Allard Law’s first-ever student award for incoming Black Canadian law students
In 2021, the Honourable Judge David St. Pierre, the Honourable Selwyn Romilly (LLB ’66), Matthew Nathanson (LLB ’97), Irwin Nathanson, KC and Joanie McEwen (LLB ’75) established Allard Law’s first student award dedicated to supporting incoming Black Canadian JD students. The $225,000 fund, which includes a contribution from UBC, will support 15 incoming law students with their tuition and fees over five years.
The donors say they were motivated to establish the award to help meet the pressing need for greater representation of Black lawyers and judges in the legal profession. They said in a statement: “Issues of racial inequality must be addressed with more than just words. We hope this student award will provide a gateway to more Black voices being heard in the legal profession. This is an important first step towards real, substantive change.”
Supporting future Indigenous lawyers
Through a $1-million estate gift, Linda Hull (LLB ’86) and her late husband Peter Hull (LLB ’73) established an endowed fund at Allard Law to provide bursaries and program support for future Indigenous law students. “It is my sincere hope that Indigenous law students will benefit from this permanent funding,” shared Hull. “From our experience in the criminal court system, we felt that Indigenous lawyers can better understand and represent Indigenous people before the court.”
Helping law students of Asian heritage overcome the barriers to legal education
Reflecting on the challenges they faced beginning their own legal studies, Maria Kim-Bautista (JD ’13) and Nicco Bautista (JD ’13) established an endowment to provide annual awards to students of Asian heritage who are the first in their family to go to law school or who have overcome barriers to entering the profession. “We see this award as us doing our part to show students of Asian heritage that they do belong here at Allard,” said Bautista. “This award signals that there’s a place for people like us.”
Visit the Peter A. Allard School of Law Website to learn more.
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