Announcements and events

On February 7, 2023, the Black Professionals Leadership (BPL) Program – founded by UVic Law professor Dr. Irehobhude Iyioha (Ireh Iyioha) – will be hosting the second ever Black History Month (BHM) celebration at the University of Victoria. The theme of this year’s BHM event, which focuses on Black Excellence, couldn’t be more apt as the BPL has recently received an award of $690,000 over three years to continue its programming. The Racial Justice Grant, awarded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia.

When UVic’s Faculty of Law was established in 1975, a driving vision of the new law school was an emphasis on public interest law and providing students experiential learning opportunities to integrate legal theory, legal skills and community service. Two years later, the Law Centre was born as part of that vision and quickly evolved into a robust student clinical law program serving the needs of vulnerable clients in the community, and a national model of excellence in hands-on legal education. Today, with more than 45 years of service, we look back at the Law Centre’s legacy of impact and advocacy and look forward to its bright future of continuing to lead positive change in the legal landscape of Canada.

New Indigenous law workshops and educational offerings, in-person and in-community as well as online, articling positions for Indigenous law students, an immersive model of community-based Indigenous legal education and so much more will be made possible by major, multi-year funding from the Law Foundation of British Columbia.

We are delighted to announce that Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger will be joining the Faculty of Law as a Limited Term Professor in January 2023 for a one-year term. This is a half-time position that aligns with Prof. Cordonier Segger’s distinguished visiting professorship at Yale Law School, and her visiting chair in sustainable development law at the University of Cambridge.

First year JD/JID students Jack Welsh and Eva Streitz recently travelled to Allard Law at UBC to compete in the annual Environmental Law Negotiation Competition, open to law students from UVic, UBC and TRU. With tough competition from 15 teams, Welsh and Streitz earned first prize, cited by the judges for their articulate and passionate defense of Indigenous laws and title, and an approach rooted in strong legal principles from both Canadian Common Law and Indigenous legal orders.

On November 10, 2022, UVic Law and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) are hosting a joint event in UVic Law’s Fraser building focussed on equity, diversity, inclusion and civil rights in the legal profession. High school and post-secondary students, as well as educators are welcome. Students will have a chance to critically examine important rights issues from multiple perspectives as they engage directly with legal and Charter experts who are working to make positive social change and challenging systemic barriers across the country.

At the 2022 annual general meeting of the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, Dr. Val Napoleon was elected Chair of the Board of Directors, after serving for the past three years on the Board. “I’m thrilled, it is an honour to serve with a team of talented and dedicated colleagues,” says Dr. Napoleon. “The Urgent Action Fund is an organization with incredible reach and impact around the world in support of women and girls. We mobilize people and resources to make an immediate and tangible impact on the safety and security of women and girls around the world, and we defend and advocate for the improvement of women and girl’s rights where the needs are greatest.”

The book, Milward’s third, explores the lasting fallout from the Indian residential school system in Canada and the history of violence and intergenerational trauma which is a key contributing factor to the current crisis of Indigenous over-incarceration in the criminal justice system.

Professor Ted McDorman has served with distinction at UVic’s Faculty of Law since 1985, “with time off for good behaviour,” he says humorously, while sharing fascinating stories about far-flung work assignments that made him in high demand for his legal expertise around the world.

Distinguished Professor Gerry Ferguson combines the youthful passion and curiosity more commonly associated with a lawyer just beginning his career, with the wisdom, humility and ‘can do’ attitude of a confident senior leader in his field who has seen and done it all. Well loved and respected for his many career accomplishments in teaching, scholarship and administrative leadership as well as his dedicated, long-term mentorship of students and younger colleagues, Ferguson is retiring this summer after an incredible 45 years with UVic’s Faculty of Law.

The UVic Faculty of Law presents: Indigenous Law: Today and Tomorrow with John Borrows and Val Napoleon 7:30 p.m. Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria. Join Chancellor Shelagh Rogers, Indigenous leaders, community members, and scholars to mark this historic moment as we celebrate the launch of the world’s first Indigenous law degree. Dr. Borrows will explore Salish Law and Land: Lessons Learned and Dr. Napoleon will look at the future of Indigenous Law: Fast Forward. This free public lecture has reserved seating.

Shiri Pasternak presents "What is colonialism that does not dispossess? Ecologies of Care and Supply at Barriere Lake." This presentation examines the materialities of colonialism from the perspective of a present-day Algonquin community in northern Quebec.

Join us in celebrating the Law Class of '93! This reunion will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with fellow grads! Saturday, September 15, 2018 4:00 pm: Meet and greet with classmates and former professors in the Fraser Building 6:00 pm: Dinner & Dance at the University Club Cost: $125 per person (includes catering, gratuity and taxes) Sunday, September 16, 2018 10:00 am: Golf (optional, not included in above price) at Cordova Bay Golf Course If you have any questions, please contact Liz Eby, Law Alumni Relations Officer at lawalum@uvic.ca or 250-853-3518.