On May 6, two educators at the Peter A. Allard School of Law were appointed as King’s Counsel (KC) — one of the highest legal designations in the province.
Among the 19 lawyers announced by the Ministry of the Attorney General to received the initials are Allard lecturer Salima Samnani and Jon Sigurdson, who is a current adjunct professor with the faculty.
“The Allard Law community is incredibly proud of Professor Salima Samnani and Justice Jon Sigurdson, and we’re thrilled to see their many important contributions to the legal profession and legal education recognized with this distinction,” wrote Allard Law Dean Ngai Pindell in a statement to The Ubyssey.
The KC designation is a recognition of a person’s excellence in the practice of law, which can include outstanding work in legal education and exceptional leadership among the legal community.
For Samnani, the recognition was deeply impactful.
“I was quite taken [aback] when I got the news,” Samnani wrote. She is Co-Legal Services Director at the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic, where she balances legal advocacy with mentorship, guiding law students as they serve Indigenous clients in the Downtown Eastside.
Before UBC, Samnani worked as associate counsel for the BC Missing Women Commission of Inquiry and later as counsel for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
She also served as a Tribunal Member at the Civil Resolution Tribunal, an administrative tribunal that adjudicates small claims, strata, co-op, societies and collision accident disputes.
“This award means a lot to me professionally as I have worked really hard to embody the ethics of what it means to be in a helping profession. And personally it also means a lot to me … I have faced many barriers in bringing this goal to fruition, but I persevered and am so pleased.”
Beyond legal practice, she aims for her teaching to reflect trauma-informed, feminist, anti-racist and decolonization frameworks.
“Her thoughtful teaching and mentorship has helped equip our students with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their clients,” read Pindell’s statement.
Sigurdson served on the BC Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2017. In addition to his decades on the bench, Sigurdson is an adjunct professor at Allard, where he teaches Charter Litigation.
“Justice Sigurdson has been a valued advocate and a consistent supporter of the law school,” wrote Pindell.
“The enthusiasm he inspires in his students … is just one example of the continuing positive impact he has had on BC’s legal community.”
In BC, appointments to KC are made by the Lieutenant Governor on the advice of the Attorney General. An advisory committee takes nominations and submits recommendations, though the Attorney General is not required to accept recommendations from the council.
Approximately 3.5 per cent of practicing BC lawyers currently hold this designation.
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