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Law Society of British Columbia votes to approve TWU School of Law

Trinity Western University is pleased to announce that, in a vote of 20 to 6, the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC) has upheld the approval of the TWU School of Law by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (FLSC) and the Ministry of Advanced Education.

“We are very pleased with this outcome,” said TWU President Bob Kuhn, J.D. “We worked for five years, in consultation with many lawyers, judges, and professors, to create a proposal for a high quality law school and this decision allows us to now proceed in building that school. This is also an important decision for all Canadians. It says that there is room in a democratic country like Canada for a law school at a Christian university. TWU’s School of Law will join other Canadian law schools, complementing existing legal education in this country.”

In December 2013, the FLSC announced its Canadian Common Law Program Approval Committee had completed its work and gave preliminary approval to TWU’s law school program. Shortly thereafter, the BC Ministry of Advanced Education authorized the University to grant law degrees. In spite of these approvals, the LSBC underwent a public review process to consider whether or not to permit graduates of the TWU School of Law to practice in the province.

“I’d like to thank the LSBC for making this decision,” said Kuhn. “We look forward to working with the LSBC and all lawyers in the province to build a unique and innovative law school.”

While there are law schools at Christian universities in other parts of the world, Trinity Western will be the first in Canada. By developing legal studies within a framework of servant leadership, the TWU Law program will train lawyers with a focus on community service. The School of Law will help meet the growing need for practical and affordable legal services in Canada. Students will be encouraged to see the profession of law as a high calling of service, and to volunteer with local, national, and global NGOs that serve under-developed nations and the vulnerable. The three-year J.D. program will launch in September 2016.

Please see the TWU School of Law website for more details.