1822 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1
Phone: 604.822.6303 | Fax: 604.822.9486
Internet: www.law.ubc.ca | E-mail: admissions@law.ubc.ca
Introduction
Law school is a gateway, not just to the legal profession, but also to many leadership roles in society. For the past 66 years, UBC Law at Allard Hall has educated leaders in both the community and the profession. Our incoming students join a distinguished family of graduates that have excelled in all areas of law and government and have made a significant impact on some of today's most pressing issues around the world. It offers a Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Laws (Common Law) (LLM CL), and PhD degrees; and it offers two joint degrees, the JD/MBA and the JD/MAAPPS (Master of Arts in Asia Pacific Policy Studies).
UBC Law at Allard Hall is committed to recruiting outstanding teachers and scholars who are leaders in their fields of research. With 45 full-time professors, we are home to a remarkably dynamic, accomplished, and diverse group of faculty who produce innovative and influential legal research. Many are globally recognized for their groundbreaking work in numerous areas of law including business law, international law, environmental and natural resources law, and Aboriginal legal issues, to name a few.
The UBC Faculty of Law recently built a brand new law building, Allard Hall. Equipped with the latest technology, expanded classroom and research facilities, and a state-of-the-art library, the new law building serves as a vital academic hub for both students and the legal community.
UBC Law offers two new joint legal education programs between UBC Law and the University of Hong Kong, as well as UBC Law and the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa | William S. Richardson School of Law. Students who successfully complete the four-year program at UBC and UH will receive a JD at both institutions, thus entitling them to pursue professional qualification as a lawyer in both Canada and the United States.
Hallmarks of UBC Law's curricula are an expansion of the range of subjects taught in the first year, less reliance on 100 percent final exams, diversification of evaluation methods designed to accommodate a broader range of learning styles, and small classes. First-year classes are taught in groups of approximately 45, allowing students to have more direct contact with instructors and more opportunities for detailed feedback. Legal writing is integrated across the first-year program, and the legal research component includes required elements in each of the three years. Studying at UBC Law means being part of a community that encourages diverse perspectives in a learning environment that is collaborative and inspiring. For a full list of programs and courses, please visit www.law.ubc.ca/current/jd/reg_timetables_exams.html.
UBC is situated in a parklike campus of over 1,000 hectares on a forested peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean and coastal mountains. A short drive from downtown Vancouver, the university is easily accessible by public transit. Vancouver is one of the world's most spectacular cities, bordered by beaches and mountains and boasting a temperate climate year-round. With a population of more than two million, Vancouver is taking on increasing importance as an international, cultural, economic, and educational centre.
Enrollment/Student Body
- 2,149 applicants
- 184 enrolled first-year class 2012
- 564 total full time (JD)
- 12 total part time
- 41 LLM, 58 PhD, and 14 LLM CL
- 46 percent women
- 10 provinces/territories and numerous countries represented in the total student body
- Over 100 universities and colleges represented
Faculty
- 128 total
- 45 full time
- 83 part time or adjunct
- 11 percent ethnic minority
Library and Physical Facilities
- Library hours: 80 hours per week; Mon.–Thurs., 8:30 am–10:00 pm; Fri., 8:30 am–6:00 pm; Sat.,
10:00 am–6:00 pm; Sun., 10:00 am–6:00 pm - A full range of electronic journals and databases
- 3 full-time librarians
- 7 full-time staff
- 312 library seats
- 30 computer workstations and free wireless network
- Asian law materials
Curriculum
- 92 credits required to graduate
- Approximately 100 courses available
- Degrees available: JD, JD/MBA, JD/MAAPPS, LLM CL, LLM, PhD
An orientation program introduces students to the faculty, to other students, to lawyers and the judiciary, and to the start of their study of law as an academic discipline.
The first year is composed of a set of required courses and activities. Second- and third-year courses are chosen from a wide range of options. Both the faculty and the Law Students Society provide a number of lectures of special interest during the year.
Special Programs
UBC Law offers both strength and depth in private law. Private law is a rich field for theory as well as practice, and members of the UBC Law Faculty are noted for giving full scope to both aspects in their teaching and research.
The Centre for Asian Legal Studies offers courses in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese law for both graduate and undergraduate students. The centre is involved in a number of projects funded by agencies, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, and the Global Environment Facility.
The Centre for Feminist Legal Studies is known across Canada and internationally for its strength in teaching and research on social justice for women. Feminist approaches are integrated within the curriculum and inform teaching methodologies.
UBC Law has an international reputation for excellence in environmental and natural resources law. Our faculty are leading scholars in many areas of environmental law. Students have the option to graduate with a specialization in Environmental and Natural Resource Law.
The Indigenous Legal Studies program has the largest number of Aboriginal law students and offers the most courses in First Nations legal studies of any Canadian law school; UBC Law is the leader in Indigenous legal education in Canada.
The specialization in Law and Social Justice recognizes students who focus part of their legal studies on areas related to the use of the law to achieve social justice.
UBC Law offers a lively, diverse, and vibrant community encompassing established scholars, junior academics, and students in many disciplines. Regular lectures by nationally and internationally known scholars and experts enhance learning at UBC Law.
UBC Law is home to the National Centre for Business Law, which provides a robust, interdisciplinary, and empirical research environment for research and scholarship in business law and finance policy that is focused on both domestic and international comparative law. Our faculty are leading scholars in many areas of business law. Students have the option to graduate with a business law concentration.
UBC Law is fortunate to offer a variety of clinical and practical course offerings for upper-year students. The programs are open to students entering their second and/or third year, and application is necessary. Clinics include the First Nations Legal Clinic serving urban indigenous clients in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside; a judicial externship where students serve as interns to the judges of the BC Provincial Court; the Innocence Project, which provides postconviction review in response to claims of wrongful conviction.
The graduate program offers specialized curricula for Master of Laws (by thesis and by coursework or by coursework alone) and doctoral (PhD) students. For more information on our graduate program, go to www.law.ubc.ca/graduate/index.html.
The school has student-exchange agreements with over 80 law schools around the world including, among others, schools in Australia, Europe, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, the United States, Japan, and Thailand. There is a faculty exchange with the University of Melbourne.
Admission
- Degree from a recognized university or a minimum of three years toward such degree required
- Application deadline—December 1
- All applications received by deadline date are considered
- LSAT required
- We will accept December LSAT
- We will accept February LSAT writing, however, we strongly encourage applicants to take the LSAT prior to the February test date. An applicant who wishes to rely on the February LSAT score may diminish his or her chance of gaining admission due to the delayed review of his or her file.
- Multiple LSAT scores, highest used
- Oldest LSAT score accepted—October 2008
- Median GPA—83 percent
- Median LSAT score—166
- Application fee—$83.50
The GPA and LSAT are weighed equally and the personal statement is factored into the review process. Applicants in the regular category may ask for special consideration due to various factors affecting their academic record. There is a discretionary category which takes into account factors such as disability or special needs, financial disadvantage, membership in a historically disadvantaged group, and any other factors that the applicant wishes the Admissions Committee to consider. There is also an Indigenous category for Aboriginal applicants and a part-time program for a limited number of applicants.
Student Activities
The University of British Columbia Law Review and the Canadian Journal of Family Law, refereed journals, are published twice annually by student editorial boards. The Canadian Journal of Family Law was the first academic journal in Canada to devote itself to the promotion, development, and articulation of issues in the field of family law.
The Faculty of Law's student organization is called the Law Students' Society; in addition, there is an elected Faculty Council Student Caucus (FCSC) which participates in faculty committees and governance.
Students at the Faculty have shown a high level of achievement in provincial, national, and international moot court competitions.
The Law Students' Legal Advice Program and Pro Bono Students Canada provide extensive legal aid services to the public on a volunteer basis.
Expenses and Financial Aid
- Tuition for domestic students starting their first year in the JD program in 2012/13—$343.86 per credit ($11,003.52 for first year and
$10,315.80 for each of second and third year; note that the amount for upper years can vary depending on how many credits
are taken in each year). For international students—$732.33 per credit. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
- Student fees—approximately $880 per year
- Estimated additional expenses—$13,000 (books and supplies, accommodations and food, transportation, miscellaneous)
- Performance scholarships and need-based bursaries available;
need-based and mixed need-performance minority scholarships available
- Financial aid available
Career Services
The University of British Columbia Faculty of Law's Career Services Office (CSO) is staffed by two full-time professionals and one part-time professional (all former lawyers) and one administrative support person who provide advice and information to students pursuing a range of career goals. The CSO runs a variety of programs to prepare students for summer positions, articling, clerking, and nontraditional career options. The CSO provides personalized career counseling, interview preparation, résumé reviews, and mock interviews, in addition to presenting speaker panels and workshops on career options and paths. The CSO hosts career fairs for law firms and public interest organizations and facilitates on-campus recruitment visits by firms from across Canada and the United States. Graduates of UBC secure employment across Canada, in the United States (primarily New York), and around the world in law firms and public interest organizations, or with legally related industry or government organizations.
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