Yukon University planning first law degree pending board approval

Proposed degree aims to address lawyer shortages and train students in Yukon’s treaty‐based system

Yukon University planning first law degree pending board approval Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Yukon University is moving toward a 2027 launch of its first law degree, a program designed to train lawyers in the territory’s distinct legal landscape while addressing long‐standing gaps in access to justice. The single‐cohort Juris Doctor, developed with the University of Calgary, is aiming to open applications in fall 2026, according to Yukon University. Caroline Grady, the university’s Northern Director of Law, said the program’s next major milestone is internal board approval in September.

“That will kind of decide whether or not we’re on the right schedule,” she told the News. Yukon University is working to formalize an agreement with the University of Calgary to jointly deliver the degree, with Calgary responsible for accreditation, according to Grady. The partnership reflects the difficulty of establishing a law school, Grady added.

“It is obviously a very difficult process, and it should be because of the kind of standards that we have to hold lawyers to,” she said. The plan is that first‐year courses will rely heavily on University of Calgary faculty, while second and third year offerings will be taught by a mix of Calgary professors, Yukon lawyers, and other local seasonal instructors, according to Grady. The program is being shaped around what Yukon University describes as the territory’s “unique legal framework,” including Indigenous governance and modern treaty implementation.

Grady said modern treaties touch nearly every area of legal practice in the Yukon. “There’s really nothing in the Yukon that the modern treaties don’t touch on,” she said. Grady said the curriculum will also respond to declining private‐practice capacity in areas such as family law, wills and estates, and criminal defence.

“As an example, you’re sometimes waiting six months to a year if you want to get a divorce or if you need to adjust a child plan. So that doesn’t make law or access to lawyers very good in the Yukon and leads to people having to hire lawyers from outside who don’t have the expertise with Yukon laws,” Grady said. Yukon University notes that the Council of Yukon First Nations passed a resolution in August 2024 recommending the development of a law degree.

Grady said the program aims to make legal education accessible to Indigenous Yukoners and ensure graduates can work within the modern treaties. Local lawyers are also involved through the Yukon Law Education Society, which includes former Chief Justice Ron Veale. Grady said the group has pushed for a Yukon‐based program for a while and is advising on professional needs.

The university anticipates admitting up to 25 students, a number Grady said balances cohort size with small‐class learning. “We’re hoping that 25 kind of strikes that balance,” she said. Grady said students are expected to take standard first‐year core law courses before moving into more Yukon‐focused offerings in areas such as modern treaties, Indigenous economic development, environmental law, and family law.

Separately, Yukon University says all courses will be delivered in person at its Ayamdigut campus in Whitehorse. Yukon University selected the University of Calgary partly because Calgary already sends professors north each year to teach a modern treaties course, Grady said. Those instructors work with Yukon courts, meet judges and observe hearings, creating an existing foundation for experiential learning the new program intends to build on.

Applications are expected to open in fall 2026, with classes beginning in August 2027 and convocation planned for June 2030, according to Yukon University. Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com