Private Law

Private law is the law that governs all the relations between private persons—individuals and corporations—and forms the basis of pretty much all of our everyday interactions with others.

Private law at its core encompasses the law of contracts, unjust enrichment, equity, torts, and property.

It is the law that determines the terms of simple purchases, employment contracts, and leases;  the law that tells us to look out for the interests and safety of others, the law that explains what we can and can’t do with others’ property; and the law that tells us how to fix things when something goes wrong.

U of T Law has an unparalleled, global reputation for expertise and leadership in private law and private law theory. Our faculty teach and write about private law from a variety of perspectives, including philosophical, historical, critical, as well as economic approaches to law. 

Students are introduced to the basic principles of private law in the first-year curriculum and may select in upper years from a wide range of courses that build on this foundation.