You are reading the 2024/25 Academic Calendar. The 2023/24 version remains in effect until August 31, 2024 and is available here.

Law

 

Degrees Offered: Ph.D., LL.M., LL.M. (Common Law), LL.M. in Taxation

Members

Professors

N. Affolder, J. Bakan, J. Benedet, L. Biukovic, G. Christie, W. Cui, E. Cunliffe, C. Dauvergne, D. Duff, C. Ford, B. Goold, I. Grant, D. Harris, H. Kong, L. Lazarus, M. Le Baron, B. W. MacDougall, S. Matsui, D. Parkes, D. Pavlich, B. Perrin, N. Pindell, J. Stewart, S. Wood, M. Young.

Associate Professors

E. Aloni, E. Arbel, B. Bhandar, J. Cheng, A. Flynn, S. Gordon, B. Hastie, A. Hofri-Winogradow, C. Hutchison, A. Kaushal, C. Liao, L. Lin, M.A. Liston, K. Mickelson, G. Reynolds, S. Routh, J. Stacey.

Assistant Professors

H. Ahmad, S. Beswick, R. Clifford, J. Extabe, T. Goldbach, J. Mack, M. Moore, M. Peihani, K. Thomasen, R. Tremblay.

 

Program Overview

The following provides a general overview of the graduate programs offered at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. For more comprehensive information please refer to the Allard School of Law.

The Allard School of Law at UBC is rich in the spirit of enquiry, committed to scholarship of the highest calibre, and ranks as one of Canada's longest-established graduate programs in law. Its faculty and students at all levels, ranging from the professional degree programs through (research-based) LL.M., LL.M. (Common Law), or LL.M. in Taxation studies to the Ph.D. program, combine to make it one of the world's most intellectually exciting, challenging, and rewarding places to pursue graduate studies in law.

UBC graduate students in law are a culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse body of outstanding students from Canada and around the world. All share common facilities and enjoy the benefit of a collegial life organized both formally through the Faculty and informally through the Graduate Law Students' Society, creating an unsurpassed graduate school experience. Each of our research graduate degree programs is carefully structured around a core seminar providing essential foundations of knowledge appropriate for LL.M. or Ph.D. studies, as the case may be. Faculty supervisors work closely with students in thesis-based degrees, and for the course-based LL.M. (Common Law) and LL.M. in Taxation instruction is provided by enthusiastic, highly qualified law teachers who together teach one of the most wide-ranging law school programs in Canada.

The deadlines for application to all graduate programs in the Allard School of Law are: October 31 for the LL.M. (Common Law) May intake; December 15 for the LL.M. (Common Law) September intake; and December 15 for the LL.M. in Taxation. For the thesis-based LL.M. and Ph.D. programs: December 1 for submission of the online application and all relevant documents apart from letters of reference; letters of reference are due December 15. Early application is encouraged.

Doctor of Philosophy

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program requires an LL.B. or J.D., as well as an LL.M. or equivalent, from a recognized institution indicating a superior level of academic performance in a field of specialization that will support the applicant's Ph.D. research. External or correspondence (distance) degrees are not eligible for consideration. In addition, all applicants must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' minimum academic standards for admission.

Applicants with undergraduate training at a university where English is not the primary language of instruction must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency through one of the approved English language proficiency examinations. The examining body must send results directly to the Graduate Program in the Allard School of Law. The Graduate Program in Law requires:

  • TOEFL: minimum score of 100, with Reading, Writing and Listening minimum score of 25 and Speaking minimum score of 21; or
  • IELTS: minimum overall band of 7.0 with a reading and writing band minimum of 7.0.

References

The graduate research-based programs require 3 letters of reference. At least 1 (and preferably 2) of the 3 must be from an academic referee who is able to speak to the applicant’s abilities as a student. Ph.D. applicants are required to include a letter of reference from their LL.M. supervisor as one of their referees. Applicants who are unable to meet these requirements should contact the research-based Graduate Program office well in advance of the application deadline.

Dissertation Proposal

As the Ph.D. Law degree is a dissertation-based degree involving original research, a dissertation proposal is mandatory. A proposal must outline a research project that could reasonably lead to a dissertation that makes an original scholarly contribution in an area of legal study. Please consult the Allard Graduate Program webpage for information on the proposal.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. curriculum consists of a one-year, two-part seminar and other coursework as required by a student's supervisory committee. All doctoral students are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination and defense of their dissertation proposal. The major requirement for the Ph.D. is completion of a research dissertation meeting the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirements.

Master of Laws (LL.M.)

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission into the research-based LL.M. program, except in the case of students applying through the UBC-Melbourne Law School Degree Partnership, a candidate must have a J.D., LL.B., or its equivalent from an approved law faculty. External or correspondence (distance) degrees are not eligible for consideration. In addition, all applicants must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' minimum academic standards for admission.

Applicants with undergraduate training at a university where English is not the primary language of instruction must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency through one of the approved English language proficiency examinations. The examining body must send results directly to the Graduate Program in the Allard School of Law. The Graduate Program in Law requires:

  • TOEFL: minimum score of 100, with Reading, Writing and Listening minimum score of 25 and Speaking minimum score of 21; or
  • IELTS: minimum overall band of 7.0 with a reading and writing band minimum of 7.0.

References

The graduate research-based programs require 3 letters of reference. At least 1 (and preferably 2) of the 3 must be from an academic referee who is able to speak to the applicant’s abilities as a student and suitability for graduate studies. Applicants who are unable to meet this requirement should contact the research-based Graduate Program office well in advance of the application deadline.

Thesis Proposal

As the LL.M. degree is a thesis-based degree involving original research, a thesis proposal is mandatory. A proposal must outline a research project that could reasonably lead to a thesis that makes an original scholarly contribution in an area of legal study. Please consult the Allard Graduate Program webpage for information on the proposal.

Program Requirements

The LL.M. program combines coursework with the preparation of a thesis. Students are required to successfully complete 36 credits of work, of which 20 credits are allocated to the thesis, 4 credits to the required Master of Laws seminar (LAW 500), 2-4 credits to the required graduate level research methodology seminar (LAW 524), and 8-9 credits to elective coursework.

The normal duration of the program for full time students, barring extenuating circumstances, is one (1) to two (2) years.

The normal duration for part-time students, barring extenuating circumstances, is five (5) years.

Master of Laws (Common Law)

The LL.M. (Common Law) degree is a one-year, full-time non-thesis degree, with a two-year part-time option. The program is designed to provide academic training introducing accomplished lawyers from other legal systems to Canadian law and to common law concepts and methods.

Admission Requirements

To enter the LL.M. (Common Law) program, except in the case of students applying through the UBC-Melbourne Law School Degree Partnership or the UBC-Sydney Degree Partnership, students must possess either a foreign or a non-common law Canadian professional law degree. External correspondence (distance) degrees are not eligible for consideration. In addition, all applicants must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' minimum academic standards for admission.

Applicants with undergraduate training at a university where English is not the primary language of instruction must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency through one of the approved English language proficiency examinations. The examining body must send results directly to the Graduate Program in the Allard School of Law. The Graduate Program in Law requires:

  • TOEFL: minimum score of 100, with Reading, Writing and Listening minimum score of 25 and Speaking minimum score of 21; or
  • IELTS: minimum overall band of 7.0 with a reading and writing band minimum of 7.0.

Program Requirements

Students are required to successfully complete 30 credits of coursework, consisting of one of LAW 505 Canadian Public Law, LAW 515 Canadian Private Law: Contractual Obligations and Remedies, or LAW 525 Canadian Criminal Law (5 credits); either a 500 level course of at least 3 credits with a research paper counting for at least 60% of the student’s final mark or LAW 530 Advanced Legal Research and Writing (4 credits); and at least 21 credits of graduate-level courses or seminars (including up to 6 credits from designated 300- or 400-level J.D. courses or seminars).

It is expected that full-time students will complete the program in 12 months (May - April or September - August). Part-time students will normally complete the program in 24 months.

Master of Laws in Taxation

The LL.M. in Taxation degree is a one-year course-based professional program designed to provide specialized training in tax law, policy and practice.

Admission Requirements

Except in the case of students applying through the UBC-Melbourne Law School Degree Partnership, admission will be open to students with a J.D. or LL.B. from a Canadian or non-Canadian law school, as well as other candidates with a relevant undergraduate degree, a superior academic record, and significant work experience in the field of tax. In addition, all applicants must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' minimum academic standards for admission.

 

Applicants with undergraduate training at a university where English is not the primary language of instruction must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency through one of the approved English language proficiency examinations. The examining body must send results directly to the Graduate Program in the Allard School of Law. The Graduate Program in Law requires:

  • TOEFL: minimum score of 100, with Reading, Writing and Listening minimum score of 25 and Speaking minimum score of 21; or
  • IELTS: minimum overall band of 7.0 with a reading and writing band minimum of 7.0.

Program Requirements

The LL.M. in Taxation is designed as a one-year, full-time course-based degree (with a part-time option). It consists of a total of 30 credits, including LAW 561 (6 credits), 18 elective credits in tax law and policy courses, and up to 6 elective credits in other law courses.

UBC-Melbourne Law School J.D./L.L.M. Degree Partnership

Candidates applying to one of the Allard School of Law's L.L.M. programs through the UBC-MLS J.D./L.L.M. Degree Partnership should consult the UBC-MLS J.D./L.L.M. Degree Partnership description for further information on the eligibility requirements specific to the partnership agreement.

Contact Information

Graduate Program, Peter A. Allard School of Law
1822 East Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1
Web: http://www.allard.ubc.ca/admissions/graduate-degree-programs

Joanne Chung, Graduate Program Advisor [for research-based LL.M. and Ph.D.]
Email: graduates@allard.ubc.ca
Tel: 604.822.6449
Fax: 604.822.9486

Tania Astorino, Director, Graduate Professional Programs, and Alan Grove, Coordinator, Graduate Professional Programs [For LL.M. (Common Law), LL.M. (Taxation) and Distance Learning Program]
Email: professionalprograms@allard.ubc.ca
Tel: 604.827.0389
Fax: 604.822.9486

 


UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Menu Three horizontal lines indicating a menu. Minus A minus sign. Pencil A pencil indicating that this is editable. Telephone An antique telephone. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.