevant experience. Previous experience and/or course work in labour law is an asset, and to a lesser extent employment law. Previous experience in researching social science secondary source materials, qualitative research methods, and/or historical research (particularly in law) is also useful. In your cover letter, please also tell me about what type(s) of law, or what type of job, you think you’d like to practice and why. If you are as yet unsure (which is true of many), tell me what you’re currently thinking on the topic. Priority may be given to students with a demonstrated interest in labour and employment law.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITIONS FOR LAW AND MULTIMEDIA PROJECT ON GLOBAL LEGAL RESPONSES TO COVID-19

Are you interested in the connections between law, foreign affairs, and our everyday lives? Do you enjoy podcasts and audiovisual communications? Professor Sukanya Pillay is looking for one or two Research Assistants for an 8-week period to assist in collaboration on an audio production newly in process.

The student will research Canadian and international legal and policy responses to COVID-19 and the corresponding impacts upon constitutional and international legal human rights. Topics will include but are not limited to the impact of COVID-19 on housing, people in poverty and living with addiction, impact on Black Canadians and people of colour and racialized peoples in other parts of the world, impact on Indigenous peoples’ lives, State preparations and responses to epidemic and pandemic threats relating to medical supports, uses of surveillance technology to monitor civil society, expansion of executive powers, impact on business, and other special interest topics. Students will be part of a collaborative creative process and responsible for providing real-time reviews of news sites, and to provide literature reviews. Students may also be asked to assist in preparation of blogs and multimedia copy.

To apply for the position(s), please send a cover letter and CV to Maureen McClary at maureen.mcclary@uwindsor.ca by April 27, 2020 at 4pm. In your cover letter, please indicate your skills in traditional legal research and your familiarity and skills in researching current affairs and news. Although not required to be hired, please indicate if you have any experience in media production.

Professor Rogin is seeking Research Assistance!

I am seeking a Research Assistant to assist with a project over the summer months (2020). The work will entail criminal law/provincial offences, Indigenous scholarship, Aboriginal legal issues (honour of the Crown, treaty obligations, etc). I can provide 160 hours of work at the standard rate of pay for RAs. Please email jillian.rogin@uwindsor.ca your CV, a very brief cover letter, and your transcripts by April 27, 2020 (note - unofficial transcripts are fine – I just want to see what courses you have taken). Please include in the cover letter whether you have any other employment for the summer of 2020. Applicants may be contacted for a brief telephone interview. The successful student will be advised on Friday, May 1 at noon and must accept (or decline) by May 2 at noon.

In collaboration with the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII), I am creating an accessible, technologically sophisticated new guide to Ontario civil procedure. Civil Procedure in Ontario will provide summaries and annotations of all the rules and cases that users of our civil justice system need to know. It will be written and continuously updated by leading Ontario civil litigators, and made freely available online to all users of our court system via CanLII.

I would ideally like to find a student, going into 3L, who has taken and succeeded strongly in Civil Procedure. This job is a great way to build your familiarity with civil procedure, and get to know the Ontario civil litigation bar. The student will (i) help me identify and recruit appropriate lawyer experts to write the various sections of the book, (ii) edit, and coordinate editing by others of the material they write, and (iii) gather research sources to assist our authors. Other tasks may include user-testing and design of the volume, to make sure it is as comprehensive and easy-to-use as possible. Further details are available in the Proposal. Please apply by email to noel.semple@uwindsor.ca by April 27th.

Sports Law Research Assistant (20 hours per week)

Position Description:

This position is designed for a first or second year Windsor Law student, with a background and / or an interest in Sports Law. In addition to legal and scholarly research, the position will include, but is not limited to, the collection and analysis of qualitative data and conference planning duties. The RA must have excellent research, analytical and writing skills, and general knowledge / interest in commercial aspects in Sports.

The RA will work closely with Professor Senthe. Please submit: 1) Your rationale of no more than three paragraphs setting out why you want to work in this area, 2) Your CV and 3) Your unofficial transcripts by April 27, 2020. Please submit your complete application to Professor Senthe (S.Senthe@uwindsor.ca).

In pursuit of the University of Windsor's Employment Equity policy, members from the designated groups (Female Identified persons, Indigenous Peoples, Racialized persons, Persons with Disabilities, and Sexual Minorities) are encouraged to apply and to self-identify.

Professor Sheldon is hiring a Research Assistant for the Summer and Fall of 2020. A student will support research about the threats that COVID-19 poses to the health - and human rights - of persons with mental health disabilities in institutions. Viruses spread quickly in these crowded, confined spaces where social distancing is impossible and access to healthcare is poor. Continuing to detain during the pandemic magnifies concerns regarding the institutionalization of persons with disabilities.  

During the summer, the RA will provide research assistance to the development of an in-depth literature review about the rights owed to persons with mental health disabilities during a disaster. This research will draw on a variety of sources including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The RA will conduct an environmental scan about the accessibility of disaster planning in Canada and the US. Case law will also be reviewed to support arguments that COVID19 may be a basis for release from psychiatric detention.

To apply, please submit a cover letter (no more than one page) including a statement of your interest in the research area and any relevant coursework. Please also submit your CV and unofficial law school transcripts. Please deliver all materials in a single PDF to tess.sheldon@uwindsor.ca before April 27 at 4 pm.

COVID-19 Expanded Research Assistant Program (Professor David M Tanovich)

Were criminal law and/or evidence your favourite law school courses? Do you see yourself practicing criminal law? If yes, please consider submitting an application to be one of my research assistants. Your application should include a cover letter setting out why you are interested in working with me and your relevant skills and experiences. I am looking for students who have a demonstrated interest in criminal law, strong grades in criminal law (and LRW) courses (formal transcript not required) and previous research or criminal law experience. For first-year students, mid-term grades can be submitted. The application is due April 27th and should be sent to tanovich@uwindsor.ca. Interviews may be conducted on Blackboard. I will also be hiring a second RA for this project through a different application process.

So what is my summer project? UBC Press has launched a new series examining landmark cases in Canadian law. I would like to begin working on a book for this series on R v Corbett [1988] 1 SCR 670. This is one of the most famous and influential Supreme Court of Canada decisions. It is a landmark criminal law decision that set out a framework for assessing the admissibility of an accused’s criminal record as an impeachment tool for the Crown when the accused testifies. Corbett applications, as they are now called, are one of the most common criminal law applications. In Corbett, the Crown wanted to cross-examine him on his previous conviction for murder. That earlier case also went to the Supreme Court of Canada (R v Corbett [1975] 2 SCR 275) and would be included in the book as some believe that he was wrongfully convicted of that murder. Indeed, a significant portion of the book will be dedicated to laying out the facts of both of these cases. In deciding the admissibility issue and ultimately ruling in favour of the Crown, Chief Justice Dickson placed great reliance on the jury system and faith in jurors to defeat arguments that allowing the Crown to introduce the accused’s record will result in unfair prejudice. At a time when trial by jury is under attack, this part of the decision will make for an interesting and important examination. The decision continues to be relied on to defeat arguments about the unreliability of jury decisions.

For this position, I am looking for a student who would be responsible for collecting any and all relevant historical information about Lawrence Corbett and all of the individuals and lawyers involved in his two cases. This would include locating and assisting me in developing an interview plan for his lawyers (and any other relevant parties) if they are still alive. All of this will be done remotely in accordance with the University’s current research policies. If there is relevant material located and which cannot be accessed remotely, the student will simply provide an inventory which can be accessed in the future. The student would also be responsible for a literature review relating to any studies on the impact of allowing cross-examination of an accused on their criminal record on their decision to testify and the impact such cross-examination has on jury decision-making. The position includes 180 hours at a net rate of $16.50 per hour. While students may only work a maximum of 35 hours per week, students can do the work on their schedule. The only requirement is that the research be completed by the end of August.

Professor Myra Tawfik is looking for a research assistant interested in intellectual property law and business law, especially in an entrepreneurial context.

The pandemic has had an impact on the trajectory of local start-ups. This project will review the essential IP and business law supports to ensuring that more start-ups remain viable as they emerge from this period of uncertainty. These findings would help inform future IP literacy programs and provide more general research insights in relation to entrepreneurship and law. The research assistant will also be expected to provide research support to the local start-up community as needed, especially as it pertains to the legal triage service that operates under my supervision. 

Preference will be given to applicants who have completed at least one intellectual property law course (patents, trademarks, copyright). Good communication skills, professionalism and strong legal research skills are required. Interested applicants should contact Professor Tawfik at mjt@uwindsor.ca and provide a current cv, a list of courses taken and a brief statement of interest. The deadline for applications is April 27th.

Are you interested in working with a cutting edge, critical international and transnational law journal? Do you want to work with scholars, lawyers and activists from around the world? Are you interested in learning more about race and racism, patriarchy, homonormativity, classism, casteism, ableism and other forms of discrimination from the lens of settler colonialism, colonialism and imperialism? Are you a first or second year Windsor Law student, with a background and or interest in international law and or transnationalism?  Did you answer yes to these questions? Then Third World Approaches to International Law Review is looking for YOU.  

Third World Approaches to International Law (https://twailr.com/) is a conscious endeavor to intervene in knowledge production about international law and transnational law in a strategic way to help make our discipline truly international in nature. While we value conventional scholarly forms, we realize that by themselves these cannot adequately reflect the full experience of international law and its impact in the world. Openness to different mediums and forms of expression mitigates against elite and exclusive disciplinary tendencies. In furtherance of TWAIL’s overall objectives, TWAILR aims to remain as accessible and readable as possible, particularly to those in the global South. TWAILR aims for a representative, accountable, and non-hierarchical organizational structure. Its editorial board will periodically rotate within the network, with the guiding principle that it remain broadly representative in terms of gender and geographical regions. 

The Editorial Assistant will copy edit reflections, journal articles, edit citations for articles and reflections, and conduct research as needed.  The Editorial Assistant will work closely with the TWAILR editorial collective (Dr. Sujith Xavier, University of Windsor; Dr.Usha Natarajan, Edward W Said Fellow, Columbia University/Global South Visiting Scholar, University of British Columbia; Dr. John Reynolds, NUI Maynooth, Ireland; Dr.Ntina Tzouvala, Melbourne University, Australia; Dr. Laura Betancour, University of Los Andes, Bogota; Dr. Amar Bhatia, Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto). Please submit: 1) rationale of no more than three paragraphs setting out why you want to work with TWAILR, 2) your CV and 3) Your unofficial transcripts by April 27, 2020 (by 11 am). Please submit your complete application to Professor Xavier (sxavier@uwindsor.ca). In pursuit of the University of Windsor's Employment Equity policy, members from the designated groups (Female Identified persons, Indigenous Peoples, Racialized persons, Persons with Disabilities, and Sexual Minorities) are encouraged to apply and to self-identify.

The Transnational Law and Justice Network (TLJN) is a research hub at Windsor Law that promotes and sponsors scholarship on global governance, internationalism, transnationalism and social justice. Over the last several years, TLJN has built a significant network of national and global law scholars who have come together either through TLJN’s Annual Global Conferences or TLJN’s Borders, Boundaries and Intersections Speaker Series.

This year, TLJN’s board has decided to add advocacy and outreach to its strategic priorities and is hiring Research Assistants (RA’s) to contribute to these strategic priorities.

The RA’s will have:

  1. Excellent legal research and writing skills
  2. Excellent problem-solving, interpersonal and communication skills
  3. Excellent organizational skills
  4. Creativity and ability to adjust to changing priorities
  5. Ability to prioritize, work independently and as part of a team, and to meet deadlines
  6. For one position, experience working on website development and social media platforms

To apply, please submit an expression of interest that addresses the skills and experience identified above, a brief CV, unofficial transcript or list of Windsor Law grades, and a writing sample to rbahdi@uwindsor.ca. Any inquiries can also be directed to Professor Bahdi.

This position is for a part-time research assistant who will assist with research relating to cases filed in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the United States, and Mexico on behalf of Indigenous persons in Mexico (and Latin America, in general) related to large scale killings by government-supported paramilitary forces. This is to aid activists in their call for reparations and justice for victims of the Acteal massacre in Acteal, Chiapas, Mexico.

The student researcher will assist with legal research, data collection and analysis and other research-related tasks and must be self-motivated and innovative in these tasks. In your cover letter, you must show demonstrated interest in global social justice, international human rights, and social movements. Do mention any related courses (including outside of law school) or background and experience.

Preference will be given to students who are bilingual Spanish/English or have basic skills in Spanish to search and find Spanish-language legal case documents. Knowledge of Latin American and Mexican politics or of the workings of the Inter-American system for human rights protection will be an asset. The position is for 160 hours of work (with the possibility of more) in the summer at $16.50 net pay/hr after deductions. Please email me (Professor Vasanthi Venkatesh) at vasanthi@uwindsor.ca with a cover letter, unofficial transcript, resumé, and a writing sample by April 27.

SUMMER RESEARCH ASSISTANT

A summer Research Assistant is required to undertake research on several areas, including but not limited to anthropocentrism, constitution development, reconciliation and Indigenous Legal Orders. Under the direction of Dr. Valarie Waboose, the above-stated research will be conducted during the summer months and be used for the following: Anthropocentrism: to complete a chapter within an international text; Constitution Development: to review and gather information about the governmental capacity of First Nations communities in the surrounding areas, Reconciliation: will include the completion of a survey (if possible) in a First Nation community regarding the grassroots interpretation of what this term entails; and Indigenous Legal Orders: will conduct research to assist ongoing projects for the ILO Institute.

If interested, please forward, a resume, grades if available and a cover letter stating your interest in these research areas. Your application package should be sent to vwaboose@uwindsor.ca by April 27th. The successful candidate will be notified on May 1st.

A Research Assistant is sought for the Windsor Law Centre for Cities for the new project “Municipalities, States of Emergency and Challenges to Participatory Governance during COVID-19” to be supervised by Dr. Anneke Smit and other affiliated faculty members of the Centre for Cities. 

Emergency powers legislation has been passed by provincial and federal governments, and at the municipal level states of emergency have been declared in many communities, allowing mayors and other decision-makers unfettered decision-making powers.  There are also numerous instances of civilian oversight boards such as police services boards and standing committees of municipal councils being suspended under emergency legislation during the COVID-19 crisis across the country.

Meanwhile, important decisions with human rights impacts are being made on an almost daily basis in municipalities across the country.  Examples include orders to abide by social distancing rules while out in public, potential orders requiring individuals to stay at home, and decisions to close public spaces or to cancel public transit.  Many of these decisions have equity considerations and disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.  Hotlines established to encourage residents to report on other residents failing to comply with restrictions have also seen widespread take-up but may also be open to abuse without sufficient regulation.  Further, the impacts of such measures may outlast the peak of the COVID-19 crisis if clear criteria for the expiry of these restrictions are not clearly stipulated.  While the need to act quickly and decisively is key in order to stem the spread of the virus, human rights principles remain key.  Amnesty International Canada recently released a set of principles, “Putting Human Rights at the Heart of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 Epidemic”, which are meant to apply to all levels of government.  The report will use these principles as a guiding document in reporting on and assessing the extent to which participatory governance in municipal decision-making has been impeded during the COVID-19 crisis, and what initial impacts on democratic institutions and human rights protections of these decisions will be in the longer term.

The intended outcome of this project will be a report of 20-30 pages in length, as well as potential online monitoring throughout the COVID-19 shutdown, which will assess the extent to which there has been a failure to ensure participatory governance during this period, and to provide recommendations for any needed legislative reform.  The primary tasks of the student will be research for and primary responsibility for drafting of the report.  Research sources will include doctrinal work – municipal decisions and statements, news reports, reports of bodies such as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), reports of or about municipal civilian oversight bodies (police services boards, council standing committees), etc. for municipalities across Canada.  To apply please send your CV and brief cover letter with transcripts to asmit@uwindsor.ca by April 27th 2020.

Research Assistant for the Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice (WYAJ)

Duration: 8 weeks
Job Description: Literature study on innovative dissemination practices for open access journals

The primary tasks of the student are to collaborate with the WYAJ team by conducting a literature study and devising an innovative strategy addressing the following considerations: What online or offline techniques are most likely to increase readership, especially among people likely to get the most value from the articles? Do these include new hosting options? Should separate dissemination strategies be devised for different audiences, e.g. scholars, legal practitioners and policy-makers? Given that increasing readership is an interest not only of the journal but also of our authors and their institutional homes, what models of collaboration to improve readership have proved successful?

Other tasks will include targeted emails and further efforts in indexing and search engine optimization. Tasks may also include blog posts and audio and video knowledge mobilization products.

Please send an expression of interest and CV to Vidya Balachandar at wyaj@uwindsor.ca by April 27, 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  Are graduating 3L students eligible to apply for the Expanded RA Program?
A: The COVID-19 Expanded RA Program is open to Windsor Law 1L and 2L students. Unfortunately, this initiative is not open to graduating students.


April 7, 2020

Dear Windsor Law JD Students,

You may have heard last week that Windsor Law is offering additional research assistantships (RAships) this summer in an effort to support our students during the COVID-19 crisis. I’m very pleased to provide you with more information about this new initiative.

Windsor law profs will be able to hire additional research assistants for the summer. RA positions may be with individual faculty members or one of the research centres/institutes at Windsor Law.

The process for applications will be fairly structured. All job ads will be posted on Monday, April 20, 2020 to this webpage. Please look out for the ads, the link for which will be widely circulated --shared through Blackboard and Symplicity, posted in the daily COVID-19 student briefings, posted on Windsor Law social media (Twitter and Facebook), etc.. Professors may also post their ads independently through their networks.

You will be asked to submit your application for the position, responding to the ad by Monday, April 27, 2020. The professor will indicate what should be included in your application package (for example, CV, transcripts etc.). The professor may also invite you for a non face-to-face interview. Successful students will be notified on Friday, May 1, 2020 at noon. Students must accept only one position and must accept by Saturday, May 2, 2020 at noon. If you are offered more than one position, please be sure to advise any professors of jobs that you are declining so that the position may be offered to another student.

A student may work a maximum of 35 hours a week in the summer and may be hired for any combination of hours and weeks at the discretion of the professor.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly.

All the best and stay well,

— Laverne Jacobs, Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies)