Strengthening legal services excellence in B.C.

A newly endowed professorship, supported by a generous $3.5 million gift from the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia (SNPBC), will significantly advance the field of applied legal studies and place SFU as a pivotal partner in the expansion of the education of notaries public in the province.

Margaret Hall, an SFU criminology professor and director of the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies (MA-ALS) program where this professorship will be located, says the endowment will create a permanent position dedicated to legal research and teaching excellence, and provide long-term stability and continuity of the MA-ALS program.

“With the SNPBC’s support, we can continue building interdisciplinary connections within SFU, develop new course programming, attract external resources to the program, and deliver on our commitment to provide first-class and cutting-edge legal education to notaries public in British Columbia,” says Margaret.

The endowed gift is a milestone in SNPBC’s longstanding partnership with SFU, which dates back to 2008 when both parties came together to establish the MA-ALS program. For 15 years, the MA-ALS program has provided notaries in British Columbia with core academic competencies in noncontentious areas of the Canadian legal system. Today, students wishing to gain admission to SNPBC and practice as notaries in the province must graduate from SFU’s MA-ALS program—the only program that SNPBC recognizes for this purpose. As of March 2021, more than half of B.C.’s practicing notaries are graduates of the MA-ALS program. 

John Mayr, the CEO and executive director of SNPBC, says the Society is excited about the ongoing opportunity to provide advanced academic education and rigorous training to B.C. notaries, strengthen legal excellence, and enable the people of this province to enjoy greater choice in trusted legal service providers.  

“British Columbians rely on notaries public for the legal advice and legal services they provide. Having a strong, collaborative relationship with SFU and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences ensures that our partnership of excellence in legal education and service to the public will continue,” says John. “Graduating educated, highly skilled legal professionals in a timely manner will increase access to legal services in the province.”

With forthcoming changes to the regulation of the legal professions in B.C., and anticipated changes to the scope of practice for notaries, SFU and SNPBC are optimistic about the instrumental role that this professorial position will play in advancing an enriched curriculum and—most importantly—timely programming that meets the needs of today and tomorrow.