The first new law school in Canada in 33 years opened its doors Tuesday, marking a historic day for Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University.

And the hope expressed to the 75 students who make up the first class of TRU Faculty of Law is that they will choose to fill a void of legal counsel in the Interior.

“You are entering this profession at a key time. You are entering this law school at a key time,” said Wally Oppal, TRU chancellor and a former judge and attorney general.

Oppal, one of more than a dozen speakers who addressed the crowd in the Irving K. Barbour Roundhouse during the school’s grand opening, said the province will lose about 400,000 working professionals in the next couple of years. Many will be lawyers.

By opening a new law school in Kamloops, Oppal and the other dignitaries are confident the pressures felt by that loss will be diminished.

“British Columbia needs more lawyers. We really do,” said Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger.

Krueger is one of several politicians, legal counsel and academics who pushed the province to open the law school at TRU. The project was officially announced in a speech from the throne in February 2009.

Krueger said the province is counting on the local legal community to mentor the students, many of whom come from outside the region, so each one is well prepared to enter the workforce.

“We want you to feel supported in everything you do,” he said.

Chief Judge Thomas Crabtree said young lawyers who begin their careers in smaller communities tend to stay. With its rich history and cultural diversity, Kamloops is an ideal place to make a career and start a life.

Law school dean Chris Axworthy promised the students they will learn the practical applications of the law when it comes to the important issues facing society.

The aspiring lawyers will be educated in a variety disciplines, including First Nations, sports and environmental law, he said.

TRU president and vice chancellor Alan Shaver said the school will produce a new kind of lawyer — well rounded, critical and socially conscious.

“What we do here at Thompson Rivers University is important to the world,” said Shavers. “We need to make sure that we’re doing it right.”

Brian Vickers, 27, travelled from Vancouver to attend the school. He already has a degree in forest sciences from the University of B.C. and wanted to pursue a career in environmental law.

“TRU was actually ideal,” he said.

Vickers is excited to be a part of the first class and to be pursuing a career he’s interested in, he said. And he’s enjoyed his first few days in Kamloops.

As for settling down in the Interior, he’s open to the idea if the right job comes up when he graduates in three years, said Vickers.

“If there’s a job available and it excites me, I’d stay,” he said.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake and Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod also attended the event.