UBC’s law school has been renamed to the Peter A. Allard School of Law following a $30 million donation to the faculty from alumnus Peter Allard.
After graduating from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and a Law degree in 1971, Allard worked as a lawyer for 20 years, started his own law firm and took on various business and philanthropic ventures before selling his company to his partners in 1993.
Allard Hall, which is the Law school’s main building and home to many of the faculty’s offices, also bears the donor’s name after he made an $11.86 million donation to the school back in 2011. The university also awards Allard Prize for International Integrity twice a year, which gives $100,000 to a person or company focused on fighting corruption and promoting legal transparency.
UBC will use the most recent donation, which is the largest that has ever been made to a Canadian Law school, to recruit high-ranking faculty, create more award and summer employment opportunities for students and expand its teaching programs.
“Peter Allard has demonstrated a singular, unwavering commitment to the transformative power of legal education and research, nationally and globally,” said Mary Anne Bobinski, Dean of the Allard School of Law.
Allard, whose legal passions include human rights, anti-corruption practices and international integrity, hopes that the donation will help more students advance these issues through their legal careers.
“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,” said Allard in a statement.
Along with Sauder School of Business, UBC’s Law school will be the second faculty to be named after an alumnus.