ILSA’S Rebuilding Bears Fruit

At the start of every academic year, four $1000 awards are given to Indigenous law students chosen for their hard work and accomplishments. The funds for this award are raised by the Indigenous Law Students’ Association, and the goal over the past few years has been to bring the ILSA award fund to permanent endowment at $50,000. This goal recently became a reality.

At the start of the academic year, ILSA UBC hit the ground running, finding success in organizing multiple events, some with other affinity-seeking clubs and others organized by ILSA. As a club, the rebuilding of community at Allard was the main goal. Through reminders to the student body at large that ILSA was a club meant for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to come together and build relationships, the club found success. Yet, ILSA approached the legal community from across the lower mainland with this mentality as well, and the response was staggering. Firms stepped up and sponsored events, not only understanding that ILSA was in the process of rebuilding community at Allard, but that it needed support to do so.

This culminated in the biggest success of the year for ILSA UBC. The annual ILSA Gala was hosted on February 28, 2025 at the Bill Reid Gallery in Downtown Vancouver. Through the building of new relationships and the fostering and rekindling of other relationships, ILSA UBC not only raised the remaining $7000 needed to endow the ILSA award fund but also just over $31,000 through a never-before-seen number of firms stepping in as gold, silver and bronze sponsors. The highlight of the night was presenting the Courage in Law Awards to the three recipients nominated by students from ILSA this year: Michelle Casavant, Scott Franks and Andrea Hilland, KC.

ILSA presented these awards to the winners in front of a crowded gallery space. Thanks to the amazing ALF Executive, including Christina Cook, who sent out a general invitation to all ALF members, ILSA played host to some amazing Indigenous legal minds and leaders. Yet the most significant achievement for ILSA this year, apart from the endowment of the award fund, was the sense of community that felt restored at Allard.

UBC ILSA wants to thank all those who attended the annual Gala this year and those who stepped up as representatives for their firms and got involved in organizing and sponsoring events for the club. The success of rebuilding community within the walls of Allard was possible due to the support of Indigenous alumni and lawyers who understand the importance of having a place of our own that represents the ideals of our culture.