The Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, announced today that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will partner with Indigenous governments and organizations and the University of Saskatchewan to help send Indigenous students from this province to law school. The trilateral partnership will improve access to legal education and create new employment opportunities for members of Indigenous governments and organizations.
The University of Saskatchewan has committed to reserve two seats in the College of Law program annually for Indigenous students from Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will allocate and fund two articling positions with the Department of Justice and Public Safety for those students upon graduation. Indigenous governments and organizations are asked to encourage applicants to apply to law school and fund/identify funding opportunities for educational expenses.
The University of Saskatchewan is dedicated to Indigenous student success, to fostering meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, and to promoting Indigenous knowledge and scholarship. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is only the second provincial or territorial government to enter into a partnership with the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan and hopes 2019 will see the first two Indigenous students enter the program under this partnership.
Initiatives such as this deliver on commitments in The Way Forward to strengthen the province’s economic foundation deliver better services and better outcomes for residents. The Way Forward outlines all actions the Provincial Government is taking to achieve a strong, diversified province with a high standard of living, and can be viewed at thewayforward.gov.nl.ca.
Quotes
“The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to improving access to justice for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Members of Indigenous groups are currently underrepresented in legal professions. We aim to change that here in this province by breaking down social and economic barriers some members of Indigenous groups face in pursuing legal education. This partnership will improve Indigenous representation in the legal system in Newfoundland and Labrador and ensure better access to justice for everyone.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General
“The College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan has a long-standing commitment to Indigenous legal education and the participation of Canada’s Indigenous peoples in the legal profession. Since the founding of its Native Law Centre and the inception of its summer program for Indigenous law students in the early 1970s, over 1,000 Indigenous students have begun their legal education at the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. This ongoing commitment has continued to evolve and, more recently, the college has partnered with the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Arctic College to deliver their J.D. Program on a face-to-face basis to 25 students in Iqaluit with successful students graduating with a University of Saskatchewan J.D. in 2021. Today’s announcement of our partnership with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Indigenous groups in the province is further evidence of our commitment to Indigenous legal education and Indigenous student success and we look forward to working with our partners to achieve this goal.”
Martin Phillipson
Dean, University of Saskatchewan College of Law
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Media contacts
Lesley Clarke
Justice and Public Safety
709-729-6985, 699-2910
LesleyClarke@gov.nl.ca
Cat Bonner
University of Saskatchewan College of Law
306-966-1062
cat.bonner@usask.ca