UBC Okanagan students with their sights on a law degree may benefit from a new scholarship fund supported by several members of the Okanagan Bar Association. The Okanagan Bar Association Endowed Entrance Award will be available annually to a UBC Okanagan undergraduate student who has been accepted into the UBC Vancouver Faculty of Law.
UBC law alumnus Walley Lightbody, a semi-retired lawyer and mediator, was instrumental in starting the endowment and securing more than $50,000 in donations from other UBC law alumni and Okanagan law firms. The contributions were matched by the B.C. Law Foundation bringing the total donations to date to $104,000.
“I am extremely proud of the legal community for supporting this scholarship fund,” said Lightbody. “We want to see UBC Okanagan students thinking about a career in law. I am delighted that the Okanagan Bar has risen to the challenge to support students financially through the UBC Faculty of Law.”
In addition to his work on the scholarship endowment, Lightbody has also worked closely with UBC Okanagan to develop a Contemporary Canadian Law concentration within the Barber School of Arts and Sciences. The course will be delivered by guest lecturers from the Okanagan law community, and include distinguished guest lecturers throughout the term.
The Rt. Honourable Madame Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin will address students on January 27 at UBC Okanagan and then deliver a public lecture at the Rotary Centre for the Arts through the Distinguished Speaker Series that evening. She will speak on the topic of access to the justice system and the barriers that exist including cost, complex court procedures and delays.
For more information on the Okanagan Bar Association Endowed Entrance Award contact Walley Lightbody at 250-762-2783 or the UBC Okanagan Development Office at 250-807-8565. For more information on the Canadian Contemporary Law concentration contact Dr. Carl Hodge at 250-807-9321.
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