This three-year degree is the first of its kind offered in Ontario, designed to help future practitioners gain the requirements to apply to become licensed paralegals with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), apply to law school, or transfer into an honours program as a pathway to graduate studies.
Students will:
- Enhance their critical thinking skills and be prepared for diverse client advocacy.
- Build a strong cultural competency lens to support diverse populations such as immigrants, refugees, Indigenous peoples, women, and LGBTQ+ clients.
- Gain hands-on learning experience through a 14-week, 420-hour mandatory field placement.
Developed in response to the growing need for paralegals in Ontario, this three-year degree program is the first of its kind in the province and prepares students with the knowledge, skills and expertise required to work in a variety of legal fields and apply to the Law Society of Ontario to become a licensed paralegal. It also offers graduates the flexibility to apply to law school, or transfer into an honours program that enables them to apply to graduate studies.
In Canada, in addition to lawyers, there are professions that provide legal services under varying degrees of lawyer supervision, including law clerks, legal assistants and paralegals. In Ontario, Paralegal is established as a licensed and regulated profession that can work independently within a prescribed scope of practice. Durham College’s (DC) Bachelor of Paralegal program is grounded in the entry-level competencies of a licensed paralegal in Ontario and the complex legal thinking required to practice in court and tribunal proceedings.
Students in the program explore and examine constitutional law and the Charter, criminal and summary convictions, contracts and tort law, the law of Tribunals, the procedure and practice for small claims court, the theory and strategies of negotiations and mediation, insurance law and employment law.
Beyond the discipline of law, the program includes six courses to enhance students’ social and political awareness, critical thinking skills and legal context required to make meaningful contributions in a range of organizations as well as the cultural competency lens to provide legal services to diverse populations including immigrants, refugees, Indigenous peoples, women and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
Through a comprehensive mix of theoretical, research and applied courses, students will apply their knowledge in a mandatory 14-week, 420-hour experiential field placement. Students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills required to successfully apply their expertise and professional practice in a legal setting with the ability to translate theoretical learning to the actual field. DC’s Faculty of Social and Community Services is dedicated to assisting students securing their field placement and supports them throughout the process.
Graduates of DC’s Paralegal diploma program can also further their education by entering in year three of the Bachelor of Paralegal program, if desired.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
As a Bachelor of Paralegal graduate, you will be able to:
- Evaluate substantive, legal, and procedural issues to determine the legal remedies and facilitate access to justice.
- Present legal issues, arguments and solutions using a client-centered service-oriented practice to demonstrate alignment with client needs, objectives, and goals.
- Conduct research by identifying the legal context, issues, case law, legislation, and organizational rules and guidelines to interpret, summarize, and present legal research findings.
- Develop a cogent legal argument in accordance with/and supported by leading statutes and case law based on an organized body of relevant facts.
- Evaluate case details and seek support or referral to appropriate legal counsel to ensure compliance with the scope of practice for a paralegal.
- Advocate for a client’s legal position and access to the justice system by strategically employing methods of negotiation and analytical reasoning.
- Complete with accuracy, clarity, conciseness and organization a variety of documents used in paralegal practice.
- Evaluate personal and professional competence and access professional development opportunities to support continuous learning with the goal of meeting client needs.
- Practice in a professional, ethical and timely manner with clients and colleagues by complying with relevant legislation and the standards of the regulatory body.
Admission Requirements
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or Mature Student Status
- Six Grade 12 courses at the U or M level at a minimum average of 65% including:
- Grade 12 U English or equivalent with a final grade minimum of 60%.
OR
- Six post-secondary credits with a combined minimum average of 65% including:
- College or university English or Communications with a final minimum grade of 60%
Career Options
WHAT YOU COULD BE
- Licensed Paralegal
- Community legal worker
- Prosecutor
- Legal assistant
- Law clerk
- Tribunal Adjudicator
WHERE YOU COULD WORK
- Law firms
- Private practices
- Legal departments within businesses
- Government legal services departments
- Tribunals and legal clinics
More Info:https://durhamcollege.ca/programs/bachelor-of-paralegal#tabCareer
More Info:https://durhamcollege.ca/programs/law-clerk