University of Calgary Faculty of Law - History of The Law School

History of The Law School

The Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary was a community initiative established by members of the Calgary legal community and the UofC in combination with the City of Calgary. It took ten years to bring the law school into existence from the tireless efforts of these individuals. The Faculty of Law continues to thrive based on its strong ties to the Calgary legal community.

The first Faculty of Law in the city of Calgary was first opened in 1913. The first law school was part of Calgary College, a private post-secondary institution with no degree granting status. Calgary College consisted of a class of twelve students, two lecturers and a dean. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 caused for the disbandment of the law school and the students continued their legal education at the University of Alberta, located three hours north of Calgary in the city of Edmonton.

The only law school in the province of Alberta for the next sixty-two years was the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta.

There was a wide range of interested groups expressing strong support for the idea of having a law school located in Calgary. In 1971 an ad hoc committee with representation from the Bench and the Bar strongly recommended for the creating of the Faculty of Law in the city of Calgary. In 1973, a government appointed committed made the same recommendation to the Minister of Advanced Education.

Both the Calgary Bar and the City of Calgary sought ways to make significant financial contributions for the development of a law library. In September 1974, the Ministry of Advanced Education gave its final approval to the proposal for the establishment of the Faculty of Law.

The University of Calgary Faculty of Law officially opened its doors in 1976 with a first-year class of sixty students and nine faculty members.