Akitsiraq Law School
| Akitsiraq Law School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Sui Generis |
| Established | Akitsiraq I, 2001 Nunavut Law Program, 2017 |
| School type | Akitsiraq I: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the University of Victoria Faculty of Law Nunavut Law Program: Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law |
| Dean | Anne Crawford (north) Daphne Gilbert (south) |
| Location | Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada |
| Enrollment | 15 (2001 intake) 25 (2017 intake) |
| Faculty | Akitsiraq I: University of Victoria Nunavut Law Program: University of Saskatchewan
|
| Bar pass rate | The first Akitsiraq cohort graduated a class of 11 students from an initial 15 entrants. Of these 87% have passed the Bar. |
| Website | https://www.arcticcollege.com/law www.akitsiraq.ca (defunct) |
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Nunavut Law Program, Akitsiraq Law Program, or Akitsiraq Law School is a special legal education program designed to increase the number of lawyers in Nunavut and the Canadian Arctic. Unlike traditional law schools, Akitsiraq has been offered only through limited intakes rather than as a permanent institution. The first cohort (Akitsiraq I) ran in partnership with the University of Victoria from 2001 to 2005, and a second intake (Nunavut Law Program) was launched in 2017 with the University of Saskatchewan. Graduates of the program receive the same law degree (Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws, depending on the degree offered at the time by the partner university) as students attending the partner institution. A proposal for a new cohort in partnership with the University of Ottawa was made for a planned 2011 start, but it did not proceed due to lack of funding from the territorial government.
The program was primarily delivered in Iqaluit in partnership with the Nunavut Arctic College.
The Law School has no permanent classrooms, employees or assets, and the admissions process has no formal education requirements. The Akitsiraq Law School focuses on the practical abilities of potential students based on life experience and work history. The program is strongly supported by legal professionals and by members of the Nunavut Judiciary through in-kind and volunteer services, developing effective programs and bringing legal resources from across Canada to teach each Akitsiraq cohort.
Akitsiraq programs have provided legal training to residents of Nunavut and the surrounding Arctic region, leading to professional and para-professional legal qualifications. The Akitsiraq Law School Society is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in Nunavut. Its board of directors and membership are drawn from the Nunavut judiciary, legal profession and supporting members of the public, along with nominees of supporting agencies.
The cohort-based, culture-enhancing, learning-in-Nunavut format of the Akitsiraq Law Program has frequently been promoted as a prototype for training in other professions including accounting and education administration.