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Ministry-approved title: Bachelor of Paralegal
ENTRANCE AWARD AVAILABLE
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:
OR
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Durham College (DC) has been granted consent by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to offer this applied degree for a seven-year term starting January 8, 2024. In conformity with the Minister’s criteria and requirements, DC will submit an application for the renewal of the consent for this program 12 months prior to the expiration of the consent. DC will ensure that all students admitted to this program will have the opportunity to complete the program within a reasonable time frame.
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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) Paralegal - Bachelor 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.
As a Bachelor of Paralegal graduate, you will be able to:
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.
Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
In person
Students will come to campus to complete in-person learning requirements. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
Students will have the opportunity to gain work-integrated learning experience in a supervised setting through a 14-week, 420-hour mandatory field placement. Field placement is an integral part of this degree program that allows the integration of fieldwork with academic studies to enable students to better understand the practical application of methods and techniques for organizing activities and working collaboratively in the field.
The Bachelor of Paralegal program 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 the fourth year of the Honours Bachelor of Paralegal which enables them to apply to graduate studies.
Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.
Looking for more pathway opportunities or to transfer to Durham College? Click here for more information.
Designations: LL.M. Osgoode Hall; LL.B. University of Ottawa; B.Soc.Sc. University of Ottawa. Credential: Lawyer Dalton Burger is a lawyer and full-time Professor of Law within the Faculty of Social and Community Services at DC. In addition, Professor Burger is a Deputy Judge of the Superior Court of Justice presiding over civil actions. He is also Vice-Chair of the Social Benefits Tribunal. In this executive position, he brings a wealth of leadership and focuses on the most complex legal appeals of social justice cases in Canada. A practicing lawyer of over 21 years and a Durham College faculty of over 11 years, he is a champion for access to justice through the use of technology involving virtual court hearings and is fluently bilingual, holding hearings in English and French.
All eligible applicants to the Bachelor of Paralegal program for the upcoming academic year, with a combined minimum non-weighted average between 75 and 90%, will be considered to receive a first-year entrance award:
For more information, please contact Admission Services.
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