Nunavut chooses University of Saskatchewan as law degree program partner

Prospective Nunavut lawyers can now apply to in-territory program

Nunavut Arctic College will once again offer a degree-granting law program in Iqaluit, this time partnering with the University of Saskatchewan.

The four-year program will be designed over the coming winter and spring and classes are expected to begin in September 2017.

Paul Quassa, minister for Nunavut Arctic College, says 25 spots will be available.

"We do need lawyers from Nunavut. We need lawyers that are bilingual. And I believe this is a great opportunity for getting more lawyers from Nunavut and those who can be bilingual."

The government evaluated proposals from several southern universities before choosing the University of Saskatchewan.

"It has a good history of Indigenous legal traditions and I believe this is one of the reason why we did choose the University of Saskatchewan."

Nunavut Arctic College offered a law program more than a decade ago through the University of Victoria. Eleven people graduated from the Akitsiraq program.