Paralegal

Program Overview

Accredited by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), this program qualifies graduates to apply to write the LSO’s licensing examination, successful completion of which qualifies the graduate to become an LSO member as a professional, licensed paralegal. Unique to Ontario, the paralegal profession was established to provide affordable legal representation and access to the justice system for people who find themselves facing charges under provincial law or some Criminal Code provisions; those who require legal assistance in dealing with government agencies and tribunals in areas such as human rights, social assistance, immigration and workers compensation; and those who are embroiled in disputes involving residential tenancies or small claims court.

Whether you provide paralegal services in your own professional capacity, as a member of a law or paralegal firm, or as an employee of a government agency, your passion and integrity combined with extensive skills and knowledge, will make you the ideal legal representative for those challenged by the law.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)

Tuition

Year one domestic: $2,722 (CAD)
Year one international: $13,322 (CAD)

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Semester 1 Courses

View All Courses

Trial Preparation

Legal Studies

Field Placement

Technology recommendations

To help students succeed in programs with remote learning requirements, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified minimum technology recommendations. While these are not program requirements, these suggestions will help ensure students have the right tools to support a quality remote learning experience.

View All Recommendations

Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
January 2021	Open	Closed
September 2021	Open	Open
January 2022	Open

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

A professional paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, authorized to independently provide legal services to clients in areas such as:

Criminal court summary conviction
Insurance board
Provincial offences court
Small claims court
Tribunals such as immigration, human rights, social assistance, and workplace and safety

View all Career Options

Program Details

This program is accredited by the Law Society of Ontario (Law Society), the regulatory body governing professional paralegals in the province, and meets its rigorous competencies for paralegals. It will prepare you for the Law Society’s paralegal licensing examination, which graduates are eligible to write, and is designed to provide the specialized knowledge and skills required to independently provide legal services as a professional, licensed paralegal or work as a paralegal under the supervision of a lawyer.

Graduates who successfully complete the Law Society of Ontario’s Licensing Examination are recognized as Professional Licensed Paralegals and are afforded the privilege of providing legal services in prescribed areas of law before many courts and tribunals in Ontario, such as Small Claims Court, Provincial Offences Court, Criminal Summary Conviction matters, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, and the Landlord and Tenant Board, to name a few. Graduates may also find employment in law firms, working under the supervision of a licensed lawyer or paralegal, immigration and refugee law, as well as in several organizations approved by the LSO in By-Law #4.

Furthermore, Graduates may decide to continue their education and achieve further academic credentials. For example, they may apply to the College’s Law Clerk Advanced Fast Track Program and, after completing four courses during a Spring/Summer semester, become enrolled in the third year of the three-year Law Clerk Advanced Program, successful completion of which would see the student achieve both a Paralegal Diploma and Law Clerk Advanced Diploma in three years. In addition, there are many favourable “bridging” opportunities to universities through which graduates can achieve a university degree in a condensed period of time.

In The News

Program Learning Outcomes

Understand the structure, work and organization of the Ontario court system, and of quasi-judicial administrative boards, tribunals and regulatory bodies.
Understand the principles of law and the formal procedures attached to proceedings initiated by the Crown under the Provincial Offences Act.
Appreciate the basic principles underlying tort law and the law of contracts, with particular emphasis on areas of permitted practice.
Appreciate the basic principles underlying a variety of legal processes, including real property law, wills and estates, power of attorney, business organization, construction lien rights and bankruptcy, immigration, and residential tenancy.
Make effective client representations before courts and administrative boards and tribunals in areas of permitted practice.
Understand the limitations currently defining areas of practice for client advocates or agents who are not qualified legal practitioners, and the clear lines of demarcation and authority defining areas of unauthorized practice.
Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills, and appropriate interpersonal skills in support of client relationships.
Demonstrate effective administrative and business management skills, including facility in basic accounting techniques and micro-computer applications, office organization and case management, and the ability to develop and implement a realistic business operating plan.
Appreciate the importance of business ethics and professional responsibility to clients, particularly in a legal environment.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)

Courses

Semester 4

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change. Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the 2020-21 program of study may be modified to accommodate program delivery changes. Students should refer to their timetable for the most up-to-date course information.

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

A professional paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, authorized to independently provide legal services to clients in areas such as:

Criminal court summary conviction
Insurance board
Provincial offences court
Small claims court
Tribunals such as immigration, human rights, social assistance, and workplace and safety

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Administrative tribunals in Ontario such as the Human Rights Tribunal, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Immigration Tribunal, Residential Tenancies (landlord and tenant), and the Ontario Labour Board
Businesses as in-house paralegal
Entrepreneurship
Government agencies
Immigration offices
Law firms
Provincial offences court
Small claims court
Summary conviction criminal offences court

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Qualified graduates can apply to Durham College’s Law Clerk Advanced fast-track program (three semesters), the successful completion of which provides them with a Law Clerk Advanced diploma (in addition to the Paralegal diploma). Other related Durham College programs include: Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations; Court Support Services; Mediation – Alternative Dispute Resolution; Victimology; and Youth Justice and Interventions programs.
Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

Technology Recommendations

To help students have the best remote learning experience possible, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified technology recommendations for each program based on course needs and software requirements. While not required, students may want to consider these suggestions if they are purchasing a computer or laptop for the upcoming academic year.

Processor: i7
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB SSD
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Education x64 SP1
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 11 or Google Chrome (newest version) or Firefox (newest version)
Network Adapter: 802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Camera: Webcam/built-in camera
Internet connection

Questions regarding technology recommendations can be directed to the IT Service Desk or the school office.

Field Placement

Your learning experience will be complemented by a 120-hour field placement with a licensed paralegal or lawyer, in a government, court or law firm setting. Field placement will provide you with practical, hands-on experience and the opportunity to apply the theories and concepts learned in the classroom.
Please note: there are pre-placement requirements for the field placement component of this program.

Experiential Learning

Project Lord Ridgeback

Project Lord Ridgeback (PLRB) is multi-disciplinary experiential learning exercise that simulates a local disaster. Interacting with actors who play victims, casualties, emotionally distressed persons and the elderly in a staged, choreographed event, students from a wide range of programs learn by acting and responding as they would in real emergencies. Subject matter experts design injects into disaster-related scenarios which simulate authentic workplace demands.

The day following the mock disaster, students participate in follow up exercises to apply learning in mock court testimony, critical incident stress debrief, crime-scene lab work, and form completion specific to their program areas.

Student participants are from a wide range of DC programs including: Practical Nursing, Primary Care Paramedic, Police Foundations, Protection Security & Investigation, Paralegal, 911 Call Centre Communications, Advanced Law Enforcement and Investigations, Journalism Mass Media Program, Social Service Worker, Activation Co-ordination – Gerontology, Court Support Services.

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Recommended

Tuition

Semester 1 Courses

Technology recommendations

Intakes and Availability

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Program Details

In The News

Program Learning Outcomes

Admission Requirements

Recommended

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Technology Recommendations

Field Placement

Experiential Learning

Project Lord Ridgeback

Paralegal in the news

Helpful Resources

College guide September 2020 [PDF]

College guide September 2020 [Interactive]

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]