The Nunavut Law Program at Nunavut Arctic College: How the Community-Based JD Works

What the Nunavut Law Program Was

The Nunavut Law Program was a partnership between Nunavut Arctic College , the University of Saskatchewan College of Law and the Government of Nunavut. Students registered as University of Saskatchewan law students and earned a University of Saskatchewan Juris Doctor, but they studied at Nunavut Arctic College's Nunatta Campus in Iqaluit instead of moving to Saskatoon.

Classes began on September 11, 2017. The single cohort completed the program in spring 2021. As of this writing, neither Nunavut Arctic College nor the University of Saskatchewan College of Law has announced a second intake, so treat the program as closed rather than as an open pathway right now.

Why a community-based JD existed

Nunavut has few resident lawyers relative to its population, and most law degrees require years away from home in a southern city. The program's stated goals were to grow the legal profession inside Nunavut, train lawyers who understood the territory's legal needs across different practice areas, and improve access to justice for Nunavummiut who often deal with courts, land claims and family law issues without a lawyer nearby.

Delivering the JD in Iqaluit meant students could stay connected to family, community and land while completing a professional degree that normally forces a move south. That mattered for retention: lawyers trained in the territory were more likely to practice in the territory afterward.

How the four years were structured

The program ran four years instead of the standard three.

• Year 1 built foundation skills: the historical and social context of law, Indigenous legal traditions, and legal research, writing and analysis. This year did not exist in the regular Saskatoon JD.

• Years 2 through 4 covered the same core subjects as any Canadian JD: criminal law, constitutional law, property law, tort law and contract law, plus electives.

• Students needed to complete 30 credit units each year to stay on track for graduation.

• Some students completed a term at the University of Saskatchewan's main Saskatoon campus during the program, giving them direct contact with the broader law school community.

This structure meant a Nunavut Law Program graduate held the exact same University of Saskatchewan JD as a Saskatoon graduate, earned through a different, longer delivery model built around one intake year.

Admission requirements and the writing sample

The program accepted a maximum of 25 qualified applicants per cohort, a much smaller intake than a typical law school class. Instead of relying purely on an LSAT score, admission included a writing sample assessment that tested analytical argumentation on questions without a single correct answer. This let the program evaluate reasoning and writing skill directly, which matters more in practice than a standardized test score alone.

Applicants also needed to meet the underlying academic prerequisites the University of Saskatchewan College of Law expects of any JD applicant. Because the program is not currently taking applications, exact current-cycle requirements are not published. Anyone hoping for a future intake should confirm requirements directly with the College of Law if a new cohort is ever announced.

Support built into the program

Because the cohort model concentrated a small, isolated group of law students in Iqaluit for four years, the program built in support that a normal law school does not need to the same degree: peer mentoring among cohort members, close instructor guidance, and cultural support connected to the community. The program also coordinated with the Law Society of Nunavut on what graduates needed to do to move toward bar admission after finishing the JD.

How this differs from applying to a southern law school

• You do not relocate to attend classes. A southern JD requires moving to wherever the law school is, usually for three years.

• The cohort model meant one fixed intake shared the same four years together, rather than a new first-year class starting every September.

• Admission leaned on a writing sample over an LSAT score, a different evaluation method than most Canadian law schools use.

• The extra foundation year is not something southern JD programs include, since their applicants already meet standard academic prerequisites without territory-specific context building.

Funding

Students in the program were eligible for Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS) through the Government of Nunavut, as well as funding available through regional Inuit organizations. Anyone considering a future law degree, whether through a revived community-based program or by applying to a law school outside the territory, should check current FANS terms directly on the Government of Nunavut's website, since aid amounts and eligibility rules change by academic year.

What to do if you want a law career from Nunavut today

With the Nunavut Law Program closed and no second cohort confirmed, students set on law from Nunavut currently need to apply to a law school outside the territory like any other Canadian applicant, using FANS travel and living support to help with the cost of studying away. Keep an eye on Nunavut Arctic College's law program page and the University of Saskatchewan College of Law's Indigenous programs page for any announcement of a renewed intake, since both institutions built this exact partnership once already.