Today, the Law Society of New Brunswick (LSNB) Council said they would maintain their earlier decision to accept graduates of the proposed TWU School of Law, despite the September membership resolution that asked them to reverse that decision.
“We are very pleased with the LSNB’s decision to stand by its original decision of June 27, 2014. That decision was based upon the Federation Approval Committee’s report, careful consideration of submissions, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada in 2001,” said TWU Spokesperson Guy Saffold. “Today’s decision by the Council in New Brunswick has reaffirmed that process.”
Trinity Western’s application to open a law school has already been approved by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, as well as the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, and the Yukon. Additionally, both the BC Civil Liberties Association and the Archdiocese of Vancouver support TWU’s right to open a law school.
The result of today’s vote effectively concludes the debate about whether TWU graduates will be able to practice law in New Brunswick. “Our law school proposal has been widely recognized as an excellent design for a small, contemporary law school,” said Saffold. “This is yet another milestone in the process of developing our School of Law.”
While Christian universities operate law schools in other parts of the world, Trinity Western’s proposed law school would be the first in Canada. The proposed School of Law at TWU would complement existing legal education in the country by developing lawyers with a focus on service. The program would address areas of real need in the Canadian legal community, with an emphasis on social justice, charity and not-for-profit law, and entrepreneurial law.