THE ADVOCATE 895
VOL. 79 PART 6 NOVEMBER 2021
TRU LAW
FACULTY NEWS
By Robert Diab*
TRU LAW TURNS TEN!
This fall, TRU Law celebrates its tenth anniversary. Looking back, we take
pride in how much we have accomplished in reaching this milestone and
are deeply gratified by the support of the bench and bar in helping us meet
many of our goals.
The law school at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops launched in
2011 with a faculty of five full-time professors and a class of 60 students. It
now has 16 full-time faculty members, with more to be added in the coming
year, and a full incoming class.
Our initial course offerings were modelled on the Calgary curriculum.
Over the years, adjunct faculty members from Calgary, Kelowna, Vancouver
and Vancouver Island helped us expand our selection of courses. Our
most recent curriculum reforms ensure that, in addition to the core subjects
such as property, criminal and constitutional law, we also have a mandatory
second-year course called Truth and Rebuilding Canadian Indigenous Relations
that answers one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls
to Action. Other innovative courses include Apps for Access to Justice,
Sports Law and Community Lawyering.
In 2015, we moved into a beautiful, bright and modern $20 million space
created for the school, with funding from both TRU and the province.
Almost every lecture room in the school features two-storey windows, with
many offering a breathtaking, mountainside view of the Thompson Valley
and the intersection of the Thompson Rivers below.
We have had the pleasure of hosting many of the country’s most prominent
judges and lawyers, including memorable visits by Chief Justice
* Robert Diab is an associate professor at TRU Law. His research is focused in the areas of criminal law, civil liberties and
human rights.