Room Bookings and Guidelines

Requests from members of the McGill Law Community

Room booking instructions

Please note that some small audiovisual equipment are available in limited quantity and can be requested in the room booking system described above. To reserve other audiovisual equipment, you can send an audiovisual loan request.

III. Hosting an Event

Our faculty is a vibrant learning environment both inside and outside of the classroom. During the fall and winter semesters, there are a wide range of events taking place, from international conferences to our popular weekly coffee house for students. Whether you are organizing an event for ten people or two hundred, you will find all you need to know about event hosting via the links below.

Room Bookings and Guidelines

Requests from members outside of the McGill Law Community

In order to request a room in the Faculty of Law, kindly write to roombookings.law [at] mcgill.ca ();

Before submitting a request to book an event, please read the McGill University Guidelines for Booking Occasional Events [.pdf].

Room requests for non-law activities must be made via the McGill Events Coordinator.

Please allow a MINIMUM of 3 WORKING DAYS for processing and kindly book as early as possible to ensure that you can secure a room. There may be a greater delay in response time during peak booking periods (September, December, January and May).

Student groups planning events where alcohol will be served should note that it takes about 45 days to obtain an alcohol permit, taking into account all the procedures put into place by McGill Special Events department and the Régie. Therefore, student organizers must plan well in advance. The alternative is to serve non-alcoholic beverages. See also McGill's Alcoholic Beverages Policy.

Read the Events Bookings at McGill's Booking Guidelines to help you plan your event, book a room and think about advertising the event.

Contact the following should you have further questions about organizing an event in the Faculty.

  • Silvana Solitiero, Special Events & Alumni Relations Administrator, 514-398-1435 or silvana.solitiero [at] mcgill.ca

Section 1 - Logistics

1.1 Room(s) must be booked well in advance. There is no charge for booking rooms in the Faculty of Law (but they must be for a Faculty event), but bear in mind there may be custodial charges (see 1.2) if food or alcohol are served, or if the event takes place in the evening or on weekends. Furthermore, there are many events in the Faculty and rooms are scarce. For this reason, it is best to send in your request to book as soon as possible.

Occasionally, there are events that are scheduled back-to-back in the same room. Rooms must be returned to their original condition (chairs, tables back in their original position as the room was designed). If a room is found in disarray after a booking, the person(s) who booked it may be liable for cleaning services at a minimum charge of $245. Any furniture brought into or taken out of the booked room must be returned to its original place or the organizer(s) will be charged the cost of a mover hired to do the job.

Students must email roombookings.law [at] mcgill.ca () for approval first. Only once the event is approved can student organizers proceed in making other arrangements.

1.1.1 Outdoor Events. The Campus Planning and Development Office site provides information about outdoor events in general. An external events application form must be completed and sent to the McGill Planning Office.

The application must be signed by Margaret Baratta, 514-398-6641 or Margaret.Baratta [at] mcgill.ca.

1.2 Custodial Services. There are mandatory custodial charges for bookings that take place in the evenings and on weekends and any time that alcohol is served (at a minimum of 4 hours @ $63/hr). A FOAPAL number or Client number is required at time of request.
CONTACT: special.events [at] mcgill.ca

1.3 Catering arrangements have to be made well in advance and in precise detail, i.e. McGill Law tablecloths, etc.
CONTACT: Silvana Solitiero 514-398-1435 or silvana.solitiero [at] mcgill.ca

1.3.1 Serving food? Want to be more eco-friendly? Contact the LSA Plate Committee! The LSA Plate Committee provides reusable plates, cups, cutlery and more for events held at the Faculty of Law and surrounding buildings. This free, student-run service aims to reduce waste generated during events while alleviating the costs associated with purchasing single-use supplies. To order items from the LSA Plate Committee, please fill out the Google Request Form at least 48 hours before your event. A volunteer will confirm the order, ensure it is delivered, and clean the dishware after the event.

1.4 Alcohol permit. An alcohol permit is MANDATORY if alcohol is served. All McGill Student Groups and external organizations must submit their liquor permit requests to Events Bookings at McGill at least 30 days prior to the event date for indoor events and 45 days for events held outdoors. If you cannot meet these requirements, consider serving non-alcoholic beverages.

1.4.1 Server Training is required if alcohol is served:
Contact Leadership Training to schedule training for at least two members of your team for Server Training. Or find volunteer students (such as LSA members) who are already trained in case training is not available prior to your event. The Server Training Program is designed to inform and educate alcohol providers on practical methods and legal responsibilities pertaining to the serving of alcohol on campus.

Leadership Training Assistant
First-Year Office, McGill University
leadership.training [at] mcgill.ca
514-398-6913

1.4.2 Insurance
a) Contact the Law Student's Association (LSA) to ensure that

  1. Your club/association is covered under their insurance;
  2. They provide you with a letter signed by a duly authorized officer of the LSA confirming their endorsement of your function to be submitted to Risk Management and Ancillary Services;
  3. They submit adequate proof that your alcohol related event is clearly covered by their insurance to Ms. Kingsley, McGill Department of Risk Management & Insurance (514-398-6251).

Should your event not be covered by the LSA's insurance, contact Erika Noriega.

b) Contact Contact Risk Management, Campus Planning and Development Office, for a letter declaring that McGill agrees to allow the event to be held on its premises. You should request a floor plan for security.
CONTACT: Erika Noriega, Conference and Special Events Coordinator, 514-398-7687

1.5 Equipment. Any requirements for special equipment (e.g. flags, podium, etc.) must also be arranged. The costs for these services may vary (anywhere from $50-$250). FOAPAL/Client No. is required at time of request.
CONTACT
: special.events [at] mcgill.ca

1.6 Parking. Parking is always a problem especially during the week. It is not permitted to park in the circular driveway on front of Old Chancellor Day Hall unless arrangements are made through the Parking Office. A charge of $16/vehicle is applicable. Visit Parking Services's website.
CONTACT: parking.services [at] mcgill.ca

1.7 Security: for any high-profile individuals who might require the attention of McGill security, arrangements must be made with the Security Office. There is an hourly rate and a minimum number of hours. Use the 'Agent Services' form to book an agent. Members of the McGill community will need to go via McGill Marketplace; student groups can use the booking form.
CONTACT: Christopher Carson, Associate Director of Security Services, 514-398-4557

1.8 Unlocking doors: If you wish to have any doors unlocked for a special event arrangements must be made with the Room Booking Coordinator.
CONTACT: Room Booking Coordinator, roombookings.law [at] mcgill.ca


Section 2 - Publicity

Event organizers are responsible for garnering their own publicity, however the university does have a couple of communication channels that may help you get the word out, depending on the nature of your event. The most suitable means of publicizing your event will depend upon the nature of it, and your intended audience.

2.1 Posters and announcements must be arranged in advance whether electronic or in print. For distribution of a printed announcement (Info McGill) across the campus, contact printing services.
CONTACT: Printing Services at 514-398-6300 or printing.services [at] mcgill.ca

2.2 Web and social media

Events of interest to the McGill community
For the web, the Faculty uses McGill's web channels to advertise events across Faculty and McGill websites. This can be an effective means to get the word out to the McGill community outside the Faculty of Law.

Academic lectures
Events aimed at academics, students and members of the legal community can be advertised on the McGill web calendar, and in the Babillard, the Faculty of Law's weekly email newsletter. Both the web calendar and the Babillard are great for keeping faculty and staff members in the loop. The Faculty's communications editor is responsible for posting events to the Atrium screens, the Babillard newsletter, to the Web calendar and on social media.

Email the Law Communications office with complete details of your event at least 2 weeks ahead. They require the title of the event, along with the date, time, location and a fully bilingual description.
CONTACT: ebulletin.law [at] mcgill.ca.

2.3 Media Relations

Major events
If your event is a major symposium, roundtable or a public conference, or features a high profile speaker, inform ebulletin.law [at] mcgill.ca (McGill Law's Communications Office), preferably at least 1 month in advance.

The Communications Office can post a web announcement, an item on the web web calendar, include the event in the Babillard and in an upcoming Focus online mailing to alumni, and share it on the Faculty's social media accounts.

Depending on the nature of your event, we may be able to publicize the event within the law alumni community, and can work with McGill's Media Relations Office to publicize events, if the MRO feels they are of interest to the general public and mainstream media.
CONTACT: ebulletin.law [at] mcgill.ca

2.4 Photographers. Event organizers are responsible for taking photos of their event, or for arranging a photographer to do so - if they wish.


Section 3 - Posting Policy for the Faculty of Law

  • Les affiches pour annoncer un événement n’ont plus besoin d’être étampées.
  • Toutefois, les affiches d’information générale (concours, bourses, services, etc.) ou n’ayant pas de date limite doivent encore être étampées. Voir Margaret Baratta pour ce faire, bureau NCDH 618, autrement les affiches seront enlevées sans autre avertissement.
  • Only a maximum of six (6) posters of any type is permitted.
  • Posters announcing specific dates should be removed immediately after the event; all general information posters (not announcing specific dates) will be removed after 30 days.
  • You may use the bulletin boards in the Atrium, the basement and in the stairwells.
  • Only thumbtacks or pushpins are to be used on the bulletin boards. Please do not use staples.
  • NEVER USE scotch tape or packing tape on wood paneling; on glass; on doors (including office, classroom, stairwell and elevator doors); on painted and brick walls; or on metal or cement pillars.
  • Pour apposer des affiches sur des colonnes en ciment ou sur des murs de brique, vous devez utiliser du ruban-cache adhésif (masking tape).
  • On peut également employer du mastic bleu adhésif, pourvu que le mastic et l’affiche soient ensuite soigneusement et complètement enlevés.
Back to top