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Peter A. Allard, Q.C., donates $30 million to UBC Faculty of Law

Donor Peter A. Allard, Q.C. at Thursday’s event. Photo by: Martin Dee, University of British Columbia

Largest gift ever to a Canadian law school, with UBC Law to be renamed in his honour

UBC Law alumnus Peter A. Allard, Q.C., has donated $30 million to UBC’s Faculty of Law, the largest gift ever to a Canadian law school. In recognition of his gift, which will enable the faculty to build on its reputation for championing human rights and social justice, the university will rename the law school the Peter A. Allard School of Law.

UBC honoured Allard and celebrated the renaming of the school at a ceremony today in Vancouver.

Allard’s historic donation will bring unprecedented benefits to students and faculty – both now and in the future – by establishing permanent endowments to support:

faculty recruitment and retention to ensure students learn from some of the world’s greatest legal minds

student initiatives such as entrance awards, summer employment and enhanced admissions practices

student experiential learning programs and clinical opportunities for students to learn practical skills.

The gift will also enable the Allard School of Law to promote human rights and anti-corruption efforts around the world through the Allard Prize for International Integrity.

In addition, UBC’s law school has launched a $10-million fundraising campaign to encourage alumni and friends to join Allard in supporting the law school.

A lawyer, businessman and philanthropist, Allard received his B.A. from UBC in 1968 and his LL.B. from UBC in 1971. After graduation he practiced law for 20 years, founding his own law firm, Allard and Co. Since then, he has participated in a broad variety of business enterprises. Allard has also held leadership roles in human rights, environmental advocacy and other philanthropic work. In 1993, he established The Highbury Foundation, which has supported medical research and the purchase of medical equipment, and scholarships and buildings for universities and colleges in Western Canada.

“As a proud UBC alumnus, I am pleased to make an investment today that will enable students to pursue a profession that strives to create a more just society,” Allard said. “My intention is to create a permanent and growing revenue stream that will help to recruit and retain outstanding faculty members, provide support to ensure that the most promising students are able to participate, and ensure that exceptional learning programs are offered. My gift supports pillars of excellence in human rights, and international integrity and ethics, and my hope is that the law school will become a beacon for justice, and the promotion of human rights and the rule of law around the world.”

UBC President Arvind Gupta said the university is deeply grateful for Allard’s vision and commitment to the Allard School of Law. “This extraordinary gift will allow UBC to offer an unprecedented student experience, helping to nurture future leaders for generations to come,” said Gupta, who noted that this investment by Allard represents the largest individual donation to UBC’s $1.5-billion start an evolution fundraising and alumni engagement campaign.

Mary Anne Bobinski, Dean of the Allard School of Law, hopes Allard’s generous gift will inspire other alumni and friends to contribute to the continued growth of one of the world’s great law schools.

“Peter Allard has demonstrated a singular, unwavering commitment to the transformative power of legal education and research, nationally and globally. His passion for justice is reflected in his support for the Allard Prize for International Integrity and programs that will give current and future students the knowledge, skills and grounding in ethics that are essential to leadership,” Bobinski said.

This is the second time that Allard has made a significant donation to the law school. In 2011, Allard gave $11.86 million to support the construction of Allard Hall, the faculty’s new home, and the establishment of the Allard Prize for International Integrity and the law school’s History Project, an online archive. Allard’s commitments to the faculty to date total approximately $40 million and, with $10 million in donor matching funds, will yield approximately $50 million in total donations for the law school.

PHOTOS

For Flickr album of high-resolution photos, click here

VIDEO

For clips of Mr. Allard, click here

For b-roll of Mr. Allard, click here

For a clip from Dean Mary Anne Bobinski, click here

Please note: Mr. Allard is not available for interviews.

Translated versions of this release are available in the following languages: French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, German, Portuguese and Arabic

More about the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC

The Peter A. Allard School of Law is one of the world’s leading centres for legal education. The law school’s faculty members engage in research of national and global significance and its students benefit from extensive and innovative curricula. The law school offers strengths in many fields, including human rights, business law, international law, environmental and natural resources law, and Aboriginal legal issues. Graduates have gone on to leadership positions in a broad range of spheres, including law, government, public interest organizations, business and academia. law.ubc.ca

More about the Allard Prize for International Integrity

The prize is a $100,000 award offered bi-annually to recognize an individual, movement or organization that has demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law. allardprize.org