Paralegal (formerly Court & Tribunal Agent)
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Peterborough
Accepting applications
CTA
Ontario College Diploma
September 2, 2008
$1,568.00 per semester *
* Tuition and fees subject to change.
- Program Information
- Program Curriculum
- Course Descriptions
Do you have what it takes to act as an effective advocate for someone who is facing charges under the Highway Traffic Act, needs to appeal inadequate compensation for a work-related injury or is mired in a landlord-tenant dispute? The Paralegal / Court and Tribunal Agent program may be right for you.
Program Highlights
Fleming College's Paralegal program is specifically designed to prepare you, as a graduate, to meet Ontario’s paralegal licensing standards.
Why Choose Fleming?
Fleming’s two year (four semester) Paralegal program has some practical advantages. Not only will you be taught by experts, with a wide range of experience in the field, your first three semesters of study are completely integrated with students in the college’s Law Clerk program. Should you so choose, you can enhance your qualifications and possible job opportunities by returning for an extra semester of study and leave with a second diploma in that related field.
(The start date for this additional semester is subject to student interest and enrolment. Check with the program co-ordinator for details.)
Work Experience
The 160-hour field placementi s an opportunity to get an understanding of the demands and rewards of this career.
What it Takes to Succeed
A desire to help people, to interpret the legal system for them, and make fair representation on their behalf is important if you want to be successful and satisfied with your Paralegal / Court and Tribunal Agent career. You should also possess:
- an entrepreneiural attitude
- potential confidence and confidence to act a an advocate for others
- strong oral and written communication skills
- ability to read and analyze complex legal materials
- determination to conduct intricate research
- strong time management skills and organizational ability
- high standard of ethics
- good stress management skills
If you are up to these challenges, this may be a career path worth considering. The work can be varied, stimulating and financially rewarding.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities such as this are growing in the legal system. After some experience in the legal field, you may decide to work on a self-employed basis, and start up your own business offering services in permitted areas of legal representation -- for example, as an agent at Small Claims Court and at some administrative tribunals, or providing legal services for residential tenancy matters. Although agents may offer legal services directly to the public, employment under supervision of a lawyer for a period of time may be advisable before becoming self-employed. If self-employment doesn't appeal to you, there are many opportunities for salaried employment with:
- government agencies
- legal clinics
- real estate agencies
- administrative tribunals
- collection agencies
- corporate legal departments or law firms
Sample job titles include: Paralegal, Legal Researcher, Commerical Law Clerk, and Administrative Tribunals Agent.
Minimum Admission Requirements
OSSD with the majority of credits at the College (C) and Open (O) level, including:
- 2 College (C) English courses (Grade 11 or Grade 12)
When (C) is the minimum course level for admission, (U) or (U/C) courses are also accepted.
Mature Students
If you are 19 years of age or older before classes start, and you do not possess an OSSD, you can write the Canadian Adult Achievement Test to assess your eligibility for admission.
*Students starting in January are required to attend classes over the summer semester.
Selection Process
Additional Costs
Plan to spend approximately $740 per year for books and supplies.
Semester 1
Aboriginal Justice
Course Number: LAWS085
In this course students will identify and examine issues related to Aboriginal Justice in Canada. Specifically, students will focus on the relationship between the Canadian Justice system and Aboriginal Peoples. Historical and contemporary events will be examined to increase understanding of Aboriginal issues. Students will explore alternative justice, and other possible strategies to address the identified problems. Cultural practices and beliefs will also be discussed.
Units: 14.00
Hours: 14.00
Career Awareness
Course Number: SOCI122
This introductory course develops a set of generic skills, that support studies at a post-secondary level and provide a foundation for the student's career success.
Units: 14.00
Hours: 14.00
Careers for Court and Tribunal Agent
Course Number: SOCI140
This course is designed to introduce students to the roles and responsibilities integral to the practice of the court & tribunal agent. Particular emphasis will be placed on professional conduct, competencies and strategies for success in the field.
Units: 7.00
Hours: 7.00
Communications for Law and Justice
Course Number: COMM080
This course focuses on improving reading, writing, and oral communication skills through a number of assignments related to the law and justice professions. This course stresses the development of communiction skills that will allow students to meet the learning outcomes demanded by the assignments in this course, in other subjects, and for eventual career employment. Students will demonstrate skills in summary and report writing, oral presentations, standard usage of English, as well as in research techniques, including appropriate citation and documentation of sources. The principles of style, structure, content, and mechanics constitute the overall framework of the course.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Intro to Political Science & Public Administration
Course Number: LAWS043
This course provides an introduction to the democratic system of governance in Canada. It includes a description of the organization, structure, interaction, and administration of the three (3) levels of government. The course will introduce and identify the daily problems and issues faced by Canadians in a political context, including public opinion and special interest groups. Major themes explored include a brief introduction to political beliefs and values, an examination of cleavages within the Canadian population, the Canadian constitution, nationalism, and political culture and spectrum. These concepts will be examined in the current forum of the daily politics that unfold during the course. Students will begin to develop research writing skills and group discussion skills. This course is a hybrid course comprised of webct and seminar components.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introduction to Canadian Justice System
Course Number: LAWS044
This course provides an introductory overview of the Canadian Justice System, with special emphasis on the criminal justice system and the responsibilities of enforcement personnel. Contemporary issues affecting the system will be analyzed and discussed.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introduction to Psychology
Course Number: SOCI036
This course offers a systematic approach to exploring human behaviour. The concepts and empirical findings are examined using a variety of theoretical approaches. Major topics include perception, motivation, learning, memory, intelligence, and personality.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introductory Computing
Course Number: COMP345
Working in the Windows XP environment, this computer course introduces the student to computer basics (computer terminology, e-mail, Internet, file management) and the application and use of word processing, spreadsheet, and database software. Through the extensive use of hands-on activities, students will gain sufficient knowledge and experience to make productive use of computers as a tool in both college and workplace environments.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Sociology for Law and Justice
Course Number: SOCI123
Through this course, learn the special meanings that Sociology, as a language, assigns to words and how they are organized into concepts and theories. We use these words, concepts and theories to see and make sense of our social world and to talk with others about it, develop the ability to understand our social interactions, the society we create and recreate and how it affects us. Your success will depend very much on your ability in English, ability to send and receive e-mail, use a web browser, engage in discussions in bulletin boards, and other standard operations using a computer.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Semester 2
Accounting in the Legal Environment
Course Number: ACCT045
This is an introductory course in accounting. The course explores the basics of accounting using an interactive and tactile approach. Accounting topics will consider transactions relating to personal, business and corporate accounts. Special emphasis will be given to trust accounts, cash control and bank reconciliations. Topics will be discussed within the context of the legal environment. The accounting will be supplemented with a simulation using P.C. Law Jr.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Business and Contract Law
Course Number: LAWS004
Business people and consumers in Ontario are affected by a broad spectrum of federal, provincial and municipal laws and a variety of court-created legal principles. This course serves as an introduction to business and consumer law.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introduction to Civil Procedures
Course Number: LAWS045
An ability to apply the rules of civil procedure is crucial to the conduct of litigation. In this course, students will learn the court structure in the Province of Ontario including the names of the courts and jurisdictional limits of each. Students will learn to apply the rules of civil procedure to the conduct of a lawsuit from initiation to trial.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Issues in Diversity
Course Number: SOCI038
In this course students will critically identify and examine issues in diversity. Specifically, students will focus on topics pertaining to inequality in various social settings, including but not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Incorporating social/legal explanations of diversity, students will develop a clear understanding of the impacted groups and possible strategies of community empowerment.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Legal Research and Writing
Course Number: LAWS053
This course will provide a practical introduction to legal research, using case reports, statutes, regulations, and legal texts. Effective communication of research results will be developed through practice writing case briefs, statutory summaries, report letters, and legal memoranda.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Property Law Concepts in Ontario
Course Number: LAWS047
A solid understanding of Property Law is integral to Court and Tribunal Agents and Legal Assistants as it forms the basis for many other areas of law. In this course, students will be introduced to the various forms of property ownership in Ontario and the legal restrictions on property rights. They will also study the most important pieces of legislation affecting real property in Ontario, with particular attention paid to the transfer and registration of property interests on title.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Word Processing in the Legal Environment
Course Number: COMP099
The fundamentals of MS Word, PC Law, and Conveyancer will be applied to a variety of documents commonly used in a legal office environment. While the course focuses on an introduction to word processing concepts, legal documents such as legal correspondence and memorandum, court documents and formal reports will form the basis for the applications. Students will also investigate legal sites on the World Wide Web.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Semester 3
Advocacy
Course Number: LAWS179
This course provides an introduction to the concepts of trial advocacy in the Canadian judicial system. Students will develop the basic skills and techniques necessary for the effective presentation of a client's case in the adversarial system of justice. There will be four presentation assignments, to provide a hands-on opportunity to practise and demonstrate an understanding of the skills and concepts of the course. The course will include an attendance at the County Court House to observe an actual trial.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Alternate Dispute Resolution
Course Number: SOCI129
Alternative Dispute Resolution is increasingly becoming an integral part of our judicial system as an alternative to litigation. In this course, students will learn principles of mediation and arbitration both in a voluntary context and in situations where it is mandated by law. Students will study the objectives and practice of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the context in which they are most effective.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Creditor and Debtor Law
Course Number: LAWS014
Pre-requisites
In this course students will focus on the law controlling creditor-debtor relationships with emphasis on the practical steps that can be taken to collect debts and to protect a creditor's interest in the assets of a debtor prior to collection.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Evidence
Course Number: LAWS029
Pre-requisites
In this course, students will examine the use of evidence in court cases, including statutory and common-law limits on the use of various forms of information that could affect the decision-making process of Canadian courts and administrative tribunals. Students will examine the functions of investigators, advocates, judges, and juries in the presentation and processing of evidence.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Field Placement Preparation
Course Number: FLPL109
This course is intended assist students with seeking and preparing for their field placement experience in fourth semester. Students will increase the knowledge, insight, and understanding of their options for placement within the legal environment. Emphasis will be given to cover letter, resume and portfolio preparation. The student will be also introduced to interview skills.
Units: 15.00
Hours: 15.00
Landlord and Tenant Law
Course Number: LAWS050
Pre-requisites
This course examines landlord and tenant relations, rent review, and the procedures involved in protecting and enforcing the rights of both landlords and tenants.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Practice Management in the Legal Environment
Course Number: LAWS126
Pre-requisites
This course introduces the student to routines and procedures most often performed in the legal office setting. Emphasis will be given to opening/closing/preparing client files, file retention, legal record keeping, docketing, billing, and statements of accounts. There will be instruction in alphabetic, numeric, subject and geographic filing as well as file management both manually and electronically. The student is also introduced to telephone and reception techniques, handling incoming and outgoing mail including email and faxes. The student will have the opportunity to continue to use their written and oral communication skills while practicing interviewing skills and preparing their employment portfolio.
Units: 60.00
Hours: 60.00
Semester 4
Field Placement
Course Number: FLPL026
The fourth semester field placement experience enables Court & Tribunal Agent students to integrate and complement their classroom knowledge with a practical learning experience in a legal setting of their choice. Court & Tribunal Agent placement consists of 160 hours. It is viewed as an integral, core coponent of the program's curriculum.
Units: 160.00
Hours: 160.00
Human Rights and Employment Law
Course Number: LAWS036
Ontario's employer-employee relationships are controlled, not only by contract principles, but by an array of specialized legislation and tribunal decision-making. Students in this course will acquire a working knowledge of the laws and tribunals which set employment standards, workplace safety and worker's compensation principles and the parameters of collective bargaining. Special emphasis will be placed on the impact of human rights legislation on the employment sphere.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Immigration and Refugee Law
Course Number: LAWS038
Court and Tribunal Agents are permitted to represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board. In this course, students will study the process through which individuals gain admission to Canada as refugees, immigrants, visitors, temporary workers and students. Particular emphasis will be placed on Canada's immigration laws through a review of the relevant legal principles, rules and standards that have been developed and applied by the courts, tribunals and government officials to individual cases.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Income Security Tribunals
Course Number: LAWS039
Court and Tribunal Agents are permitted to represent clients before a number of income security tribunals. In this course, students will acquire a working knowledge of the legislation and the tribunals that regulate workplace safety and workers' compensation principles as well as income security programs wuch as the Canada Pension Plan and Social Benefits.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Professional Conduct: Authorized Practice & Ethics
Course Number: SOCI051
It is crucial for the protection of the public that Court and Tribunal Agents understand their professional obligation to their clients. In this course students will explore professional conduct issues and areas of authorized practice, specifically addressing Ontario's changing legal environment and the current restrictions on the work that court and tribunal agents may perform. Particular emphasis will be placed on the legal and ethical obligations of the agent to the client within the context of a Court and Tribunal Agent practice.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00
Provincial Offences/Summary Conviction Offences
Course Number: LAWS112
Court and Tribunal Agents are permitted by law to appear on behalf of clients in provincial offences court and in criminal court on summary conviction matters. In this course, students will be introduced to the legal issues related to provincial offences and summary conviction offences and the procedures by which they are resolved. Particular attention will be paid to the Provincial Offences Act, the Highway Traffic Act, and the relevant sections of the Criminal Code of Canada. Students will examine the elements and defences to charges under these pieces of legislation, as well as the procedure involved in both prosecuting and defending a charge.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Small Business Strategies
Course Number: BUSN047
This course presents a fundamental approach to managing a small firm in the Canadian business environment. It is designed to develop an understanding of planning the start-up of a business, the ongoing management and strategies for growth. Students develop an understanding of the legal forms of business ownership, the importance of financial analysis as a success indicator for the business and the appropriate marketing tactics for promoting small business. The student progresses to the development of an actual Business Plan for their own business idea.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Small Claims Court Practice and Procedures
Course Number: LAWS074
Small Claims Court is part of the Superior Court of Justice that deals with monetary jurisdiction up to $10,000. In this course, students will explore the role of the Small Claims Court in the administration of justice on Ontario. Emphasis will be placed on the Rules of the Small Claims Court and the relevant sections of the Court of Justice Act. Students will learn the appropriate procedure used to present and defend claims and to enforce orders in the Small Claims Court. Students will also develop the sills necessary for trial preparation and presentation of an action.
Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00