Aboriginal Law & Policy

Robson Hall is strengthening its curriculum and research capacity in Aboriginal Law and Policy to meet a growing need.  Manitoba, along with Saskatchewan, has the highest proportion of Aboriginal peoples among its population.  In 2001, roughly 14% of the population of Manitoba was of Aboriginal descent and Statistics Canada projections suggest that by 2017 closer to 20% of the population will identify as Aboriginal.  The needs of Aboriginal communities within urban centres and on reserves, as well as their considerable interactions with non-Aboriginal communities, suggest the possibility of significant legal issues to be addressed. 

As the only law school in the province, Robson Hall is well situated to educate our students and the greater community about the capacities, rights and needs of Aboriginal communities and to educate lawyers ready to serve the province and Canada as we move towards just relations with Aboriginal peoples.  We are increasing our course offerings and have successfully attracted two faculty members with a research focus on Aboriginal law in recent years.  We are determined to be a welcoming place for Aboriginal law students, and a place where all our students can enhance their awareness of the issues facing Aboriginal communities.  Our students will be able to use their legal education to work with their communities for change. 

Courses

Robson Hall offers our J.D. students a concentration on Aboriginal Law and Policy if students complete a minimum of 14 credit hours in this area. 

To prepare students to deal with the variety of legal issues facing Aboriginal communities that they may encounter after graduation, several courses have a specific focus on Aboriginal people and Canadian law:

In addition, many of our mandatory courses include Aboriginal perspectives or include content on Aboriginal people’s legal issues.

Aboriginal Admissions Category

Manitoba Aboriginal Law Students Association

The objective of MALSA is to serve both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal law students who wish to learn more about Aboriginal people and Aboriginal legal issues.  Students in the Association can participate in events such as the Indigenous Bar Association Conference and the Aboriginal Moot (Kawaskimhon Moot) on a yearly basis.  The Association presents an Aboriginal Speakers Series, where members of the legal community come to speak on a specific topic.  Elections for representatives of the organization are held in the fall.  The organization has an open door policy and all law students, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, are encouraged to become members of the Association for support, to learn, or to participate in its regular meetings and events.  In the 2010-11 MALSA students also gave back to the community by volunteering at Siloam Mission. 

Academic Support

This program provides tutoring to First Year Individual Consideration, Aboriginal, and Half-Time students and to students whose mid-term exam results suggest that they could benefit from the program.  Students who feel that they require individual academic support should contact Wendy Whitecloud, the Director of the Academic Support Program.

Financial Support

With over $450,000 annually in allocations, Robson Hall has a comprehensive needs-based financial aid and bursary program.  The Faculty of Law awards one-third of the tuition surcharge collected back to students in the form of needs-based bursaries.  Since the inception of Robson Hall Bursary in 2005, the Faculty of Law has awarded over $1,700,000.  The allocations are based on financial need and are distributed in the fall. This helps to ensure that all eligible students are supported according to their needs.  Students applying for the RH Bursary Program are expected to apply for government student loans.  

We also offer 10 Entrance Awards annually ranging from $2500-$6000.  Some of these entrance awards are specifically for Aboriginal students:

Ken Kehler Entrance Award

We demonstrate our commitment to academic excellence by rewarding top students. Each student on the Faculty of Law Dean's Honour List at the end of first and/or second year who continue their legal studies in the next academic year at Robson Hall become a Pitblado Scholar.  Students are presented with a $5,000 scholarship at a formal reception in the fall.  The scholarship is applied directly to tuition.