It was renamed from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law in 2015 to honour a $30M gift from Peter Allard, an alumnus, which followed a 2011 gift from him of about $12M.[4]
Aerial view of Allard Hall, home of Peter A. Allard School of Law, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)
History
UBC offered lectures in law from 1920, but the university's faculty of law was established in 1945,[5] and was served by George F. Curtis (1906–2005) as the founding dean, until he retired in 1971.[6] Because it lacked adequate infrastructure, the law school used army huts from World War II,[7] until a permanent structure was built in 1951, which was named after Curtis;[8] it was replaced by Allard Hall in 2009.[9]
In recognition of a donation from UBC law alumnus Peter A. Allard, the law school was renamed the Peter A. Allard School of Law, on 22 January 2015;[4] previously, it had been named University of British Columbia Faculty of Law.[10] Allard is the son of one-time Edmonton Oilers co-owner, Dr. Charles "Chuck" Allard, who also brought the SCTV sketch comedy television series to Edmonton.[11]
Academics
In 2023, both QS World and Times Higher Education ranked Allard the second-best common law school in the Canada, ranking behind only the University of Toronto.[12] Academically, the school is amongst the most selective in the nation, with a median LSAT score of 166, or the 91st percentile, for the entering class of 2022.[13]
In 2024, the Times Higher Education ranked Allard the third-best law school within Canada, and the 37th in the world.[1]
The school is located at the University of British Columbia's campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2011 it moved out of its former building, a brutalist-style building with malfunctioning heating and cooling and into a new building that had recently been completed.[19] The building cost around $56M; the university used $21M of its own funds and the rest came from donations, including $12M from The Law Foundation of B.C.[10] In 2011 shortly before students and faculty began moving in, Peter Allard, an alumnus, donated about $12 million to the school, with about $10M of it going to complete the capital campaign; the building was named after him.[19]
The Allard Prize was established in 2012 and was initially funded by part of the 2011 gift from Allard[19] and further funded by a subsequent $30M donation by Allard in 2015.[4] The Allard Prize became independent of the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia on 21 June 2019.[20]
The first prize was awarded in 2013, and it is given biennially to an individual, movement or organization that has "demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law".[21] It is one of the world's largest prizes dedicated to the fight against corruption and protecting human rights.[22]
The winner receives CAD$100,000 and an Allard Prize award which is an original work of art;[23][24] Honourable Mention recipients receive an Allard Prize award and may be awarded a cash amount at the discretion of the Allard Prize Committee.[25][26]
Many Allard Prize nominees and recipients have been, and continue to be, subjected to threats, violence, imprisonment and other attacks associated with their anti-corruption and human rights activities.[22][27] One Honourable Mention recipient (Sergei Magnitsky) was nominated posthumously after being tortured and dying in a Russian prison.[28]
Publications
UBC Law Review
The University of British Columbia Law Review is the school's official law review and is published by the UBC Law Review Society. Similar to the Harvard Law Review, the editorial process and business of the Society is run by Juris Doctor students, while manuscripts submitted to the journal are peer-reviewed by professors with specialized knowledge of the subject matter.[29] It was first published in 1949 as a collection of legal essays entitled the UBC Legal Notes. In 1959, it officially became the UBC Law Review. It was incorporated as a non-profit society in 1966. The UBC Law Review is a top ranking scholarly publication in Canada and globally, alongside the University of Toronto Law Journal and McGill Law Journal.[30]
Table of Statutory Limitations
First published in 1955 as a section of the UBC Law Review, the Table of Statutory Limitations has since matured into an annual compendium of legal limitation periods of various statutes. The TSL is published by students at the school.[31]
Annual Review of Insolvency Law
The only Canadian peer-reviewed journal dedicated to insolvency and bankruptcy law. This annual publication offers articles by scholars and practitioners on personal and commercial insolvency law.[32]
First published in 1978, the Canadian Journal of Family Law is Canada's first family law journal. The journal is a biannual interdisciplinary journal that publishes both English and French academic articles on a broad range of issues related to family law. The journal is peer reviewed by an advisory board consisting of legal professionals and academics. It is produced by an editorial staff of students at the school.[33]
Masks: The Online Journal of Law and Theatre
An interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal based at the school. The journal focuses on the intersections of Law and theatre.[34]
UBC International Law Journal
The UBC International Law Journal is an online open access academic journal published by students at the school. The journal was initially created through the UBC International Law Society. The journal publishes exclusively student work, reviewed by students. The first issue was published in November 2008.[35]
Legal Eye newspaper
The Legal Eye is a newspaper published monthly by students at the school. Started in September 2003, the Legal Eye serves as a forum for reporting on news about the Faculty, broader legal community, case commentary, the occasional recipe, book/restaurant/film reviews, event reviews, and for recognizing student activities and achievements.[36]
Thomas Martin Franck, international law scholar and NYU law professor emeritus, former editor-In-chief of the American Journal of International Law.[42][43][44]
^Lampard, Dr. J. Robert "Dr. Charles Alexander Allard", Profiles and Perspectives from Alberta’s Medical History, Alberta Medical Foundation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
^"The Allard Prize". Allard Prize for International Integrity. Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
