University of Alberta & Indigenous Law

[Donut2001]

Hello everyone!

I am a pre-law student entering my final year of undergrad in Saskatchewan (Regina). I am applying to schools this Fall 2023 and I am trying to gain a better understanding of which school might be right for me. I am mostly interested in Indigenous related matters (Indigenous law and policy) as well as constitutional law, etc. I am very interested in the U of A since it is a great school and closer to me than most others. I am wondering if someone (who has taken a similar path to what I am wanting to pursue) could shed some light on their experience for me? I do have some specific questions:

1. Did you find that you were truly able to gain a good understanding of Indigenous law at this institution and were there a lot of experiences/opportunities to explore this area of law? it is my passion area so this is very important to me. 

2. Was it hard to get good internships (experience wise and financially)?

3. What is the job market like after graduation? I know that I do not want to work in 'big law' but rather in Indigenous law (constitutional law) focusing on land claims, treaty rights, etc. 

Thank you so much for all the help it is so appreciated! 

[Ribbons]

Hey!

That is so exciting that you are considering UofA for law school. It is a great school especially for Indigenous law and Constitutional law! I am someone who is also passionate about both these areas of law so I can speak to my experience a bit. I will preface this by saying I am not Indigenous but if you would like to connect to Indigenous students at UofA shoot me a message and I will connect you to some great people.

I will also say that Indigenous law refers to an incredibly broad area. Indigenous law can refer to criminal law, family law, land title/relationships/control/'ownership', and more. So, it would very much help if you specified what area of Indigenous law you are most interested in to answer with more detail!

In terms of answering your questions (to the best of my abilities) here is what I would say: 

1. Absolutely, with the condition that very few law schools (UofA inclusive) are going to do so in your first year. You will certainly learn about Aboriginal law (aka law governing Indigenous people but you won't learn as much about Indigenous law aka self-governance). As a product of the Wahkohtowin lodge (read more here https://www.ualberta.ca/wahkohtowin/index.html read the news page there too) UofA has attracted exceptional professors and leaders in the field of law. UofA has an exceptional amount of courses which you can use to 'specialize' in your upper years as you have complete control over your schedule so long as you hit the 7 required courses (aka 13 courses of your choice). This is what I have done and I have loved the Indigenous law courses I have taken and have heard great things about the vast majority of classes I haven't had the opportunity to take. Here is a list of UofA law classes that are currently offered: https://apps.ualberta.ca/catalogue/course/law (just ctrl + f "Indigenous" to quickly find a bunch of courses). 

UofA also has a super cool summer course intensive that is beyond worth taking (read more here https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/law2022coursedescriptions/589-seminars/589-wahkohtowin). There is also an Indigenous law moot (here: https://www.ualberta.ca/law/campus-life/moot.html look for Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot). 

2. Yes and no. Unless you are working corporate you can kiss goodbye to making good money for the next few years, expect a living wage at best until your first year as a lawyer after which you can quickly start making good money. I have made it almost entirely on scholarship (of which UofA has an insane amount read here: https://www.ualberta.ca/law/campus-life/scholarships-awards/index.html and here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1LitGCfjEgDnao_PgjG0GhceSgqkXEPFQm3mdtWi1Iso/view). I worked a summer job doing EDI focused work but not Indigenous law focused partially because I got snatched early in the year by a company and didn't pursue other options. My second summer I got a position through a (almost ridiculously) competitive out of province Indigenous law program (out of province because I do not want to end up in AB). The interview was genuinely harder than my articling interview and the standard was ridiculous to get a position; somehow I landed a job. I think Indigenous law (and criminal law in particular which is my area of interest) has so few positions right now for summer students that the jobs are overly competitive, but most definitely doable. Both these jobs have paid below a living wage. 

3. You will probably end up wanting to work in government if this is the area of law you want to practice. You can also article with the Wahkowtowin lodge (they hire 1 student a year; I could certainly connect you to the current articling student, again shoot me a message). In general terms, I will be working in government and likely spend part of my articling in Indigenous legal work. 

Overall UofA has great spaces for Indigenous students as well (and this is direct language from an Indigenous student not just me!) and you will learn just as much, if not more, from your peers than you will from your classes. The Indigenous Law Students' Association has an insanely strong community which is open to both Indigenous students and non-Indigenous students.

I am post a long day at work so I am a little fried; I hope this all makes sense. In a half*ass effort not to completely reveal who I am I am avoiding putting some info here for public viewing but shoot me a message and I am happy to chat in more detail. 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Ribbons