Schulich School of Law
Introduction
The Schulich School of Law is the oldest university common law school in the British Commonwealth. From its inception in 1883, the school has sought to perpetuate the vision of its founder and long-term Dean, Richard Chapman Weldon, a vision which encompasses a solid preparation for the practice of law and which encourages respect for and participation in public life. Despite its regional base, Dalhousie is perceived as a “national” law school and encourages applicants from all parts of Canada. Indeed, over the years, graduates of Dalhousie have had a distinguished influence on the development of law, legal education, and public institutions throughout Canada. The JD degree from Dalhousie is recognized for the purposes of Bar admission in all Canadian provinces.
The Law School is located in the Weldon Law Building on the main university campus. Designed to meet the special needs of law students and staff, the building contains lecture and seminar rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and lounge space for students and staff. The Sir James Dunn Law Library, opened in 1989, houses a collection of over 202,000 volumes of common law materials and legal periodicals, including a significant selection of international legal materials, and a fast-growing marine and environmental law section. The marine and environmental law holdings represent one of the best collections of its kind in the world, attracting scholars from many countries. The law school publishes the Dalhousie Law Journal, a well-respected legal periodical.
The full-time JD program at Dalhousie entails three years of study. The first-year program consists entirely of compulsory courses, while the second and third-year programs include, for the most part, elective courses. The first year program consists of the following seven courses: Contracts and Judicial Decision-Making; Criminal Justice: The Individual and the State; Fundamentals of Public Law; Legal Research and Writing; Property in its Historical Context; Tort Law and Damage Compensation; Introduction to Legal Ethics and the Regulation of the Legal Profession; Aboriginal and Indigenous Law in Context; African Nova Scotian Legal History, Issues and Critical Race Theory; and Law in its National and International Context. The second-year required courses are Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law. The upper year required course is The Legal Profession and Professional Responsibility. As well, students in second and third year are required to complete at least one “major paper” course per year as well as a course falling into the “oral advocacy” basket.
A limited number of students are permitted to complete their JD on a part-time basis, subject to more detailed regulations set out below. The intent of this program is to accommodate the special needs of individuals for whom three years of full-time attendance at Law School might be prohibitive or cause hardship.
The Law School is home to the Dalhousie Health Justice Institute, the Law and Technology Institute, and the Marine & Environmental Law Institute. For details, please consult the section on “Centres and Institutes” in this calendar.
The Schulich School of Law has an active clinical law program, which includes the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service. Through its community law office in downtown Halifax, the Clinic provides legal aid services to low-income clients in the Halifax-Dartmouth area. Students, lawyers, and paralegals work on cases for individual clients and also work in areas of community development, preventive law, and law reform, all under the supervision of staff lawyers and faculty members. The Clinic also acts as a teaching centre for third-year students. The law school also offers other clinical experiences, in the areas of criminal law, technology law, and tax law. Students receive academic credit for participating in clinical programs.
Schulich Law, in conjunction with several other faculties, offers five combined degree programs. The JD/MBA program allows students to obtain the Juris Doctor degree and the Master of Business Administration in four years instead of the five which would be required to take the degrees separately. The JD/MPA (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration), the JD/MI (Juris Doctor/Master of Library and Information Studies), the JD/MHA (Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration), and the JD/MJ (Juris Doctor/Master of Journalism) are similarly structured to permit the completion of the two degrees in four years. Students intending to apply to any of the combined programs should inquire directly with the Registrar's Office, Dalhousie University.
Students have the opportunity to participate in several mooting programs. All upper-year students are required to take at least one course focusing on oral advocacy. Of those who choose the “Appellate Advocacy” course in their second year, the best mooters may have the opportunity to compete in the following year’s Smith Shield Moot, a prestigious Dalhousie award. As well, students can participate in the Jessup International Moot Court Competition, a world-wide competition on a problem of international law, the Bowman National Tax Moot, the Kawaskimhon Aboriginal Rights Moot, the Laskin Moot (an administrative-constitutional moot), a Securities Law Moot, the Gale Cup Moot Court Competition (among all Canadian common law schools), the Sopinka Trial Advocacy Competition, and other oral advocacy competitions.
Schulich Law students have a number of experiential learning opportunities, including court and community placements, which students receive credit. These include supporting judges at the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court (Family Division), and the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. Community placements can include work in the areas of environmental law, public law, and health justice, with students providing research and writing for lawyers and community organizations. Students get course credit for participating in experiential placements.
The Schulich School of Law has established exchange programs with, among others, the University of Bucerius Law School, China University of Political Science and Law, Instituto Technologico De Estudios Superiores De Monterrey, Laval University, Lund University, National Law School of India, National University of Singapore, Queens University Belfast, Queensland University of Technology, Southwestern Law School, Suffolk University, Tsinghua Law School, Universidad Panamericana, University of Arizona, University of Barcelona, University of Bergen, University of Houston Law, University of Southampton, University of The Witwatersrand, Victoria University of Wellington and Vrije Universiteit. Third- year students may do one term at these schools for academic credit at Dalhousie.
Schulich Law has an active graduate degree program, offering both the Master of Laws (LLM) and the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Law) degrees. The Master's degree may be pursued on the basis of a thesis and coursework, and can be taken either full-time in one year or part-time over two years. The Master’s degree may also be taken on the basis of coursework only. In recent years, supervision has been offered in the following areas, among others: international law, human rights law, health law, administrative law, constitutional law, taxation, business law, labour law, law of the sea, maritime law, fisheries law, environmental law, critical race and legal theory, feminist legal scholarship, and animal law. Please see the detailed information on the graduate degree program for more information.
Student Life
The first-year class typically consists of approximately 170-180 students, and the total student population in the JD program is approximately 475. Many of our students, usually about half are residents of provinces outside the Atlantic region. In addition to the JD students, approximately 20 students are in the LLM program, and several students are enrolled in the PhD program each year. We have a diverse student body, with students from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.
All JD students are members of the Law Students’ Society which appoints representatives to faculty committees, arranges for speakers to visit the school, and organizes social events and programs. It also oversees the publication of a law students’ newspaper, The Weldon Times, The Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies, and the annual yearbook. Dalhousie has an active sports and social program with something to appeal to most students. Some of the student organizations active at the school are the Environmental Law Students’ Society, the Dalhousie Indigenous Law Students Association, the Dalhousie Black Law Students Association, the John Read International Law Society, the Weldon Times, and the Speakers’ Committee. Dalhousie University features a major athletics and a state of the art sports facility, called Dalplex.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The Schulich School of Law administers a very generous scholarship and bursary program. Well over 60 per cent of our students receive financial support from programs administered by the School. Besides entrance and in-course scholarships, discretionary awards and bursaries are offered annually to students with financial need. Eligible students may apply for discretionary awards and bursaries in September, when application forms and information are distributed. More detailed information on scholarships and bursaries can be found in the section on .
Funding may also be available for students who are Mi’kmaq or Indigenous Black Nova Scotians and who are part of the Schulich School of Law’s Indigenous Black and Mi’kmaq (IB&M) Initiative. For further details, please see the description of the .
Dalhousie Law Alumni Association
President, Tony Amoud (2009)
The Dalhousie Law Alumni Association (DLAA) is an incorporated non-profit society that serves more than 8,000 JD/LLB, LLM and PhD graduates of the Schulich School of Law worldwide by supporting and sponsoring programming and events that provide a vital link between our school and our diverse alumni body. The DLAA aims to promote and encourage active participation of graduates in the life of the school and to establish and maintain strong relationships among alumni.
Career Development Office
Director, Career Services and Employer Relations: Shawn Swallow
The role of the Schulich School of Law Career Development Office (CDO) is to support and empower law students by ensuring students have the career information and life-long career management skills necessary to achieve their long-term personal career goals. The CDO offers comprehensive resources, programs and services including individual career and job search coaching, career planning and development workshops, resume/cover letter review, interview preparation assistance, and job application support for clerkships, internships, and employment (summer, articling) opportunities in and outside the legal profession.
Additionally, the CDO builds strategic relationships and outreach to employers and provide opportunities for students to network with local, national, and international employers, as well as with alumni, through industry career panels, firm tours, and mentorship programs.
Admission to the Practice of Law
Prospective students are advised to consult the Law Society in the region where they hope to practice for specific information on qualifications for admission to the Bar. Specific inquiries should be directed to the appropriate bar society.
Under the rules and regulations of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS), a student desiring admission to the Bar of Nova Scotia must serve under articles of clerkship with a practicing solicitor for a period of twelve consecutive months after receiving a degree in Law from Dalhousie or any other approved university. Students are also required to complete the Bar Admission Course and to pass examinations given during the Course.
Students who complete a period of articles in another province may apply to the Credentials Committee of the NSBS for credit towards the twelve- month requirement.
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) admits holders of the Dalhousie Juris Doctor degree to the Bar Admission Course conducted by the LSO for candidates for admission to the practice of law in Ontario.
In other provinces of Canada where the common law system is in effect, the degree of JD from Dalhousie is recognized as fulfilling academic qualifications and as preparation for practical training for admission to the Bar. Information concerning particular elective courses recommended by the law society of a province for inclusion in a student's class of studies is available from the Career Development Office.