This four-semester (two-year) diploma program prepares you for a wide range of employment opportunities in legal support services. This is a growing field with excellent employment prospects. This diploma schedule enables participants to complete the entire program in just over 18 months, giving graduates an opportunity to enter a legal career in the shortest possible time.

Read our Legal Assistant Diploma FAQs.

Career Possibilities

Legal assistants work under the supervision of lawyers and assist lawyers. Employment exists in law firms, legal departments of large corporations, real estate companies, insurance companies, financial organizations, and government agencies. Specific examples of legal assistant duties include handling real estate transactions, preparing common forms of wills, estates, probate work, collection work, and litigation and corporate work. Legal assistants also perform general office and clerical duties.

COURSES IN PROGRAM * (subject to change)

YEAR 1
• Legal Document Processing I
• Litigation I
• Introduction to Law
• Credit and Collections
• Keyboarding/Skillbuilding I
• Keyboarding/Skillbuilding II
• Legal Document Processing II
• Legal Office Communications
• Corporate Law
• Keyboarding/Skillbuilding III
• Advanced Legal Word Processing for Legal Assistants
• Wills and Estates
• Litigation II
• Microsoft Word
• Introduction to Real Estate
• Intermediate Real Estate
• Family Law

YEAR 2
• Commercial Law
• Introduction to Legal Accounting
• Keyboarding/Skillbuilding IV
• L egal Transcription
• L aw Office Procedures
• L egal Information Processing I
• Securities Law
• Prepare for Employment
• Work Experience for Legal Assistants

Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

• Minimum keyboarding speed of 25 wpm is strongly recommended
• Some practicum agencies and field placements may require a Police Information Check.

English Language Proficiency Requirement
Applicants whose first language is NOT English must demonstrate ONE of the following:

• Achievement of a valid TOEFL score of 527 - 530 on the paper-based test or a score of 71 on the internet-based test (iBT)
• Achievement of a valid Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with an overall band score of 5.5
• Complete the Bow Valley College EAP program with a grade of “B”
• Transcripts demonstrating successful completion of three years of full-time secondary education at a school where English was the language of instruction
• Transcripts demonstrating successful completion of one year of fulltime post-secondary education at a school where English was the language of instruction
• Where applicable, a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) standard as determined by the Career program
• Successful completion of an Alberta Education English Language Arts (ELA) course that is consistent with the specified academic admission requirements for the program
• Satisfactory results on the BVC Admissions test

Transferability
Graduates of this program may be accepted into:

• Athabasca University – Bachelor of Professional Arts degree 60 Block credits
• Royal Roads University - Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies
• Thompson Rivers University – Bachelor of Commerce degree 24 Block credits

Some transfer credit is also available from:

• Alberta Association of Legal Assistants – eligibility for membership upon application to the association.

Fees & Dates

Date: Aug. 30, 2010 & Aug. 29, 2011
Program length: Four semesters (two years)
Fees: For a complete list of full and part-time fees online, please visit www.bowvalleycollege.ca/fees or follow this link to the fees page.

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