The University of Guelph and Wilfrid Laurier University are proposing new law schools in Guelph and Brantford, with a focus on improving access to legal services in rural communities, CBC News reports.

Both universities hope to open the schools by fall 2028, subject to completing the approval process. However, Byron Sheldrick, Guelph’s interim provost and the dean of record for its proposed College of Law, told CBC’s Lauren Kuivenhoven that a 2029 opening may be more realistic for Guelph.

Laurier’s proposed school at its Brantford campus would also focus on access to justice in Indigenous communities. Poonam Puri, appointed special adviser to the provost to support development of the proposed law faculty and Juris Doctor program, said a goal is to encourage graduates to practise in Brantford and other smaller communities.

Jennifer S. Rooke, chair of the Federation of Ontario Law Association, told CBC that rural Ontario communities outside the Greater Toronto Area face shortages of criminal and family lawyers. Older lawyers are retiring without enough younger practitioners to replace them, she said.

Rooke also identified a need for more Indigenous people in the profession.

Laurier has been in contact with Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation about the proposal, according to CBC. Puri said those discussions have highlighted the importance of free legal services for people who cannot afford a lawyer.

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Chief Margaret Sault said better access requires more than bringing lawyers closer to communities.

“It must also involve building a greater understanding of Indigenous rights, histories, laws and the distinct relationship First Nations have with the Canadian justice system,” Sault said in an emailed statement to CBC.

At Guelph, Sheldrick said demand for law school exceeds the spaces available in Ontario. He hopes the proposed school would enrol 70 students in its first year and eventually grow to about 400 students overall.

CBC reported that Laurier would start with 60 students per year, with a capacity of 120 students.

Sources