Backgrounder: Tula Foundation's $2.75 Million Grant To UVic Law Expands Environmental Law Teaching And Research
The Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law
In 1996, Professor Chris Tollefson of the University of Victoria Faculty of Law established the Environmental Law Centre (ELC). For the past 15 years, this remarkable institution has been in the forefront of environmental law reform and public interest advocacy in Canada. The ELC has represented numerous clients (including First Nations groups and environmental organizations) in high-profile cases in the courts and before tribunals and public inquiries. Through its clinical programs, the ELC has provided specialized legal education to hundreds of UVic students who are interested in practising law in this rapidly growing field.
Not long after the ELC’s inception, its cutting-edge advocacy work attracted the attention of the Tula Foundation, a family-held organization dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability — particularly of sensitive ecosystems along the British Columbia coast. In February 2006, the Tula Foundation provided funding to help support the ELC’s teaching and advocacy efforts for five years. This mutually beneficial relationship allowed the ELC to hire a full-time legal director (Calvin Sandborn) and a full-time office administrator (Holly Pattison). Deborah Curran later joined the team as its program director, creating and running the successful “intensive stream” portion of the Environmental Law Clinic.
Over the years, the ELC has delivered an unparalleled standard of environmental law education to hundreds of UVic Law students and has assisted a wide variety of clients. Many lawyers who currently practise environmental law in B.C. honed their skills in this innovative teaching centre.
More information about The University of Victoria Faculty of Law is available at www.law.uvic.ca. More information about the Environmental Law Centre is available at www.elc.uvic.ca.
The Tula Foundation and the Hakai Beach Institute
Eric Peterson and Christina Munck established the Tula Foundation in 2002. They share UVic Law’s commitment to environmental law, public service and — above all — teaching and research. Their passion for educating students and increasing awareness of environmental issues lies at the very heart of the Tula Foundation. The foundation is headquartered at Heriot Bay on Quadra Island, British Columbia.
Hakai has been a traditional gathering place for the people of the Central Coast for thousands of years and it is within easy reach of a remarkably diverse set of ecosystems. In 2009, Peterson and Munck established the Hakai Beach Institute on the northern tip of Calvert Island as a non-profit teaching, research and conference centre. The institute is situated on 215 acres in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. Its work focuses primarily on environmental issues and the needs of Central Coast communities. The Hakai Beach Institute has established dynamic partnerships with several BC universities and colleges, local schools, First Nations groups and other organizations to foster expertise and leadership in these areas.
More information about the Tula Foundation is available at www.tula.org. More information about the Hakai Beach Institute is available at www.hakai.org.
The Environmental Law and Sustainability program at UVic Law
The University of Victoria Faculty of Law is the recognized leader in environmental law in Canada. The new Environmental Law and Sustainability Program will enhance this expertise and allow students to broaden the scope of their studies.
Students in the Environmental Law and Sustainability Program will participate in the clinical program and take other courses in environmental law and sustainability, such as water law, municipal law and sustainability, forest law, energy law and sustainability, and interdisciplinary courses in law and environmental science. As the program develops, students will have the opportunity to take summer session courses based at the Hakai Beach Institute.
Students who successfully complete the Environmental Law and Sustainability Program requirements will have that designation noted on their degree.