Paralegal

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS GAINED

PROGRAM OUTLINE

Courses are Primary, Secondary, or advanced. Students must complete all Primary Courses prior to entering any Secondary Courses. Students must complete all Primary and Secondary Courses before entering any Advanced courses.

Career Building:

English I - This course Introduces students to college level English reading and writing skills to develop grammar, vocabulary and paragraph development.

Professional Skills - Prepares students with every aspect of their transition into their new career by identifying and teaching essential business and interpersonal skills.

Primary Courses:

Introduction to the Legal System - This course is designed to introduce students to the legal system in Canada. Students will be introduced to the structure of the Canadian government and political system, the Canadian court systems and the powers that govern each. The Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms will be examined in addition to property law, business law, and consumer laws as they apply to Canadians across the country. Basic legal terminologies, statutes, and regulations will be explored daily.

Legal Computer Applications - In this course, students will be introduced to Microsoft Office basics including how to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Various correspondence and legal documents will be demonstrated using Microsoft Office software to view pleadings, motions, applications, and forms. Students will also learn how to use the internet to view various sources to find documents, applications, view case law, and view court web sites related to drafting of correspondence and memoranda.

Legal Communication - In this course, students will thoroughly examine the various legal writing techniques required to work in the legal field and will learn to draft various types of documents that include affidavits, memorandums, legal correspondence, and pleadings. Students will develop an understanding of the importance of proper writing skills and develop an appreciation for spelling, legal terminology, and presentation techniques.

Legal Research and Writing - In this course, students will learn about legal research and legal writing using sources such as their text books, e-laws, CanLii, and various other sources on the internet. Students will draft a legal memorandum and will learn how to research relevant statutes, regulations, and cases for use in the courtroom and for the purposes of creating a book of authorities or other similar supporting materials.

Secondary Courses:

Torts and Contracts - In this course, students will gain an understanding of both contract and tort law and how they are viewed by the legal system in Canada. Students will focus on both intentional and unintentional torts including negligence, assault, battery, trespassing, and other various matters related to tort law. Students will also learn about the elements of a contract that include intention, capacity, legality, consideration, offer, and acceptance. The course will emphasize remedies for each with a particular focus on damages, discharge, breach, and other contractual rights.

Criminal Summary Conviction Procedure - In this course, students will study the Criminal Code of Canada and its regulations. This course is designed to familiarize students with the particular legal issues and procedures associated with summary conviction matters and will explore the roles of police, the Crown, and the defendant in criminal proceedings.

Provincial and Motor Vehicle Offences - This course is designed to familiarize students with provincial offences matters in Ontario. Emphasis will be placed on providing legal services in the provincial offences court and the Ontario Court of Justice. The Provincial Offences Act, the Highway Traffic Act, and other legislation such as the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, Liquor Licence and Control Act, Environmental Protection Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Trespass to Property Act, and the Blind Persons Rights Act will be explored and analyzed.

Administrative Law - In this course, students will thoroughly examine the various functions and characteristics of administrative law bodies in Ontario. The roles and functions of tribunals and their administrative processes will also be examined in this course. Natural justice, bias, and public decision making will be discussed with an emphasis on administrative law with regard to boards, agencies, tribunals and commissions. Charter claims and remedies as they apply in the administrative law context will be explained as well.

Employment Law - This course will provide students with an understanding of employment laws as they apply to employers and employees in Ontario. Students will review and analyze employment related statutes and case law and will learn how to identify and address potential legal problems in the workplace. Students will observe various statutes that include the Employment Standards Act, 2000, Labour Relations Act, 1995, Human Rights Code, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Employment related tribunals and their practice requirements will be analyzed as well.

Residential Landlord and Tenant Law - In this course, students will study the Residential Tenancies Act and its corresponding Regulations. Students will gain an understanding of the landlord tenant relationship and the rights of all parties in accordance to the Act. Students will be familiarized with the Landlord Tenant Board and the processes involved in filing an application with the Board and any other forms relevant to the relationship.

Small Claims Court I - This course will provide students with an understanding of the standard procedures in the Small Claims Court and the rules, practice and procedures governing actions brought in the Small Claims Court. Students will work extensively with the Rules of the Small Claims Court and will review relevant court documents and cases that are relevant to the practice of a Paralegal.

Tribunal Practice and Procedure - In this course, students will develop the ability to identify and interpret enabling legislation of particular administrative tribunals. Students will also examine tribunal hearing processes and sequences of proceedings. Students will also perform a presentation on a particular tribunal appointed by their instructor and will engage in daily advocacy exercises as they would before those tribunals.

Legal Accounting - In this course, students will be taken through daily studies to guide them through typical billing and record keeping procedures and requirements for handling a typical client legal matter. Students will focus on using the Law Society Bookkeeping Guide and will review trust account, general account, and transaction record requirements amongst the many bookkeeping requirements of a legal services practice.

Ethics and Professional Responsibility - In this course, students will be introduced to the Law Society’s mandatory requirements with regard to professional responsibility, practice management, and record keeping requirements. The Paralegal Rules of Conduct, the Paralegal Professional Conduct Guidelines, and the relevant bylaws will be used to guide the student through this complex course dealing with issues related to civility, professionalism, and other ethical matters that are related to the practice of a paralegal.

Small Claims Court II - This course will provide students with an understanding of the standard procedures in the Small Claims Court and the rules, practice and procedures governing actions brought in the Small Claims Court and how to take steps to enforce an order from Small Claims court. Students will work extensively with the Rules of the Small Claims Court and will review relevant court documents, enforcement procedures; pre-claim steps to take avoid an uncollectable defendant and a mock trial in Small Claims Court setting that are relevant to the practice of a Paralegal.

Introduction to Immigration Law - This module introduces students to the Canadian immigration laws, rules, policies, and procedures that are enforced and developed through Canadian government agencies, courts, and tribunals. Students will be introduced to immigration concepts, such as grounds for entry into Canada, inadmissibility, permanent residency, and refugee law in Canada.

Practice Management - In this course, students will focus on the responsibilities required by the Law Society regarding Practice Management and Operation of a Small Paralegal Business in Ontario. Students will be introduced to various concepts including how to draft a business plan, how to follow the rules of conduct regarding their practice, and understanding their obligations as an employer.

Advanced Courses:

Alternative Dispute Resolution - This course will introduce students to various types of dispute resolution mechanisms as an alternative to traditional litigation processes. The practice of negotiation, mediation and arbitration will be observed. Students will examine objectives, principles, and practice and apply the different types of alternative dispute resolution solutions in the legal system.

Advocacy - In this course, students will focus on analyzing various courtroom litigation strategies that include how to perform opening statements, direct examinations, cross examinations, re- examinations, objections, and closing arguments. Students will also examine how to conduct client interviews, identify the order of evidence to be introduced, and how to prepare witnesses. Additionally, the course will address preparation of submissions as to costs/sentencing.

Evidence and the Litigation Process - In this course, students will be familiarized with the rules of evidence through both the statutory rules of evidence, as well as the common law. Students will learn the basic principles regarding admissibility of evidence, including weight, materiality, relevance, and prejudicial effect versus probative value. Students will observe the exceptions to the admissibility of evidence and how to use those rules in the courts and tribunals. Expert evidence will also be discussed.

Practicum:

Practicum Placement - The practicum provides the student with an opportunity to incorporate classroom theory into a real work situation. It allows the student the ability to demonstrate, evaluate and refine skills needed by a professional in a Legal or Paralegal environment. Placement will provide the student with a meaningful work experience for jobs within the Paralegal Industry. Field placement enables learners to better understand the dynamics of the industry increase their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market.

WHY THIS PROGRAM?

Paralegals prepare legal documents, conduct research, and represent clients from minor to very serious offences. Independent paralegals provide legal services to the public as allowed by provincial and federal legislation, and many provide independent legal services on contract to law firms or other establishments.

Graduates with a Paralegal license become indispensable members of the legal field dealing with various matters involving case research and writing, evidence gathering, witness preparation, advocacy, ADR, and much more. Graduates may choose to work in an established Law Firm or open a Paralegal Firm of their own to provide better access to justice.

Students complete field placements of 240 hours as a part of the program. CIMT College assigns students to various legal office placements to gain hands-on experience before being awarded the diploma.

ASSOCIATED NATIONAL OCCUPATION CLASSIFICATION (NOC) CODES

After pursuing a diploma and license as a Paralegal, you are eligible for positions falling under the following NOC Code:

NOC 42200 - Paralegal and related occupations.

Common Job Titles which you can apply for in Ontario include but are not limited to–Paralegal, Prosecutor, Mediator, Adjudicator, Legal Researcher, Law Clerk, and Court Clerk.

JOB FUNCTIONS

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Job openings in the field of Paralegal seek a person who has completed an accredited college program and earned their license as a Paralegal.

Since the knowledge of legal terminology and the legal field is important to be successful in this position, some practicum in-house training in a law firm or other legal establishment is usually desired by the employers. 

• Independent Paralegals require knowledge of legal principles and procedures usually obtained through industry-sponsored courses and through experience, or through completion of a college paralegal program.               

EMPLOYMENT AREAS & PROSPECTS

Our Paralegal program course develops knowledge and skills which are desired by a variety of prospective employers, law firms, and legal establishments. Prospective employers may include the Attorney General, Financial Organizations, Legal Departments in public as well as private sectors, Municipal, Provincial and Federal Courts, Government Agencies, Correctional Institutions, Private and Public Colleges, Mediation Firms, and much more.