Nicole Green awarded Law Society of British Columbia Gold Medal

For Nicole Green, some of the most valuable lessons in law school happened outside the traditional classroom. Through placements at the Law Centre, research assistantships and involvement with the Environmental Law Centre, Green built a foundation for a career in public interest law all while maintaining the highest academic standing in her graduating class.

Green is the recipient of the Law Society of British Columbia Gold Medal, awarded annually to the graduating students from each B.C. law school who received highest cumulative grade point average in their respective programs.

Being awarded this year’s Gold Medal at the spring 2026 convocation ceremony will conclude Green’s time at UVic Law, a journey that fostered her longstanding curiosity of public interest and environmental law and helped shape that passion into a career path.

Originally from Alberta, Green moved to B.C. in 2018 to attend the University of British Columbia Okanagan, where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During her undergraduate studies, she sought out co-op placement at a law firm in Kelowna to explore whether a legal career was the right fit.

“I've always had an interest in law but, prior to university, hadn't had any exposure to how it would look as a career,” says Green. “Working summers during my undergrad in a legal assistant role really spurred my interest in law more seriously.”

When it came time to choose a law school, UVic stood out for its focus on public interest and environmental law and its options for practical learning opportunities.

“I have always been broadly interested in public interest law and more specifically in environmental law, so seeing the work being done by Environmental Law Centre and the Law Centre excited me about UVic,” says Green.

Those opportunities quickly became central to her law school experience. Green secured a placement at the Law Centre during her second year and became involved with the Environmental Law Centre and the Environmental Law Club.

“I loved my term at the Law Centre, I think it really let me meet people that are doing the kind of work that I'm interested in doing in the future,” she says. “It let me make those connections and also see how that operates day to day.”

While hands-on learning was giving Green the opportunity to make connections and learn from experts in her field, she was also developing an interest in legal research. Following her first year, Green worked as a research assistant with several faculty members, including Professor Gillian Calder. The experience sparked a lasting interest in legal scholarship and helped shape her future plans.

“Working as a research assistant really solidified my interest in legal research in general, then gaining that experience excited me to apply to clerk as well,” she says.

Under Calder’s supervision, Green completed her major research paper, which examined Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and argued for the recognition of a positive right to equality in Canada.

“Making connections in law school is helpful in lots of ways, but especially in terms of having people to talk to in order to figure out your own path in law,” she says. “Having that mentorship has been so valuable to me.”

This fall, Green will begin clerking at the British Columbia Supreme Court in Victoria, where she looks forward to working across a broad range of legal issues while continuing to explore her interests in public interest and environmental law.