Centre for Feminist Legal Studies at Allard Law UBC

05/21/2026

Applications for CFLS award and prizes are officially open!

The CFLS encourages current students at the Peter A. Allard School of Law to apply and/or share these opportunities.
- Auriol Gurner Young Memorial Award (available to J.D. students)
- Marlee G. Kline Essay Prizes (available to both J.D. and graduate students)

📅 Deadline: Wednesday, June 17 | 5:00 PM PST

🔗 For full details and submission guidelines, check out the following link: https://allard.ubc.ca/research/research-centres-and-programs/centre-feminist-legal-studies/students/student-awards-prizes

We look forward to reading your submissions! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

05/13/2026

On May 19, join CFLS Visiting Scholar, Professor Hilde Tubex, for lunch and discussion of her research about life sentences and the experiences of women and Indigenous peoples in Australian prisons.

📅 Tuesday, May 19 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
📍Terrace Lounge, 4th Floor | Allard Hall

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

05/11/2026

On Friday, May 15th, from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm PST in Room 122 at Allard Hall, Oludolapo Makinde (PhD Candidate, Peter A. Allard School of Law and Liu Scholar, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs) will present “Algorithmic Harm and AI Governance: An Intersectional Feminist Analysis of the EU and Brazil.”

This lecture will examinel, through an intersectional feminist lens, how the European Union and Brazil are approaching AI governance and whether these frameworks adequately address algorithmic harm shaped by gender, race, class, and other inequalities.

For more information, click here:

This talk with examine through an intersectional feminist lens how the European Union and Brazil are approaching the governance of AI systems.

04/07/2026

Join Green College (Coach House, 6201 Cecil Green Park Rd) on Thursday, April 9th from 5:00pm to 6:20pm for "Secrets on our Doorstep: Vancouver and the Shadow on the World Cup." At this event, journalist Matthew Hall will discuss his research into abuse in sports and systemic cover-ups by sports organizations and educational institutions across North America, with a focus on the 2026 World Cup games.

As Vancouver prepares to host 2026 World Cup games, a chilling local history haunts the celebration. In 2008, Canada Soccer and the Vancouver Whitecaps quietly severed ties with coach Bob Birarda in response to multiple complaints of predatory behaviour. Institutional silence allowed Birarda to coach local girls for another decade until whistleblowers, like Matthew Hall, lifted the curtain on this history of abuse.

For further information, please visit this link: https://greencollege.ubc.ca/events/secrets-our-doorstep-vancouver-and-shadow-world-cup

03/18/2026

On Wednesday, March 25th from 12:30pm to 2:00pm PST in Room 104 at Allard Hall, Dr. Vrinda Narain (Faculty of Law, McGill University) will present a lecture on "How Feminist Constitutionalism Embraces Diversity: A Study of Quebec's Bill 21."

Drawing on feminist constitutionalism and critical multiculturalism, this lecture, co-presented with the Specialization in Law and Social Justice Concentration and the Dick Gathercole Annual Public Interest Lecture, argues that the law recasts race as culture and religion, entrenching inequality under the guise of state neutrality.

For more information, please visit this link: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/how-feminist-constitutionalism-embraces-diversity-study-quebecs-bill-21

03/16/2026

On Monday, March 23rd from 12:30pm to 2:00pm, Clare C. Benton (LLM Student, Peter A. Allard School of Law), the winner of the 2026 Graduate Student Speaker Competition, will present "Raising the Bar: Addressing Gender-Based Bullying, Discrimination & Harassment in the Legal Profession in BC." This lecture, co-presented by the Allard Women’s Caucus and UBC Outlaws, will examine the prevalence of gender-based misconduct and the regulatory responses to it, focusing on the legal profession in B.C.

For more information, please visit this link: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/raising-bar-addressing-gender-based-bullying-discrimination-harassment-legal-profession-bc

03/05/2026

On Thursday, March 12th from 2:00pm to 5:45pm, Professor Parkes, the Chair in Feminist Legal Studies, the CFLS, and UBC OutLaws will present "More Than a Game: The Fight for Gender Equality and Inclusion in Sports", a symposium which will bring together lawyers, scholars, athletes and advocates on the front lines to share stories, research and strategies in pursuit of genuine gender equality and inclusion in sport. Speakers will include: Ann Peel (Lawyer & Sports Arbitrator), Michele Krech (Lincoln Alexander School of Law), Ridan Cunningham (Lawyer, EGALE Canada), and keynote speaker Harrison Browne (Author and Filmmaker).

For more information, please visit this link: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/more-game-fight-gender-equality-and-inclusion-sports

03/04/2026

On Thursday, March 12th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, the Environmental Law Group, the Indigenous Law Students' Association, the Centre for the Law & the Environment, and the CFLS will present a lunch and learn panel on "Gender Injustice, Law & the Climate Crisis," featuring Melina Laboucan-Massimo (Sacred Earth) and Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, K.C. (Legal Counsel, White Raven Law).

This conversation will explore how environmental harm disproportionately impacts Indigenous women and communities, and how law and Indigenous leadership can advance meaningful climate justice. Grounded in frontline experience and legal expertise, this panel offers critical insights into building a more just and sustainable future.

For more information, please visit this link: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/gender-injustice-law-and-climate-crisis

02/03/2026

On Tuesday, February 10th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, the Allard Animal Justice Club, in collaboration with the CFLS, will present a lunch and learn panel on the "Violence Link: Domestic Violence, Coercive Control, and Animal Abuse," featuring Angela Marie MacDougall (Executive Director, Battered Women's Support Services) and Victoria Shroff (Lawyer at Shroff Animal Law & Adjunct Professor of Animal Law at Allard).

This panel will explore the intersection of domestic violence against women and animal abuse through the concept of the violence link, meaning the legal and evidentiary connection between intimate partner violence and abuse or threats against animals, where harm to animals is used as a tool of coercive control and a warning sign of escalating violence.

Lunch will be provided!

For more information, please visit this link: https://allard.ubc.ca/about-us/events-calendar/violence-link-domestic-violence-coercive-control-and-animal-abuse

02/03/2026

The CFLS is pleased to announce the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies Travel and Research Dissemination Fund, which offers up to $1,000 in funds to support students attending conferences and academic events (max $500/applicant). The deadline to apply for this award is Friday, February 13th at 5:00pm PST.

Please see this link for further details: https://allard.ubc.ca/research/research-centres-and-programs/centre-feminist-legal-studies/students/student-awards-prizes