Program Overview

Peter A Allard School of Law

The Peter A Allard School of Law is proud to have one of the highest enrollment numbers of Indigenous law students in Canada. Since 1975, hundreds of Indigenous students have graduated from the law school. Many of these graduates are now leaders who have helped to redefine Indigenous legal issues in Canada. Our alumni include Jody Wilson-Raybould, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; the late Judge Alfred Scow, the first Indigenous lawyer and judge in British Columbia; and The Honourable Steven Point, former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and recently appointed Chancellor of UBC.

Indigenous Legal Studies

The Allard School of Law recruits and supports Indigenous law students, offers courses in Aboriginal and Indigenous law, conducts research often in partnership with Indigenous peoples and nations, provides legal assistance to Indigenous peoples through the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic in the Downtown Eastside, and generally fosters a greater understanding of the place of Indigenous peoples in Canadian society and abroad.

Specialization in Indigenous Legal Studies

Provides JD students an opportunity to be recognized for concentrating studies on courses related to Indigenous legal issues.

Kawaskimhon (Aboriginal Rights) Moot

Students gain valuable insights by being coached by practicing lawyers and experiencing multi-party consensus-based negotiations on Indigenous legal issues with teams from across Canada.

Indigenous Community Legal Clinic

The clinic provides students with the opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience, while serving a historically under-served and marginalized community.

Student Support

We offer a diverse range of academic, cultural, and career support to Indigenous students.

Indigenous Cultural Competency Certificate

Participants in this program are exposed to concepts and materials on decolonization, Indigenous laws, and Elder-led teachings.

Indigenous Features at Allard Hall

Allard Hall includes several features designed to reflect Musqueam culture and the role of Musqueam.

Featured Articles

• Welcoming Jessica Buffalo back to Allard Law as Academic Director, Indigenous Community Legal Clinic Jessica Buffalo is from Samson Cree Nation/Nipisikohpahk, and her Cree
  ehiyawak name is Maskwa Iskwêw, meaning Bear Woman. Jessica obtained her Juris Doctor from Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC in 2016 and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2017 after completing her articles at Calgary Legal Guidance. In 2022, Jessica moved to the Law Society of Alberta as the first Indigenous Initiatives Counsel. In this role, she led initiatives aimed at advancing Reconciliation, particularly focusing on ensuring Call to Action 27 is adhered to.
• The practice and ethics of Aboriginal law: Meet Assistant Professor Scott Franks Scott Franks is a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation and an expert on Canadian Aboriginal law and Indigenous legal theory and practice. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Peter A. Allard School of Law as an assistant professor. Professor Franks' research focuses on the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state and the legal histories of the modern period of Aboriginal law jurisprudence.
• New Indigenous Community Legal Clinic project helps grieving families with estate administration Located in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Allard Law's Indigenous Community Legal Clinic is dedicated to helping meet the needs of everyone who steps through its doors. In this Q&A, the Clinic's Legal Services Director and Allard Law lecturer discusses the Clinic's new Grant of Probate Applications Project and the ICLC’s community impact.
• For my family: Indigenous Legal Studies student Vaughn Beaulieu-Mercredi on his law school journey Allard Law student Vaughn Beaulieu-Mercredi says law school wasn't something he’d ever seriously considered. Vaughn, who is from the Dene Tha' First Nation, says it was his family’s support that got him here. Since starting law school, he's served as the Indigenous Director of Student Affairs at the UBC Law Students’ Society and found community at Allard.