Program Description This one year Ontario College Graduate Certificate program, offered in three consecutive semesters, prepares graduates to apply to the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) to become licensed paralegals. Paralegals are non-lawyers providing legal services in specified areas of practice to the public for a fee. The type of work that a licensed paralegal can perform is governed by the LSUC, and this program is restricted to those areas of law.
Students learn about case management and trial preparation in areas such as small claims court proceedings, provincial offences and summary conviction matters, as well as proceedings before administrative tribunals. An emphasis is placed on ethics and professional responsibility issues, and the requirements of running a firm and reporting to clients. Students acquire practical skills in a hands-on environment in preparation for becoming licensed paralegals, and gain valuable applied experience in practice management, case management, and ethical and professional responsibility matters through participation in a mandatory, unpaid field placement, which occurs at the end of the course work portion of the final term.
In order to become a licensed paralegal, the Law Society of Upper Canada requires that the individual must have graduated from an accredited Paralegal program, pass a licensing examination, and be of good character. Once licensed, graduates may find employment in private and public sector law departments, paralegal or law firms, government agencies, community legal clinics, administrative tribunals and as self-employed private practitioners within the permitted scope of practice.
