UBC Engineers

Our engagement with the next generation of engineers

UBC Engineers

Our lawyers are honoured to have served as adjunct professors of UBC’s civil engineering program (CIVL 402) for over 40 years, and our engagement with the next generation of engineers has become an important aspect of our firm’s tradition.

The involvement of our lawyers in teaching and publishing gives the firm credibility with a broad cross-section of the construction and commercial communities.

 

About the Course

Craig A. Wallace, P.Eng. is an adjunct professor at UBC, and has been teaching the fourth year class of Legal Aspects of Engineering Practice for many years. Other lawyers who share in teaching the course are: J. Marc MacEwingOla StoklosaVanessa L. Reakes, Mark J. Braidwood and Matthew Wansink. The course CIVL 402 is now titled “Professionalism and Law in Civil Engineering,” and our reference to it relates to the legal aspects of the course (CIVL 402B).

This is a lectures-only course, which reviews the legal aspects of Civil Engineering practice. Please refer to the Course Material and Lecture Schedule for a breakdown of topics. We use the textbook, Practical Law of Architecture, Engineering, and Geoscience, 4th Canadian Edition, Samuels, Brian M. and Sanders, Doug R., Pearson Canada, 2022. The lectures are split among certain lawyers within our firm, based on their areas of expertise. The course culminates with an examination to which all of the lecturing lawyers contribute questions based on the content of their lectures.

 

Lecture Schedule & Course Material

2025 WINTER TERM LECTURE

UBC CIVL 402 – PROFESSIONALISM AND LAW IN CIVIL ENGINEERING LECTURE SCHEDULE FOR PART B (LAW)

SEPTEMBER 4 to DECEMBER 4, 2025 - THURSDAYS 11:00 am to 12:15 pm

Room 100 – Geography Building (GEOG) 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, BC  V6T 1Z3

Thursday Topics CIVL 402B Instructor
4-Sep Common Law and Legal System (First Class) Vanessa Reakes
11-Sep Contracts Michael Williams
18-Sep Contract Administration and Field Services Vanessa Reakes
25-Sep Torts & Professional Liability Mark Braidwood
2-Oct Dispute Resolution Ola Stoklosa
9-Oct Tendering Mark Braidwood
16-Oct Risk, Responsibility & Dispute Avoidance Vanessa Reakes
23-Oct Builders Liens Marc MacEwing
30-Oct No Class  
6-Nov Business Organizations Matthew Wansink
13-Nov Labour and Employment Law Ramanjeet Sohal
20-Nov Bonding and Delay Claims Ola Stoklosa
27-Nov Case Studies in Engineering

Vanessa Reakes

4- Dec No Class  

 

* Practical Law of Architecture, Engineering, and Geoscience: 4th Canadian Edition, Samuels, Brian M. and Sanders, Doug R., Pearson Canada, 2022 (ISBN-13 no. 978-0-13-6931171). [This TEXT AND E-BOOK are available via the UBC Bookstore.]