Sarah Hlady MacDonald is a third-year JD student at the Allard School of Law and one of our Lead Operations Coordinators at the Centre for Business Law. Prior to law school, Sarah completed an Honours Specialization in International Relations at Western University. Part of her bachelor’s degree was earned while studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Sarah has prioritized community involvement while at Allard, including as a Student Ambassador and by serving on the Law Students’ Society in all three years. Outside of law school, Sarah enjoys crocheting, collecting vinyl records, and spending time at the beach.
Why did you choose UBC and Allard for law school?
I chose Allard because I was impressed by Allard’s experiential learning opportunities. It was important to me to be able to have practical opportunities as a student to develop my legal skills, and I’m looking forward to competing in the BC Law Schools Competitive Moot this upcoming year. Location was a big factor as well - having lived in Scotland on exchange during undergrad, I sincerely missed the ocean and mountains upon returning to my hometown in Ontario. UBC’s campus continues to impress me with its natural beauty and continues to pose a dangerous distraction if I’m studying near a window. Knowing I would be moving away for law school, it was important to me to choose a law school with a strong sense of community and collegiality amongst students. I heard overwhelmingly positive things about the Allard student community when I was an applicant, and I was pleased to find this enthusiasm to not have been unwarranted. There are so many opportunities at Allard to find your people and explore legal areas of interest, and I’ve grown passionate about promoting unity and connection as an Allard student.
What do you enjoy most about working for the Centre for Business Law?
Working with the Centre has allowed me to broaden the limits of what I understand business law to be. While I knew for a long time I wanted to be a lawyer, it has been a journey as a law student to narrow in on areas of the law I wanted to practice in. Assisting in planning and promoting a variety of events as Operations Officer has shown me how broad an umbrella business law can be and exposed me to legal questions that have not been explored in my coursework. I also see the Centre as a great point of connection between students, faculty, and the legal community, and I’m excited to be a part of growing and strengthening these connections to assist students in their academic and career development.
What advice would you give to other law students?
Get involved! I came into law school considering myself an introvert and quickly challenged myself to push the boundaries of my comfort zone. My law school experience has benefitted greatly from the relationships I’ve developed with my peers, faculty and staff at Allard, and lawyers in the Vancouver area. By being active in the student community through my work with the Law Students’ Society and participation in various clubs, I’ve been able to take a lead in making law school a positive experience for myself and my peers. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to continue to support the Allard community through my work with the Centre for Business Law.
Last Updated: July 2023