The University of Calgary Faculty of Law, at the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

(U of C). is a law school in

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

. The U of C Faculty of Law has approximately 31 full-time faculty and 300 students in the JD program. With 130 first year spots and approximately 1200 applicants per year, this law school has an acceptance rate of less than 10% The U of C is consistently ranked among the top 200 law schools in the world.

History

Calgary College opened the first Faculty of Law in Calgary in 1913. However, the college permanently disbanded at the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

in 1914 . The only law school in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

for the next 62 years was the Faculty of Law at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

. In 1971 an ''ad hoc'' committee with representation from the Bench and the Bar strongly recommended creating the Faculty of Law at the U of C. In 1973, a government committee made the same recommendation to the Alberta Minister of Advanced Education. Both the Calgary Bar and the City of Calgary sought ways to make significant financial contributions for the development of a

law library A law library is a special library used by law students, lawyers, judges and their law clerks, historians and other scholars of legal history in order to research the law. Law libraries are also used by people who draft or advocate for new la ...

. In September 1974, the Ministry of Advanced Education gave its final approval to the proposal for the establishment of the Faculty of Law. The Faculty of Law opened in 1976 with a first-year class of sixty students and nine faculty members. In 2017, the Faculty of Law launched its new five-year strategic plan, ''Energy-Innovation-Impact''.

Deans

The first Dean of the Faculty of Law, John McLaren (U of C honorary degree recipient, 1997), started his five-year appointment in July 1975. In September 1975, Professor Gail Starr was appointed as the Faculty's first librarian. * John McLaren 1975 - 1984 * Margaret Hughes 1984 - 1989 *

Constance Hunt Constance Darlene Hunt (born 11 January 1950) is a Canadian lawyer, legal academic, and judge. Born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970 and a Bachelor of Law degree in 1972 from the University of Saskatchewan ...

1989 - 1992 * Sheilah Martin 1992 - 1996 * Michael Wylie 1996 - 2001 * Patricia Hughes 2001 - 2006 * Alastair Lucas 2006 - 2011 * Ian Holloway 2011–present

JD program

The Faculty of Law's

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...

(JD) program is designed to prepare students for a variety of roles within the legal system. The JD program may be completed in three years of full-time study or six years of part-time study. The academic year is divided into three semesters: * Fall semester: 13 weeks (3 + 10 for first-year students) * January semester: 3 weeks * Winter semester: 10 weeks (late January to March) The program satisfies the requirements of the Law Societies of common law Canada for admission to the practice of law. In 2015, the Faculty of Law launched its new Calgary Curriculum, designed to meet a changing legal marketplace. Admissions for the JD program are based on a variety of factors include GPA,

LSAT The Law School Admission Test (LSAT; ) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension as well as logical and verbal rea ...

score (offered through the

Law School Admission Council The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is a nonprofit organization whose members include more than 200 law schools throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Its headquarters are in Newtown, Pennsylvania (about 15 miles north of Phila ...

), personal interest statement and letters of reference.

LL.M program

The U of C Faculty of Law offers a thesis-based and a course-based LL.M program, and a Post-baccalaureate Certificate. These programs are focused on

Natural Resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. ...

, Energy and

Environmental Law Environmental law is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental Legal doctrine, legal principles, focu ...

. The related topics within the focus area, including

renewable energy law Renewable energy law is a particular kind of energy law, and relates primarily to the transactional legal and policy issues that surround the development, implementation, and commercialization of renewable sources of energy, such as solar, wind, ...

, water law, administrative law, adapting to climate change and regulating GHG emissions, regulatory theory, taxation, corporate law, economics, contract law, international trade and investment law, Aboriginal law,

tort law A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with criminal wrongs that are punishab ...

, environmental ethics,

pollution control Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

, waste management, environmental impact law,

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

, human rights law and

legal theory Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning ...

. Graduate studies at the law school contribute to general academic research, produce legal scholarship, and develop specialized expertise in focus areas of the legal profession. With permission, graduate law students may also take graduate courses in outside faculties as part of the program. A general thesis-based LL.M was introduced in 2017. Admissions for the graduate law programs are granted on a competitive basis by the Faculty of Law in conjunction with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Graduate Studies. In addition to meeting the minimum requirements for the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Law requires a recognized first law degree with a minimum 3.0 average or upper-second class standing. Minimum standards alone are generally not sufficient for successful applicants to this school's' graduate program as the annual LL.M. admissions are capped at a small number, thereby further increasing selectivity.

Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development

The U of C’s Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV) is an interdisciplinary graduate program providing a balanced education related to energy and environmental management. A combined offering through the

Haskayne School of Business The Haskayne School of Business is the University of Calgary's business school, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is named after Richard F. Haskayne, who gave one of the largest endowments to a business school in Canada. The school offers ...

Schulich School of Engineering The Schulich School of Engineering is the accredited engineering school of the University of Calgary located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It currently has 4,610 enrolled students (3,470 undergraduate and 1,140 graduate) and over 150 faculty mem ...

and the Faculties of Law and Environmental Design, SEDV is designed for professionals and students who are seeking a broad-based and comprehensive education in

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as green ...

International Energy Lawyers Program

In 2012, the Faculty of Law launched a joint degree program with the University of Houston Law Center - the International Energy Lawyers Program (IELP). The program allows students to earn both Canadian and American law degrees in just four years, and enables them to apply for admission to bars in both the US and Canada.

Centers, institutes and community involvement

Student Legal Assistance (SLA)

Student Legal Assistance has operated since 1979 in order to provide free legal information and representation to low income residents of Calgary and the surrounding regions. SLA is a non-profit, registered charity organization staffed primarily by U of C law students.

Canadian Institute of Resources Law

The Institute engages in a wide variety of research projects on its own initiative and in response to requests from government and the private sector. Completed studies include

mining law Mining law is the branch of law relating to the legal requirements affecting minerals and mining. Mining law covers several basic topics, including the ownership of the mineral resource and who can work them. Mining is also affected by various ...

in Canada; the application of environmental protection legislation to the forest sector; oil and gas law on Canada lands; and

water law Water resources law (in some jurisdictions, shortened to "water law") is the field of law dealing with the ownership, control, and use of water as a resource. It is most closely related to property law, and is distinct from laws governing wate ...

in Canada. Ongoing research includes legal and policy issues in the areas of

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

, water resource management, the petroleum sector, environmental regulation, international trade and mining.

Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre

The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, founded by Sheldon M. Chumir, was incorporated in 1982 and is affiliated with the Alberta Civil Liberties Association, and the University of Calgary. The Research Centre receives core funding from the Alberta Law Foundation and project funding from private foundations as well as from the federal and provincial governments.

Public Interest Law Clinic

The Public Interest Law Clinic is a

legal clinic A legal clinic (also law clinic or law school clinic) is a legal aid or law school program providing services to various clients and often hands-on-legal experience to law school students. Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors. L ...

at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, created to advocate for the well-being of the public and the environment. Second and third year law students who are taking the PILC clinical course (co-taught by the Executive Director and a Staff Lawyer) provide services to the PILC’s clients. A practicing lawyer, who is licensed and insured by the Law Society of Alberta, supervises the clinic students.

''Journal of Environmental Law and Practice''

The ''Journal of Environmental Law and Practice'', academic and professional journal, the premier refereed periodical on environmental law and policy as evidenced by its numerous citations in various courts including the

Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...

. Edited by Marin Olszynski (LL.M. Berkley) and Sharon Mascher (BCL McGill) of U of C Faculty of Law, along with Meinhard Doelle (Phd Dalhousie) at Dalhousie.

''ABlawg''

''ABlawg'': The University of Calgary Faculty of Law Blog includes commentary by faculty members, sessional instructors, research associates at our affiliated institutes, and students on court and tribunal decisions as well as legislative and policy developments in Alberta and beyond.

References

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Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

Alberta law Environmental law schools University of Calgary Educational institutions established in 1976 1976 establishments in Alberta