Paralegal/Legal Assistant
STRIVING FOR JUSTICE THROUGH A CAREER IN LAW!
| Placement Rate | |
| 2009 | N/A |
| 2008 | 94% |
| 2007 | 92% |
| 2006 | 94% |
| 2005 | 95% |
| 2004 | 92% |
| 2003 | 90% |
| 2002 | 94% |
| 2001 | 91% |
| Hourly Rate $10.00 - $15.00 |
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| Average Starting Salary $20,200 - $31,000 |
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Beyond the work of a legal administrative assistant, as a paralegal, you can work with lawyers, crown prosecutors, judges, for federal and provincial courts, with justice departments, insurance companies, and real estate agencies in conducting legal research and helping to ensure the rule of law is upheld. With 18 years of experience in offering this program which is taught by a retired lawyer and a working paralegal, you will graduate with confidence that you possess the necessary skills to succeed in the legal profession.
Course Content
OAP – 249 ADVANCED KEYBOARDING
This aspect of the course places emphasis on proper keyboarding techniques, mastery of the keyboard, and operation of the computer. Emphasis is also placed on speed and accuracy by the development of skill in typing a variety of office documentation, including letters, memos, reports and tables.
OAP – 112 LEGAL TRANSCRIPTION
The student learns to use modern dictating equipment. Transcription skills, retention skills, and the ability to follow oral instruction are practiced. The production of typed, ready-to-mail copies from machine dictation is stressed. Documentation is prepared for specific legal matters.
LAW – 102 REPRESENTATIVE NEGOTIATION– AN INTRODUCTION
This module of the course introduces the student to the practice of representative negotiation. There are many skills and issues important to any negotiator. This module will provide the student with a blend of theoretical and experiential perspectives on Canadian laws, social norms, and culture. Through this course, the student will be provided with a framework for understanding the central issues facing negotiators, thus allowing the student to consider the inherent risks and potential gains associated with various approaches to strategic negotiations.
LAW – 101.1 LAW OFFICE PROCEDURES
The student learns the intricacies of the law office environment. They are introduced to the various staff members, the associates and the partners within the firm. To assist them in becoming a valuable member of a team in the legal community, they learn to recognize the various duties of each position and to appreciate the responsibilities of members of the staff within the legal profession. They receive an introduction to the preparation of legal documents, with an emphasis on proper formatting, accuracy, and proofreading skills. They are taught the steps involved in opening files for clients and maintaining those files in the areas of law which they are introduced to in the other modules of the course.
LAW – 101.2 LEGAL ACCOUNTING – POSTINGS TO ACCOUNTS
The student learns the basics of legal accounting. The student becomes familiar with billable time, disbursements and accounts to clients, through scenarios from typical files at a law firm. They are introduced to ESI-Law, a popular legal accounting program and taught how to apply the legal accounting knowledge to that particular program. Time management, an essential skill in the legal environment, is taught with a realistic approach based on the impact of real life situations on the ability to record and bill time.
LAW–101.3
CIVIL LITIGATION
The student learns the basic steps on a typical civil litigation file, from opening the file and interviewing clients, to commencing proceedings and drafting pleadings. They learn to distinguish between counter claims, cross-claims and third party claims; actions, applications and motions; and judgments, default judgments and summary judgments. They explore the discovery process, pre-trial procedures, trial preparation and costs to be awarded.
LAW – 101.4 FAMILY LAW
The student learns how to navigate the procedural and transactional aspects of family law that they will encounter in the workplace. Students learn how to deal with divorce, custody and access issues with compassion while maintaining their professionalism.
Separation agreements, financial statements and support orders are drafted and dissected to determine the correlation between the elements comprising them.
LAW – 101.5 REAL PROPERTY LAW
The student is introduced to the area of real property law through real life scenarios. This module emphasizes the Land Titles System in New Brunswick, one of the most technologically advanced registry systems in the country. A historical look at the registry systems in this country, in stark contract to the on-line PLANET browser maintained by Service New Brunswick, gives the student a well-rounded appreciation of all types of registries. The Corporate, Personal Property and Real Property Registries are accessed on-line throughout the module to reinforce how the registries work. The student learns the basic steps in opening and maintaining files, closing the property transaction and reporting to the client and their financial institution. After this introduction, the students work with their peers to complete “closings” based on typical scenarios, preparing all correspondence, documents and reports required.
LAW – 101.6 WILLS AND ESTATES
The student learns the basics of estate planning, with a concentration on Wills and Powers of Attorney. Basic Will clauses are introduced and students prepare Wills based on typical scenarios. The student is introduced to the necessary forms to request Letters
Probate with respect to a Last Will & Testament or Letters of Administration for a person who dies intestate (without a Will).
LAW – 101.7 CORPORATE LAW
The student learns the steps involved in incorporating a company, with an emphasis on the information required for completing forms to apply for the incorporation. By-laws, resolutions, minute books and share registers are prepared and maintained for a typical “small business” corporation.
LAW – 202 LEGAL THEORY
This covers such areas of the law as an introduction to the common law legal system; the criminal law process; family law; contracts; torts; corporate law; and property law, as well as a general review of New Brunswick Statutes.
LAW – 203 LEGAL RESEARCH
Students will learn how to use the most popular subscription legal database, Quicklaw, to research cases from every jurisdiction in Canada. Students will then learn how to prepare legal briefs of case law which are used within submissions to a Court in support of legal arguments. Quicklaw is the research database of choice of most law firms in Canada. The students will also have the opportunity to utilize other web-based research tools such as the Maritime Law Book database and Canlii. In addition to case law research, the students will also learn how to research Federal and Provincial statute law.
BUS – 171 COMMUNICATIONS FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Communications for legal professionals allows the student to both improve their writing skills and to become familiar with the various forms of communication required of legal assistants. This module will focus on improving the students’ verbal and writing skills. It emphasizes spelling, grammar, listening, and speaking skills, and provides extensive guidance on writing and formatting memos and letters. The module is designed to enhance the confidence of the student as to the mastery of the rules of English grammar, punctuation and communication.
BUS – 665 SELF-DIRECTED STUDIES
This module is used by the student who may want to obtain one-on-one instruction with an instructor. This optional module is completed on Friday mornings during the entire duration of the program. The student does not receive a mark for this module as it is optional.
BUS – 333 SOFTWARE
Emphasis in this area is placed on giving the student competence in Microsoft Windows and in Windows related software, which, increasingly, is becoming the software of choice for most of today’s business offices. The student becomes familiar with the operation of Microsoft’s latest office software Office 2007, specifically Word (Comprehensive Level) and Excel (Introductory Level). WordPerfect is also covered in this course as many Law firms still use it to create files. The student also learns to use E‑mail to communicate productively and the Internet as an effective business tool. This aspect of the course provides preparation for the certified Microsoft Office user exams.
OJT – 444 ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
The student who meets all the work term criteria will be placed in a work environment for a two-week period.
Students can add French as a Second Language certificate to this program.
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DURATION
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ON-THE-JOB TRAINING