University of British Columbia Faculty of Law
Encyclopedia
The University of British Columbia Faculty of Law is one of the largest English language
legal programs
in Canada
, with over 600 law students. The school offers a three-year Juris Doctor
(J.D.) program and the graduate degrees of Master of Laws
(LL.M.), Master of Jurisprudence
(M.Jur.) and doctorate
(Ph. D.) degrees. Among other things, the faculty has courses emphasizing Pacific Rim
issues, aboriginal law, business law, and feminist law
.
's Point Grey
campus in the University Endowment Lands
, just outside the city limits of Vancouver
, British Columbia
. Until May, 2009 the faculty was housed in the Curtis Building, named for the faculty's founding dean, George F. Curtis
, who died on October 23, 2005. The Curtis Building has been demolished and replaced with Allard Hall, named after donor Peter Allard, which was constructed on the same land.
by Subject: Law .
UBC was recognized as Canada's second academic legal institution, following in the footsteps of Dalhousie and in the tradition of Harvard Law School. It was unique in offering a broad range of courses, including International Law, Taxation, Labour Law, Conflicts of Law, and Municipal Law in addition to the traditional black letter law classes. UBC was one of the first schools in Canada to have professors utilize the Socratic method in teaching, pushing students to think critically of the cases they were expected to read.
In 1951, after the inadequacy of the army huts became apparent, the Faculty received funding from the university to build its own permanent structure. This building became the first permanent structure for UBC Law, and remained so until 1973. During this era, UBC Law pioneered the use of casebook
s, collections of excerpts from legal cases designed to illustrate principles derived from judicial decisions.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
legal programs
Legal education
Legal education is the education of individuals who intend to become legal professionals or those who simply intend to use their law degree to some end, either related to law or business...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with over 600 law students. The school offers a three-year Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) program and the graduate degrees of Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LL.M.), Master of Jurisprudence
Master of Jurisprudence
Masters of Jurisprudence is sometimes used as an alternative name for both Master of Laws and Master of Studies in Law. It also refers to masters-level courses concentraing on legal theory, in particular the philosophy of law and the sociological theory of law.-External Links:*...
(M.Jur.) and doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
(Ph. D.) degrees. Among other things, the faculty has courses emphasizing Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
issues, aboriginal law, business law, and feminist law
Feminist legal theory
Feminist legal theory is based on the belief that the law has been instrumental in women's historical subordination. The project of feminist legal theory is twofold. First, feminist jurisprudence seeks to explain ways in which the law played a role in women's former subordinate status...
.
Motto
The law school's motto is: fiat justitia ruat cœlum meaning "Let justice be done though the heavens fall."Location
The faculty is located at the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
's Point Grey
Richmond-Point Grey
Richmond-Point Grey was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It first appeared in the provincial election of 1924 and lasted only through the election of 1928....
campus in the University Endowment Lands
University Endowment Lands
The University Endowment Lands is an unincorporated area that lies to the west of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada surrounding the University of British Columbia...
, just outside the city limits of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Until May, 2009 the faculty was housed in the Curtis Building, named for the faculty's founding dean, George F. Curtis
George F. Curtis
George Fredrick Curtis , was the founding dean of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law.-Early life and career:Born 1906 in Stogumber, England, George F. Curtis, OC, OBC, QC came to Canada in 1913...
, who died on October 23, 2005. The Curtis Building has been demolished and replaced with Allard Hall, named after donor Peter Allard, which was constructed on the same land.
Academics
UBC law is currently ranked third in Canada by Maclean's Law School Rankings , and 23rd in the world and 3rd in Canada by the QS World University RankingsQS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
by Subject: Law .
History
Courses in law were taught at UBC from its founding. However, it did not create a formal Faculty of Law until 1945 in response to the large number of veterans returning from World War II needing education. Given special funding by the Provincial Government, the school hired George Curtis from Dalhousie's Faculty of Law to serve as their first Dean and within two months the Faculty was educating its first incoming class. Due to a lack of infrastructure, the University secured army huts that had been used to house servicemen during the war to house the law school until a permanent structure became available. The law school became the standard means by which prospective lawyers could become members of the bar, replacing the traditional approach that involved articling under an established lawyer in a relationship much like an apprenticeship.UBC was recognized as Canada's second academic legal institution, following in the footsteps of Dalhousie and in the tradition of Harvard Law School. It was unique in offering a broad range of courses, including International Law, Taxation, Labour Law, Conflicts of Law, and Municipal Law in addition to the traditional black letter law classes. UBC was one of the first schools in Canada to have professors utilize the Socratic method in teaching, pushing students to think critically of the cases they were expected to read.
In 1951, after the inadequacy of the army huts became apparent, the Faculty received funding from the university to build its own permanent structure. This building became the first permanent structure for UBC Law, and remained so until 1973. During this era, UBC Law pioneered the use of casebook
Casebook
A casebook is a type of textbook used primarily by students in law schools. Rather than simply laying out the legal doctrine in a particular area of study, a casebook contains excerpts from legal cases in which the law of that area was applied. It is then up to the student to analyze the language...
s, collections of excerpts from legal cases designed to illustrate principles derived from judicial decisions.
Deans
- 1945 to 1971: George F. CurtisGeorge F. CurtisGeorge Fredrick Curtis , was the founding dean of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law.-Early life and career:Born 1906 in Stogumber, England, George F. Curtis, OC, OBC, QC came to Canada in 1913...
, OC, OBC, QC - 1971 to 1976: Albert McClean, QC
- 1976 to 1982: Kenneth M. Lysyk, QC
- 1982 to 1991: Peter T. Burns, QC
- 1991 to 1997: Lynn Smith, QC
- 1997 to 2003: Joost Blom, QC
- 2003 to present: Mary Anne Bobinski
Notable alumni
- Thomas BergerThomas Berger (Canadian politician)Thomas Rodney Berger, OC, OBC is a Canadian politician and jurist of Swedish descent. Berger was the leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party for most of 1969, prior to Dave Barrett.-Background:...
, leading First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
's rights advocate - Kim CampbellKim CampbellAvril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
, former Prime Minister of CanadaPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution... - Ujjal DosanjhUjjal DosanjhUjjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
, former Premier of British ColumbiaPremier of British ColumbiaThe Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
, former Canadian Minister of Health - John FraserJohn Allen FraserJohn Allen Fraser, PC, OC, OBC, CD, QC is a retired Canadian parliamentarian and former Speaker of the House of Commons....
, former SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Commons and Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
MP - Garde GardomGarde GardomGarde Basil Gardom, QC, OBC is a Canadian politician, lawyer, and the 26th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.Born in Banff, Alberta, he obtained his BA and LLB degrees from the University of British Columbia. During his undergraduate years, he was an active member of the BC Alpha Chapter of...
, former Lieutenant Governor of British ColumbiaLieutenant Governor of British ColumbiaThe Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared with equally the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest... - Michael HarcourtMichael HarcourtMichael Franklin Harcourt served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in Canada from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of BC's major city, Vancouver from 1980 to 1986....
, former Premier of British ColumbiaPremier of British ColumbiaThe Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
, former Mayor of Vancouver - George HungerfordGeorge HungerfordGeorge William Hungerford, is a Canadian lawyer and Olympic gold medalist rower. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia....
, OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Gold Medalist - Frank IacobucciFrank IacobucciFrank Iacobucci, CC was a Puisne Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada from 1991 to 2004 when he retired from the bench. He is an expert in business and tax law.-Early career:...
, former Supreme Court of CanadaSupreme Court of CanadaThe Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
Justice and former Dean of the University of Toronto Faculty of LawUniversity of Toronto Faculty of LawEstablished in 1887, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is one of the oldest professional faculties at the University of Toronto. The Faculty of Law is particularly renowned in the areas of corporate law, international law, law and economics, and legal theory.The law school has been... - Duncan McCueDuncan McCueDuncan McCue is a Canadian TV reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation who is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.McCue graduated with a degree in English course from the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, then completed a degree in law at the University of British...
, reporter for the CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster... - Allan McEachernAllan McEachernAllan McEachern, BA, LL.B, LL.D was a Canadian lawyer, a judge, and a Chancellor of the University of British Columbia.-Career:...
, former Chancellor of UBC and Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of British ColumbiaSupreme Court of British ColumbiaThe Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges... - Wally OppalWally OppalWallace Oppal, Q.C. is a Canadian lawyer, former judge and provincial politician, who is currently serving as the Chancellor of the Thompson Rivers University...
, former Attorney General of British ColumbiaAttorney General of British ColumbiaThe Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia is a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province of British Columbia, Canada... - Stephen OwenStephen OwenStephen Owen, PC is the Vice-President of External, Legal and Community Relations for the University of British Columbia. He is a former Canadian politician....
, former LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Cabinet Minister. - Richard PeckRichard Peck (lawyer)Richard C.C. Peck, QC is a British Columbia lawyer who has been counsel in many significant criminal cases at all judicial levels including the Supreme Court of Canada and has been appointed by provincial governments to serve as a special prosecutor.He graduated from the University of British...
, Queen's CounselQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
and frequent Special ProsecutorSpecial prosecutorA special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have... - Leslie PetersonLeslie PetersonLeslie Raymond Peterson, CM, OBC is a lawyer, politician, and university chancellor in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After returning from serving in World War II from 1942-46, he obtained his law degree from the University of British Columbia in 1949...
, former Attorney General of BCAttorney General of British ColumbiaThe Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia is a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province of British Columbia, Canada...
and Chancellor of UBC - Steven PointSteven PointSteven Lewis Point, is the 28th and current Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.From 1975 to 1999, Steven Point served as Chief of the Skowkale First Nation...
, Lieutenant Governor of British ColumbiaLieutenant Governor of British ColumbiaThe Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared with equally the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest... - Svend RobinsonSvend RobinsonSvend Robinson is a former Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004, representing the suburban Vancouver-area constituency of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party...
, former NDPNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
MP - Alfred ScowAlfred ScowAlfred John Scow was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from a BC law school, the first Aboriginal lawyer called to the BC bar and the first Aboriginal legally trained judge appointed to the BC Provincial Court.Judge Scow has received numerous awards including the UBC Great Trekker Award,...
, the first First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
judge in BC - Don Brenner, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
- Lance Finch, Chief Justice of British Columbia
Notable Faculty
- Joel BakanJoel BakanJoel Conrad Bakan is a Canadian writer and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law.Born in Lansing, Michigan and raised for most of his childhood in East Lansing, Michigan where his parents, Paul and Rita Bakan, were both long-time professors in psychology at...
, author of The Corporation - Norman MacKenzieNorman MacKenzieNorman Archibald Macrae MacKenzie, CC, CMG, MM, CD, QC, FRSC was the President of the University of British Columbia from 1944 to 1962, and a Senator from 1966 to 1969.-Biography:...
- Beverley McLachlinBeverley McLachlinBeverley McLachlin, PC is the Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold this position. She also serves as a Deputy of the Governor General of Canada.-Early life:...
, 1974–1981, current Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of CanadaSupreme Court of CanadaThe Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...