The Faculty of Law recognizes the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples within the legal profession and the importance of equitably developing a legal profession that represents the diversity of the population.
The Indigenous Admission Process provides an opportunity for those who self-identify as Indigenous to be considered for admission to the Faculty, which is situated on Treaty 7 territory and includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).
In the online application, all applicants are asked to indicate if they self-identify as Indigenous. Applicants who choose to self-identify as Indigenous in their application may complete an optional personal essay that speaks to their lived experience as an Indigenous person in Canada, including connections to their Indigenous community, history, culture, and heritage.
Please do not feel compelled to share elements of personal or family trauma that you have not yet fully processed or information that through the act of sharing would feel harmful to your wellbeing. The success of an application is not dependent on demonstrating trauma related to Indigenous identity or otherwise. Supports are available and some can be found on our website at Academic Success and Personal Wellness.
Examples of what previous applicants have shared in their submissions include the following:
All applications, including if you self-identify as Indigenous, are first reviewed through our ordinary assessment process, using our regular criteria and judged to the same competitive standard. The optional personal essay will not be given a specific weight but will be considered as part of our comprehensive holistic admissions process. You may receive an offer or waitlist notification based on that assessment.
Applicants who are not admitted through the ordinary admission process will receive a subsequent review by the Indigenous Student Admissions Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee has historically included members of the law faculty who are Indigenous or have expertise in Indigenous law, Indigenous legal professionals, community members, and Elders.
As part of our commitment to reconciliation and empowering Indigenous voices, since 2021, membership of the Indigenous Students Admissions Sub-Committee has exclusively been Indigenous people.
For your application to be considered through the Indigenous Students Admission Process, you must submit documentation to verify your Indigenous citizenship and/or membership by February 15 by email to law@ucalgary.ca. Please refer to the University’s Supporting Documents for information on documentation.
A variety of scholarships and awards are available from UCalgary for Indigenous law students. We encourage all students who have received an offer or on the waitlist to apply for scholarships and bursaries.
Please note that there is additional funding available for JD students, including emergency assistance and conference funding that is not included in the list below.
The Writing Symbols Lodge can provide information about post-secondary sponsorship and other sources of financial support.
We offer a free LSAT® Preparation Program, a pathway program funded by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), for Indigenous students who are low-income or high-potential in their last two years of studies, or have previously completed their undergraduate degrees. The program, which runs from May to August, will prepare Indigenous students to write a Fall LSAT and apply to law schools in the upcoming admissions cycle.
As a provider of legal education, the Faculty of Law has a responsibility to create meaningful pathways for Indigenous individuals to apply to law school. As the LSAT is a requirement for many complete applications, our goal is to provide skill-based education and cultural programming so that Indigenous candidates can complete the LSAT, while retaining and embracing their identity in their applications and education.
The University of Saskatchewan College of Law offers 50 Indigenous students admitted to Canadian law schools the opportunity to receive credit for Property Law and a course on Aboriginal people and the law prior to their first year. This program runs from May to July. The courses will be offered remotely with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous delivery. In addition to providing students with substantive legal content, there is an emphasis on assisting students with developing the skills essential for success in law school. Indigenous students who successfully complete this program will receive credit in their first year for Property, and credit in their second or third year for Aboriginal people and the law at the University of Calgary.
The Wahkohtowin Law & Governance Lodge at the University of Alberta is offering their Wahkohtowin Launchpad into Law Summer Workshop. This program runs from May to June. Although this program is not for course credit, it will include rigorous academic training and an introduction to legal skills such as case briefing, analysis and synthesis, effective strategies for answer law exam questions, and more. This unique workshop series provides Indigenous students the opportunity to first learn practical core legal skills through structure engagement with Indigenous laws.
UCalgary Law's Indigenous Law Students Association hosts events throughout the school year to encourage awareness and discussion of Indigenous Law issues. The club also provides resources and support for Indigenous students who are interested in attending law school.
For more information, contact ilsa.ucalgary@gmail.com.
We have several members of our Student Ambassadors who are Indigenous. If you are interested in talking to one of them about life as a law student and about UCalgary Law, contact law.ambassadors@ucalgary.ca.
In Cree, "Kawaskimhon" means speaking with knowledge about what is right. Each year a team of UCalgary Law students participate in this national, non-adversarial moot designed to incorporate Indigenous values and concepts of dispute resolution.
Our professors and researchers offer a number of unique courses in Indigenous Law and Indigenous Culture, including:
Our faculty members are researching in areas that include Aboriginal law, Indigenous law, and the intersection between laws affecting Indigenous peoples and environmental issues.
Writing Symbols Lodge is a great place to go for additional resources about attending the University of Calgary, funding, cultural, and academic support. Writing Symbols Lodge also organizes numerous community-based programs and cultural events that engage the campus and greater community. The Writing Symbols Lodge also has a ceremonial room with medicines available for students to access throughout the year.
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