ENVISION • EXPLORE • EXCEL
+ Dean’s Message When it comes to your future, we’ve got connections. Connections to accomplished faculty at the top of their field who will challenge, engage, and inspire you to succeed. Connections to an extensive network of friends and alumni who will provide invaluable support throughout your career. Connections to the ways you can make a difference in the world through unselfish public service. You will leave this place a different person than when you arrived: armed with a critical mind and a solid foundation in the law. You’ll be amazed by your new friendships, your growth, your potential, and your capacity to contribute to – and shape – the world around you. We look forward to welcoming you to our remarkable community.
CAMILLE CAMERON Dean and Weldon Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law
1883 Founding year
ALUMNI AROUND THE GLOBE
The Schulich School of Law is the oldest university-affiliated law school in Canada and the model on which most others were based.
CLOSE TO HOME AND AROUND THE GLOBE, THE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF LAW OPENS A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR GRADUATES.
170 First-year class WE ARE HERE...
YOU ARE HERE
14:1 Student/full-time faculty ratio
Average age of incoming students
% of students from outside NS
% of students who receive financial aid
$2 MILLION Scholarships given per year
50/50 gender balance
AND EVERYWHERE
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES We believe that an essential part of a legal education is learning about the larger role law plays in the world around us. Our global learning program enables third-year students to put their Canadian legal education in a global context. You can study for a term at one of our partner institutions.
North America Europe Africa Australia Asia Quebec Arizona California Massachusetts Texas Mexico United Kingdom Norway Sweden
The Netherlands Germany Spain South Africa India China Australia Singapore New Zealand
In addition to being named one of Canada’s top three law schools in Corporate Knights’ 2011 Knight Schools Survey, our engaged and community-minded students took top marks for best practices in student-led initiatives.
BE WELL CONNECTED Attending the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie goes beyond choosing one of the most prestigious and comprehensive legal educations in North America. It means you are choosing to make an invaluable investment in growing your strengths as a professional, in expanding horizons you may never have thought existed, in taking control of your vision for the future, and in joining a long tradition of graduates committed to unselfish public service. By starting here, you will be well prepared to go anywhere and do anything.
Ask alumni what one of the best things about attending the Schulich School of Law was and they will likely answer: “Halifax.” A vibrant, diverse, oceanfront city, Halifax is the perfect size and personality for enhancing the lives of the more than 30,000 students attending the six universities here. This concentration of students injects Halifax with an optimistic energy and the city gives back by welcoming, encouraging, and inspiring newcomers to experience our unique way of life and make it their own. As the capital of beautiful Nova Scotia, Halifax is large enough to offer a wide range of experiences – arts & culture, sports, culinary, outdoor recreation, and a fantastically diverse and famous music scene – while being small enough to make it easy for people to become part of the community and feel like they belong. While the expression ”east coast charm” may seem like a cliché, once you’ve been here, you’ll realize that it’s actually an understatement.
WE’RE CLOSE* 1.5 hrs from New York 2 hrs from Toronto 5 hrs from Calgary 6 hrs from London 7 hrs from Vancouver *Approximate flight times
Halifax Town Clock on Citadel Hill
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
We’re Mild-Mannered Our coastal location means our summers are comfortably warm and our winters are milder than most parts of Canada.
We’ve Got a Huge Welcome Mat Our population is internationally diverse and our residents are more than just friendly — they welcome the contribution other cultures make to life in Nova Scotia.
We’ve Got Pride Halifax is home to an active LGBTQ community, and both the city and Dalhousie University take strides to ensure everyone feels included, safe, and supported.
Samba Nova, Brazilian community percussion group
Wetspot, Pride closing party
Jill D’Alessio JD ‘15 Articling clerk at Carter Ford LLP, Former Olympic sprint kayaker, twotime Pan American Games champion
“Schulich Law allowed me to build a network from the moment I stepped into my first class. Whether it was with other students, former students, legal practitioners, or the professors, these relationships will continue long after graduation. Just as I felt supported while in school, this network extends to a deeply rooted alumni base that I feel very fortunate to be a part of.”
Photo credit: Rachael Kelly
Our internationally acclaimed faculty deliver a strong foundation in the practice of law as well as a range of course options and specialized degrees. Tailor your legal education to fit your passion and ambition.
JD PROGRAM A Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the Schulich School of Law is your connection to a successful career. Recognized around the world, it symbolizes hard work, an analytical mind, and a comprehensive understanding of legal foundations.
Jim Cunningham JD ‘14 “My clinical experience was an important moment of validation in my law school career. My resolve upon entering articles was renewed because of the mentorship I received under the clinic’s team of lawyers and legal professionals alike. I think the clinic’s success also lies in the support readily given to students by the wider Halifax legal community, and by justices and court staff who understand the uncertainty, stress – and thrill – of preparing for, and appearing in, courtroom settings.”
COMBINED AND JOINT PROGRAMS In association with Dalhousie, one of the top-ranked research universities in Canada, you can combine your JD with a master’s degree in one of five partner programs. Juris Doctor and: • Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) • Master of Health Administration (JD/MHA) • Master of Journalism (JD/MJ) *NEW and unique in Canada* • Master of Library and Information Science (JD/MLIS) • Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA)
SPECIALIZATION AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS Marine and Environmental Law Health Law and Policy Law and Technology* Business Law * Informal area of concentration
LEADING RESEARCH INSTITUTES Health Law Institute Law and Technology Institute Marine and Environmental Law Institute
Photo credit: Chris Friel
CAREER DEVELOPMENT At the Schulich School of Law, we want to provide you with the very best legal education and give you the tools to transform that education into a successful career. Our Career Development Office (CDO) kick-starts this process by meeting with every first-year student to discuss career plans, alternative careers in law, résumé development, and interview preparation. Various networking events like career fairs, alumni evenings, professional development, and mixers with members of the legal community give you an opportunity to connect with others who share similar career interests. With over 7,000 alumni living across Canada and beyond, our CDO supports your aspirations to practice law anywhere in Canada and around the world.
REAL LAW, REAL LIFE, REAL LEARNING Home to Canada’s first clinical law program, we offer many opportunities to transcend the theory of law and experience its practical application in action. Choose from more than a dozen placement, clinical practice, and advocacy skills courses. Whether you choose the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, the Clinical Class in Criminal Law, or the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia Placement, our program connects you to the reality of how law is practiced and how it can be used to create change, and it gives you a taste of life as a legal professional.
ENGAGING • CHALLENGING • INSPIRING
The faculty at the Schulich School of Law are world renowned for their knowledge of law, their pursuit of excellence in interpreting legal issues, and most importantly, for their impassioned approach to engaging students. They come from the hallowed halls of universities like Oxford, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and the Sorbonne and include Rhodes, Fulbright, and Trudeau Scholars among them. As academics and practitioners, they have shaped the front lines of the law and been instrumental in the development of groundbreaking policy. What this impressive collection of academics and practitioners has in common is that they chose the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie. They chose you. This is a place where your professors know your name and your work, and are eager to both support and challenge you.
Professor Naiomi Metallic BA Hons (Dalhousie), LLB (Dalhousie), LLL (Ottawa), LLM (Osgoode), Chancellor’s Chair in Aboriginal Law and Policy, Named to the 2016 “Best Lawyer in Canada” list in Aboriginal law
“After a rewarding practice in Aboriginal law as a Mi’kmaq lawyer, I moved to academia to continue my work for First Nations in a different way – through teaching, writing, and speaking about the issues facing Aboriginal peoples in Canada, and how the law can be used as a tool for reconciliation and improving the lives of Indigenous peoples. Dalhousie was the obvious choice for me, given its commitment to community through the Indigenous Blacks & Mi’kmaq Initiative (of which I am a proud alumna), the Weldon tradition of giving back, and its location on Mi’kmaw territory.”
Photo credit: Rachael Kelly
HERE, GREAT FACULTY IS THE LAW.
Professor Jonathon Penney
Professor Michelle Williams
Professor Geoffrey Loomer
Professor Wayne MacKay
BA (Dalhousie), JD (Dalhousie), LLM (Columbia – Fulbright Scholar), MST (Oxford – Mackenzie King Scholar), PhD (Oxford), Fellow, Berkman Center – Harvard University, Research Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs, U of T
BSW (Dalhousie), LLB (Toronto), LLM (NYU), Director, Indigenous Blacks and Mi’kmaq Initiative
BSc (Victoria), LLB (UBC), BCL (Oxford), DPhil (Oxford) Fellow, European Union Centre of Excellence, International Research Affiliate, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation
CM, QC, Yogis & Keddy Chair in Human Rights Law, Voted one of Canadian Lawyer magazine’s “Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers”
“My graduate studies and work took me to several universities abroad, including three law schools on three different continents. This was a rich and life-shaping experience, but in the end, I managed to find my way back to Dal — lured, still, by its strong sense of community and public duty coupled with a truly national orientation.”
“To me, the greatest gift about working at Dalhousie — and in Nova Scotia and Mi’kma’ki more broadly — is engaging with African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaw students and our communities on justice issues. The histories and cultures are enormously rich and have a lot to teach us.”
“After practicing law for six years and pursuing graduate research for four years, I was determined to join a law school that best combined theory and practice in legal education. Having lived and worked in various parts of Canada and the United Kingdom, I wanted to be part of something that had both a national and international reach. I found all of this at Dalhousie. What’s more, a short drive from Halifax brings me to some of the best surfing in Canada.”
“The best thing about Schulich is the quality and diversity of our students. We have one of the most national student bodies, and our Indigenous Blacks and Mi’kmaq Initiative greatly enriches the law school community. I’ve been teaching at Dal since 1979 and the Weldon Tradition of unselfish public service is one of the reasons I chose to be here. A law degree is a privilege, and we must use our skills to make the world a better place. Our grads take this commitment seriously.”
A “daring experiment” is how Dean Richard Chapman Weldon referred to Dalhousie’s Law School on opening day in 1883.
He envisioned a very different kind of school, one that not only provided students with a foundation in the practice of law, but also instilled a sense of the power and responsibility of using law as a tool for social change. Dean Weldon believed that every lawyer, regardless of area of practice, had an obligation to use their knowledge of the law to serve the community for the greater good. This belief came to be known as the “Weldon Tradition,” and more than 130 years later, it remains in our DNA. In classrooms and study groups, from professor to student, and among new graduates and well-established alumni, the Weldon Tradition is honoured and practiced. It’s about community, unselfish public service, and affecting positive change. Mount Allison University Archives – Ref. 2007.07/185
An excellent example of the Weldon Tradition living on more than 130 years later is the not-for-profit Artists’ Legal Information Society (ALIS). Founded in 2010 by Daniel Pink (’11) and a group of law students who recognized that artists often face unique legal issues but may not have the right tools to address them, ALIS provides free legal services to artists in Atlantic Canada. Lawyers like Kelsey McLaren ( ‘11), Noémi Westergard (’11), and Daniel Pink generously give time and expertise to help artists with issues like copyright, intellectual property, contracts, and royalties. Access to dedicated legal help ensures that artists’ voices are heard and that their interests are protected.
STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Round out your legal education through internships in many different types of organizations in Canada and around the world at NGOs, think tanks, businesses, governments, and charities. The coveted Pamela and Andrew Brands International Internship in Law gives first-year students an opportunity to spend part of the summer working for a prestigious global law firm in London, England, and part of the summer with an international NGO.
Photo credit: Lisa Neily, Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
Kevin Landry (‘16) “My summer internship took me from the slums of Phnom Penh in Cambodia to the glass towers of Shoreditch in London. I saw two very different — and equally necessary — sides of the work lawyers do: from the corporate work that helps drive modern economies to the advocacy and human rights work that improves freedom and liberty. This internship exposed me to a network of fantastic colleagues, a potential new career, a depth of new ideas, and a series of challenges I was proud to surmount.”
Kevin Landry fact checking a research report at the Open Institute in Cambodia
MENTOR • ASPIRE • SUPPORT
Megan Leslie LLB ‘04 Senior Advisor, National Oceans Governance, World Wildlife Fund Former Member of Parliament, Halifax Former NDP Deputy Leaderand Environment Critic
“More than just the degree, I’m grateful for my education at Dal. It opened up new ways of looking at the world that have fundamentally changed my approach to social, environmental, and economic justice.”
Photo credit: Riley Smith
Dr Pamela Palmater
LLM ‘99, JSD ‘09 Mi’kmaq lawyer and activist, Ryerson professor and Chair in Indigenous Governance, Named to Canadian Lawyer’s 2013 “25 Most Influential” list, 2012 Bertha Wilson Honour Society Inductee
“The professors at Dal are not just trained in law, they are activists in their own right. I am thankful to Dal for giving me some of the tools I needed to pursue my own advocacy efforts.”
Kim Pate
LLB ‘84 Executive Director, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, 2009 Canadian Bar Association’s Touchstone Award Recipient, 2003 Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service Recipient
“At Dal, I met students, professors, and other staff who remain some of my closest friends and mentors. Working at the clinic launched me on a social justice trajectory for which I am extremely grateful. I recommend Dal to everyone.”
Jade Buchanan
JD ‘11 MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP, Regina, Clerked for Chief Justice Klebuc, Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan
“The advantage I knew I would get from Dalhousie was a degree that would distinguish me at home. That has absolutely been the case. The advantage I didn’t expect is that I now have friends in every city in Canada.”
Abbey (Junior) Sirivar LLB ‘02 McCarthy Tétrault, Toronto, 2010 Lexpert Zenith Award Recipient
“Students from each and every province in the country comprised our graduating class. There was a diversity of perspective that has proven to be an enduring part of the education we received.”
Mentor Program Many of the most accomplished professionals attribute part of their success to their relationship with a great mentor. A mentor can be your connection to experienced advice, guiding support, and valuable career opportunities. We have a network of alumni mentors across Canada from a broad section of practice areas who are eager to share their experience and insight. To give you the best possible start, we offer every first-year student the opportunity to be matched with a recent Schulich School of Law alumnus. So whether you want to work for the public prosecution in Yellowknife, in securities law on Bay Street, or in international diplomatic service, we’ve got the connections to help you get there.
CONNECT TO WHAT’S IMPORTANT NOVEMBER 30 All completed applications received by November 30th will be given early consideration for admission and all entrance scholarships.
FEBRUARY, JUNE, OCTOBER, DECEMBER The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is administered four times a year at designated testing centres.
FEBRUARY 28 Deadline to complete your application (subject to filing LSAT scores, the current year’s academic transcript, and letters of reference).
CALL Speak directly to Rose Godfrey, Director of Admissions and Outreach, about all your Schulich School of Law questions. T: 902.494.2068 E: law.admissions@dal.ca W: dal.ca/law/apply