Legal Assistant

Business Communication

This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of communication skills in the business environments. Focus will be placed on both written and spoken communications. Students will review the basic writing process with emphasis on the mechanics of writing. They will also learn the importance of effective spoken communication, deliver an oral presentation, and participate in a mock meeting.

Microsoft Outlook

This Microsoft Outlook course is created for students to build and validate the skills businesses need to succeed in today's information economy. It also provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to use to effectively manage e-mails, contacts, calendars, and tasks. Outlook has become the corporate standard electronic personal organizer. These are the foundational skills needed to communicate using Outlook in a variety of positions within and organization. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of e-mail software. Students are expected to make arrangements to meet proficiency needs.

Microsoft PowerPoint

This course is designed for students who are interested in learning the fundamentals needed to create and modify basic presentations by using Microsoft PowerPoint. Students will explore the PowerPoint environment and create a presentation, will format text on slides to enhance clarity, enhance the visual appeal, add graphical objects to a presentation and modify them, and finalize a presentation to deliver it.

Business Law (Torts & Contracts)

In this course students will develop a basic understanding of tort law and the law of contracts. Students will learn what a contract is, when it is valid, how it may end, how a party deals with a breach of contract, and the role of the courts in enforcing contracts and awarding damages for their breach. Also, students will learn about the various aspects of tort law, with a focus on negligence, liability, without fault, tort damages, and common statutory torts.

Civil Litigation - Level 1

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the civil litigation process in Ontario. Students will learn to open and carry a civil litigation file from the commencement of proceedings through to the close of pleadings and simulate preparing the necessary court documents which are essential to the process. Students will be introduced to the Rules of Civil Procedure and will develop an understanding of when, how and why court documents are prepared, served and filed. Students will gain the skills necessary to perform the practical tasks often undertaken by law clerks such as drafting pleadings and affidavits of service using ACL3 software.

Client Relations

In this course, students learn the fundamentals of how a strong relationship with clients is developed and maintained. Professionalism, the importance of living up to obligations, and the various forms of prompt and attentive communication are discussed.

Career Planning & Preparation - Level 1

This module introduces tools for planning and preparing for a successful job search, so that students can maintain a career-focused approach throughout their education program. Students will learn how to research opportunities and network for industry contacts, and use appropriate etiquette when communicating with prospective employers. Students will identify their personal skills, values and preferences for the workplace, begin preparation of a professional resume, cover letter, thank you note and references. Class discussions on various self-management topics introduced in Student Success Strategies will round out this module, which is a pre-requisite for Career Planning and Preparation – Level 2.

Career Planning & Preparation - Level 2

This module continues to build on the concepts and skills introduced in Career Planning and Preparation - Level I. Students will learn how to conduct an effective job search and identify various methods of applying for work with today’s technology. Students will create a personal list of “Top Employers” and target current industry opportunities, while finalizing their professional resume, portfolio and career correspondence. Students will learn to identify the different types and forms of interviews, practice responding to typical questions, and practice follow-up, evaluation and negotiation techniques they can use to ensure success. Self-management topics from Career Planning and Preparation - Level I will be reviewed, with a focus towards on-the-job success in both learner placements and post-graduate employment.

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision Making

In this course, students learn the elements of critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. These are all essential steps in formulating solutions that are logical, well thought-out and efficient. Students' evaluation, analysis, and interpretation skills will be challenged and honed. Also addressed is the value of understanding opposing viewpoints to help ensure best practices in future endeavors. The course will cover how critical thinking, problem solving and decision making differ and intersect.

Corporate Law - Level 1

In this course students will be provided with a fundamental understanding of the basics of Corporate and Business Law. Students will be introduces to various types of business organizations, including sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations. The students will be introduced to the process of incorporation, the changes to corporate structure, and the roles of directors, officers and shareholders of a corporation.

Debtor/Creditor

In this course students will be introduced to debt collection procedures. Students will learn the basic, substantive principles involved in collecting a debt. Students will learn about the procedures for collecting a debt, including commencement of proceedings, obtaining default judgment, enforcing judgments and orders. Students will be introduced to Small Claims court actions, and documenting debt settlements.

Dicta Typing

In this self-directed module, students pace themselves appropriately to complete a number of documents which are prepared in law offices. The goal of this module is to familiarize students with the various types of documents they may be called on to prepare when working in a legal practice. Students have to complete and submit general correspondence and other documents pertaining to the different legal practice specializations, including estate planning (such as wills and powers of attorney), real estate law, corporate law, family law, civil litigation, criminal law, landlord and tenant and small claims.

Digital Literacy for Professionals

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and principles of learning and working in a digital environment. This course will cover the following elements: using devices and handling information, creating and editing information, communicating and collaborating, and being safe and responsible online.

Diversity in the Workplace

This course introduces students to diversity and its strengths in the workplace. Among the topics covered are the strengths of diversity, its occasional challenges, how to manage diversity in the workplace, and the value of diversity training. Diversity in group dynamics is also addressed, with an emphasis on the strengths of a heterogeneous group and the types of diversity found in it.

Microsoft Excel

This Microsoft Office Excel course is created for students to build and validate the skills needed to succeed in today's economy. It also provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to use Microsoft Office Excel effectively in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Excel is the world's most popular spreadsheet software. Whether you are managing a household or running a small business, Excel will help you develop useful techniques to help business processes. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of spreadsheet software. Students are expected to make arrangements to meet proficiency needs as necessary.

Family Law

This course integrates substantive law and theory, and students will be provided with the fundamental understanding of the family law process in Ontario. The students will concentrate on the main areas of family law, including divorce, custody, access, support and the division of property pursuant to the Family Law Act. Students will learn the required court procedures and simulate the preparation of relevant family law documents using Divorce-Mate software.

Group Dynamics

The course explores human dynamics and its importance in both groups and the workplace. Students will learn the importance of groups and group work on decision making and productivity, as well as the different qualities found in leaders and the various leadership principles. Also covered is controversy, how it effects groups, when it can be a positive thing, and how negative controversy can be diffused.

Interpersonal Communication

Effective interpersonal communication is vital for the success of any organization. It impacts working relationships, productivity, and a variety of other business activities. This course introduces the concepts of effective interpersonal communication in the workplace, considering internal and external professional relationships. Additionally, students will learn about telephone etiquette, which will prepare them to answer calls with confidence and professionalism, respond to customer/client inquiries effectively, and handle customer/client complaints. Students will leave the course prepared to navigate the complexities of interpersonal communication with colleagues and clients.

Introduction to Law

Students will gain a fundamental understanding of the Canadian government and political system,as well as the important elements of the Canadian legal system in this course. They will learn the differences between private and public law, procedural and substantive law, and statutory and common law. They will also learn about the organization of the court system, jurisdiction of the courts, and the Law Society of Upper Canada. The Canadian Constitution, its impact of federalism and the precepts of the Charter will also be covered in the course.

Accounting for the Law Office

This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the accounting principles required in a law firm. They will learn how legal accounting helps manage most aspects of a firm’s business. Students will develop a thorough understanding of the use of PCLaw software and simulate the practical tasks undertaken by law clerks with respect to accounting for the law office. The course explores some of the core features of PCLaw, including file opening, conducting conflict of interest searches, contact management, entering time dockets, firm/trust cheques, cash receipts, and expense recovery and preparing accounts.

Introduction to Legal Procedures

This course introduces students to legal terminology and legal administrative procedures in a general practice law office. Students will demonstrate management of client records, including opening a file, preparing legal correspondence, retainers and authorizations. Students will also be introduced to the roles and responsibilities of working in a law office and the legal ethics involved with working with clients.

Legal Research & Writing

In this course, students will gain a fundamental understanding of legal research within the Canadian legal system, with an emphasis on Ontario and federal law. Students will learn the basic skills and techniques of legal research and writing. They will develop the skills necessary to analyze simple legal problems and research basic legal questions. Students will learn to identify legal issues from a set of facts and learn how to identify and access primary sources of law including statutes, regulations, and case law. Students will demonstrate how to find and update primary sources of law using both paper and computerized sources. Skills demonstrated by students will include online and print source legal research, case briefing, and memo drafting.

Real Estate Law - Level 1

Students gain a fundamental understanding of the basics of residential real estate transactions in Ontario in this course. Level 1 will introduce the students to Ontario land registration systems and specific interests in land, government controls on the use and disposition of land, registered owner status, title searching in both the Land Titles and Registry systems, mortgages and liens, residential tenancies and condominiums. The students will learn the Rules of Professional Conduct pertaining to residential real estate transactions and e-Reg.

Student Success Strategies

This course stresses the importance of developing non-technical skills to enhance personal, academic and career success. This includes understanding learning styles and honing practical study skills, such as memory, reading, note- and test-taking techniques. Personal exercises will focus on teamwork, decision making and problem solving skills, setting goals and maintaining a positive attitude techniques for managing change, stress and conflict will also be explored.

Wills and Estates - Level 1

This course will provide students with a fundamental understanding of the basics of drafting inter vivos documents, or those documents drafted during a client’s lifetime to plan for disposing of financial, legal and other assets on incapacity and on death. Students will also learn how to process an estate both when a deceased has left a will, and has not. Additionally, students will learn the Rules of Civil Procedure which apply to contesting the distribution of assets included in an estate. Students will be introduced to use of precedents on diskette to prepare a will, power of attorney for property and power of attorney for personal care. Students will also be introduced to Estate-a-base, a software program for use in estate matters, to prepare formal court documents, including Applications, Certificates, Affidavits and Notices as well as a Consent, Bond, and Renunciation.

Microsoft Word

This Microsoft Word course is created for students to build and validate the skills businesses need to succeed in today's information economy. It also provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to use Microsoft Word effectively in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Word is the world's most popular word processing software. Learning how to create, edit, format and print documents, enhance work with formatting, use bullets and numbering, add simple borders, tables, headers/footers, organizing data columns, and styles, are the foundational skills needed in preform in many positions. This course is computer intensive and demands basic computer proficiency and a basic understanding of word processing software. The course combines lecture/demonstration by an instructor with readings, trainings, projects, and a final exam for students to work on in a simulation-based environment. Students are expected to ensure they meet proficiency requirements for working in this environment.