“We are very excited at the opportunities created by this partnership,” said Avi Soifer, Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law. “UBC is an ideal fit for us, and the program offers wonderful immediate possibilities for our students as well as possible cooperative ventures in the future between our faculty members and our two great universities.”
UBC's Peter A Allard School of Law and the University of Hawai’i William S. Richardson School of Law signed a joint legal education agreement at a ceremony on Friday, July 17, 2009 at the University of Hawai’i. The agreement established a joint legal education program, which opened doors for graduates to practice law in both Canada and the United States. Thanks to this agreement, students may complete two years of study at UBC and two years of study at the University of Hawai’i and receive J.D. degrees from both institutions. Students who successfully complete the program receive J.D. degrees from both institutions and thus will be eligible -- subject to admission and completion of the professional course requirements – to seek admission to law practice in both the United States and Canada.
The agreement established a new and important legal education partnership between two law schools offering strong domestic law programs as well as linkages to Asia and beyond. “This is an exciting collaborative effort,” said Dean Mary Anne Bobinski. “We expect that students participating in the program will greatly benefit from exposure to the laws of both jurisdictions and from the expanded mobility and practice opportunities. In addition, UBC and UH’s shared strengths in environmental, Asian, and indigenous law will provide new opportunities for creative learning and collaboration.”
Speaking to the partnership, UBC Associate Vice-President International Craig Evan Klafter said “we are extremely pleased to partner with the University of Hawai’i William S. Richardson School of Law. This program will prepare students to pursue the practice of law in both Canada and the United States, and facilitate further economic ties between Canada and Hawai’i.”