The President is the chair of the Law Students’ Society Executive and coordinates activities within the Academic and Social Councils. The President is also the primary representative of JD students at UBC and an advocate for your interests to the faculty, the University, and the larger legal community in Vancouver. Within the school, the President is charged with ensuring accountability in student governance and promoting an equitable and respectful student environment.
The role of the VP Academic is to identify and represent the student perspective in academic and university affairs. Aside from being a member of the LSS Executive, the VP Academic participates as a member of the Faculty Council, chairs the Academic Council, and participates in a number of faculty committees. The VP Academic also participates as a member of the Alma Mater Society’s VP Academic Caucus to fulfill their mandate across campus.
The VP Social’s primary role is to ensure there is an opportunity for students to achieve work-life balance at Allard. This includes planning events for the student body to celebrate their hard work, and liaising with law firms to plan events geared at networking and fostering community between students and legal professionals. The VP Social chairs the Social Council and is the primary representative for all things fun around school. Reach out to your VP Social for any non-academic questions and concerns!
The LSS VP External Affairs serves as the law student body’s representative to the UBC Alma Mater Society (AMS) as one of its directors. This includes attending AMS meetings and reporting on its activities, and informing the student body of AMS activities, services and initiatives. The VP External Affairs assists the LSS and Allard’s student body in communicating with the AMS, and advocates on behalf of law students’ interests.
The Director of Finance prepares the annual LSS budget, and presents it for approval at the LSS Annual General Meeting. The Director of Finance establishes and chairs the LSS Finance Committee which oversees the budget process, and is also responsible for the disbursement of LSS funds to student sports, clubs, and events. Last but by no means least, the Finance Director maintains accurate accounting for the LSS Executive, the Academic Council, the Social Council, and all student sports and clubs.
The Director of Communications is responsible for communication between the LSS and its members. The Director of Communications records and posts minutes of the Executive and Social Council meetings, maintains the LSS website, and sends out the weekly LSS Newsflash.
The Director of Wellness’ role includes consulting with the student body and staff/faculty on wellness at Allard Law, connecting law students with resources, organizing wellness-related programming, and organizing guest speakers and presentations. The Director of Wellness is the chair of the Wellness Committee.
The Director of Clubs organizes intramural sports teams and social clubs under the LSS, which includes liaising with team captains and club presidents to ensure that their interests are represented.
Indigenous Director of Student Affairs – Vaughn Beaulieu-Mercredi
The Indigenous Director of Student Affairs provides an indigenous voice and perspective within the Academic Council and the LSS Executive. In this capacity, the Indigenous Director of Student Affairs works with the LSS to create cultural and social inclusion for indigenous students in law school, and to develop initiatives that foster non-indigenous students’ recognition and respect for indigeneity. The Indigenous Law Students Association (ILSA) is a vibrant student organization and an ideal venue to support these goals, as it created by and for diverse Indigenous students and non-Indigenous allies alike.
The Ombudsperson is committed to working with the LSS and Faculty Administration to ensure that Allard Law is a welcoming community for all students. The role of the Ombudsperson is to investigate student complaints, and to connect students with conflict resolution resources on campus. The Ombudsperson performs these duties in an impartial and confidential manner.
Ryan represents law students, and UBC students generally, on the University’s highest academic governing body, the Senate. The Senate is composed of deans, professors, students from all faculties, and is chaired by the President of the University. The Senate serves a number of functions, from approving new degree programs or awards, to setting admissions policy for undergraduates, to granting honorary degrees. It also serves as the last avenue for appeal for students facing academic discipline or concerning their academic standing.
