On January 22, 2015, UBC Law alumnus Peter A. Allard, QC, donated $30 million to UBC’s Faculty of Law, the largest gift ever to a Canadian law school. In recognition of his gift, which will enable the faculty to build on its reputation for championing human rights and social justice, the university will rename the law school the Peter A. Allard School of Law.
The announcement event included remarks from Mr. Allard, Dean Mary Anne Bobinski, President Arvind Gupta, and Law Student Society President Andrea Fraser. See Mr. Allard’s speech from the official announcement at Norman Mackenzie House and Mr. Allard’s speech from the faculty and student celebration event at Allard Hall. Learn more about what inspired Mr. Allard's transformational gift from an interview that was conducted a few days in advance of the official announcement.
UBC honoured Mr. Allard and celebrated the renaming of the school at a ceremony today in Vancouver.
Mr. Allard’s historic donation will bring unprecedented benefits to students and faculty – both now and in the future – by establishing permanent endowments to support:
- faculty recruitment and retention to ensure students learn from some of the world’s greatest legal minds
- student initiatives such as entrance awards, summer employment and enhanced admissions practices
- student experiential learning programs and clinical opportunities for students to learn practical skills.
The gift will also enable the Allard School of Law to build on its reputation for championing human rights through the Allard Prize for International Integrity. The Allard Prize that was launched in 2012 and became independent of the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia on June 21, 2019.
In addition, UBC’s law school has launched a $10-million fundraising campaign to encourage alumni and friends to join Mr. Allard in supporting the law school.
A lawyer, businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Allard received his B.A. from UBC in 1968 and his LL.B. from UBC in 1971. After graduation he practiced law for 20 years, founding his own law firm, Allard and Co. Since then, he has participated in a broad variety of business enterprises. Mr. Allard has also held leadership roles in human rights, environmental advocacy and other philanthropic work. In 1993, he established The Highbury Foundation, which has supported medical research and the purchase of medical equipment, and scholarships and buildings for universities and colleges in Western Canada.
“As a proud UBC alumnus, I am pleased to make an investment today that will enable students to pursue a profession that strives to create a more just society,” Mr. Allard said. “My intention is to create a permanent and growing revenue stream that will help to recruit and retain outstanding faculty members, provide support to ensure that the most promising students are able to participate, and ensure that exceptional learning programs are offered. My gift supports pillars of excellence in human rights, and international integrity and ethics, and my hope is that the law school will become a beacon for justice, and the promotion of human rights and the rule of law around the world.”
UBC President Arvind Gupta said the university is deeply grateful for Mr. Allard’s vision and commitment to the Allard School of Law.
“This extraordinary gift will allow UBC to offer an unprecedented student experience, helping to nurture future leaders for generations to come,” said Gupta, who noted that this investment by Mr. Allard represents the largest individual donation to UBC’s $1.5-billion start an evolution fundraising and alumni engagement campaign.
Mary Anne Bobinski, Dean of the Allard School of Law, hopes that Mr. Allard’s generous gift will inspire other alumni and friends to contribute to the continued growth of one of the world’s great law schools.
“Peter Allard has demonstrated a singular, unwavering commitment to the transformative power of legal education and research, nationally and globally. His passion for justice is reflected in his support for the Allard Prize for International Integrity and programs that will give current and future students the knowledge, skills and grounding in ethics that are essential to leadership,” Bobinski said.
This is the second time that Mr. Allard has made a significant donation to the law school.
Other projects that Mr. Allard has championed through his earlier gift of $11.86 million include the construction of Allard Hall, the creation of the law school's History Project, and the launch of the Allard Prize for International Integrity. Established in 2012 at the University of British Columbia, and funded by donations from Mr. Peter A. Allard, Q.C., the CAD $100,000 Allard Prize for International Integrity is awarded biennially to an individual, movement or organization that has demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption or protecting human rights, especially through promoting transparency, accountability, and the Rule of Law. The Allard Prize was launched in 2012 and became independent of the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia on June 21, 2019.
Mr. Allard’s commitments to the faculty to date total approximately $40 million and, with $10 million in donor matching funds, will yield approximately $50 million in total donations for the law school.
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Translated versions of this release are available in the following languages: French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, German, Portuguese and Arabic.