Our Vision
As a law school within a premier public research university, we offer a range of JD and graduate programs that provide rigorous training in law, legal methods and legal and interdisciplinary scholarship, as well as opportunities to develop critical lawyering skills in supervised and supportive environments.
Legal education at the Allard School of Law prepares students to make contributions in a diverse range of legal areas and supports the pursuit of a variety of career pathways within a changing world, including as legal academics and researchers, practising lawyers, and in JD-advantage roles.
We provide choice from a broad array of subjects, and our programs and courses foster and support curiosity, critical thinking, and ethical development.
Students feel supported and engaged as members of our learning community, and teaching faculty are supported in developing innovative, informed and inclusive teaching practices and course design.
We provide students with tools and resources to foster self-care and resiliency and support well-being in and beyond the classroom.
Our curriculum, pedagogy and programming address the many calls and recommendations for change in law schools and other places of learning, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan and Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Report.
Goals
Renewing legal education: Ensure our curriculum promotes curiosity, critical thinking, adaptability and cultural and trans-jurisdictional fluency
Ethics and professionalism: Ensure students graduate with deep understanding of both the ethical obligations and professional responsibilities of a lawyer, in the profession and the community
Career pathways: Foster a culture that values and validates all law degree career pathways equally and ensure students are informed, prepared and empowered to pursue a broad range of careers.
Teaching collaboration and innovation: Foster greater collaboration and innovation in teaching
Transformative Learning Spotlight
Prof. Johnny Mack recognized for pushing ‘beyond the boundaries of colonial pedagogy’
In recognition of his exceptional teaching, Professor Johnny Mack is this year’s recipient of the George Curtis Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence and a recipient of UBC’s Killam Teaching Prize.
UBC Innocence Project: Righting wrongs and training the next generation of lawyers
For nearly 15 years, the UBC Innocence Project has been investigating claims of wrongful conviction in British Columbia. There have been a few recent wins, and many of the program’s students and alumni say it’s changed how they see their role as lawyers.
