Botterell says he's excited to build on momentum begun by former dean Erika Chamberlain
Andrew Botterell has taken on the role of acting dean at Western University’s Faculty of Law as the search for the next permanent dean is underway.
“In the next year, we will continue our progress in strengthening our community, our experiential learning opportunities, and our research trajectory, and we will review opportunities to adapt legal education to keep pace with emerging technologies,” said Professor Botterell in Western Law’s news release.
Botterell, a former clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada, joined Western University as a faculty member in 2007. Since then, he has held various leadership positions, including editor of the Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence and chairman of the Department of Philosophy from 2016–19.
At Western Law, Botterell served as associate dean for research and graduate studies from 2019–22 and became associate dean for academics in 2023. The law school named him its “Professor of the Year” in 2013–14 and recognized him with its Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017–18.
His teaching and research interests include the philosophy of criminal law. His writing has covered issues such as the justification for the voluntary act requirement and the viability of the defence of diminished responsibility. In the realm of private law, he has written on damages for contractual breach, the nature of the cause of action in unjust enrichment, and the structure of tort law liability.
Botterell is also interested in foundational questions about fault, liability and responsibility in different legal areas. Journals such as Jurisprudence, Legal Theory, Law & Philosophy, Criminal Justice Ethics, the Alberta Law Review, and the Osgoode Hall Law Journal have published his writing.
He obtained his philosophy PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his JD from the University of Toronto.
In an interview published on Western Law’s website, Botterell shared his thoughts on taking on the acting dean role, his priorities for the upcoming year, and his vision for the law school’s future.
Botterell described his new position as a natural progression that built upon his prior leadership experience at Western University. He expressed excitement about continuing the momentum set by his predecessor, Erika Chamberlain. He emphasized the strong support that he received from faculty and staff.
He noted that his new role has allowed him to learn more about the inner workings of the law school from both academic and financial perspectives. He said that he was looking forward to promoting the successes of faculty and students and engaging more deeply with the alumni network.
Botterell highlighted several areas of focus for the coming year. One priority he mentioned was strengthening the law school’s sense of community, particularly through a stronger commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization.
He also discussed his plans to bring more visiting researchers and speakers to the law school and to expand experiential learning opportunities to prepare students for the legal profession. He stressed the importance of helping students explore different professional paths.
Another area of focus that Botterell mentioned was the role of technology in legal education. He spoke of his intention to initiate discussions on the ways technology should and should not be incorporated into the curriculum, as well as its broader impact on the legal profession.
“Aspirationally, I would like Western Law to be recognized as one of the top 3 law schools in Canada and a premier law school globally,” said Botterell in the interview. “The more doors we can open for Western Law faculty, students and alumni within Canada and internationally, the more exciting it will be to be a faculty member here and the more rewarding it will be to be a student.”
