Law

at UBC's

Vancouver Campus

At the Peter A. Allard School of Law, you'll receive a first-rate legal education that balances traditional areas of practice with emerging fields of specialization. Your first year will cover common curriculum – with classes in Canadian Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Property Law, Torts, Legal Research and Writing, Public Law and Transnational Law – and your second and third years offer a wide range of courses and many opportunities for specialization.

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Program information

  • Campus: Vancouver
  • Faculty: Peter A. Allard School of Law
  • Degree: Juris Doctor
  • Length 3 yrs
  • Co-op No
    You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
  • Honours No
    You can study intense specialization in a single field.

The Peter A. Allard School of Law is one of Canada’s leading law schools, with a global influence. Innovative researchers, inspiring teachers, and outstanding graduates have established a national reputation and international reach. The Allard School of Law is committed to being one of the world’s great centres for legal education and research.

Your first year will cover common curriculum – with classes in Canadian constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, property law, torts, legal research and writing, public law, and transnational law – and your second and third years offer a wide range of courses and many opportunities for specialization.

Many students choose to complete an academic specialization or concentration, such as:

  • Business law concentration
  • Specialization in Aboriginal law
  • Specialization in environmental and natural resource law
  • Specialization in law and social justice

Experiential learning

Students can participate in numerous clinics and externships to gain real-world experience:

  • Business Law Clinic
  • Criminal Clinic
  • Indigenous Community Legal Clinic
  • Innocence Project
  • International Justice and Human Rights Clinic
  • Judicial Externship
  • Law Student’s Legal Advice Program
  • RISE Women’s Legal Centre

Notable alumni

The Peter A. Allard School of Law’s more than 10,000 alumni include:

  • Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada
  • Ujjal Dosanjh, former Premier of British Columbia and former Canadian Minister of Health, currently serving as MP for Vancouver South
  • Mike Harcourt, former Premier of British Columbia
  • Lance Finch, Chief Justice of British Columbia
  • Frank Iacobucci, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
  • Wally Oppal, former BC Supreme Court Judge
  • Steven L. Point, BC Lieutenant-Governor
  • Kim Baird, former Chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation
  • Alfred Scow, the first Aboriginal lawyer called to the BC bar

Life at UBC's Vancouver campus

Allard Hall creates a welcoming and inspiring place of learning and research for students, faculty, staff, and the wider legal community. The facility is a beautiful, light-filled, four-storey, 141,000-square-foot building with spacious, contemporary classrooms, dedicated group study rooms, and abundant informal learning spaces.

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Your future

A UBC education will introduce you to people and ideas from around the world, open doors to new opportunities, and take you places you never imagined. You’ll graduate not only with expertise in your chosen field, but with the skills you need to continue growing, learning, and evolving with your career over time.

UBC Vancouver, Alumni, Duncan McCue, CBC's The National

UBC stories

"My UBC legal training has made me a more astute journalist. The Aboriginal students I met at UBC Law School continue to be some of my closest friends and have been invaluable contacts for reporting on First Nations issues."

Duncan McCue, Law Read the full story