Career Options

New regulations to govern paralegal studies grads

She will be among the first students to graduate from Humber College's first bachelor degree programs. As a newly minted paralegal, Sheelagh McLellan will also be among the first in Ontario to benefit from groundbreaking legislation that will regulate the often-misunderstood profession.

LINDA WHITE
[ 2007-03-14 ]

Send to a friend
Print
Do you know your strengths, weaknesses and best job fits?
To find out, take this test by eCareerFit, the career assessment experts.

"I was interested in becoming a paralegal because one of their objectives is to provide legal services for people who may not be able to afford a lawyer," McLellan says. "I think the regulation of paralegals is a positive. It definitely gives creditability to our profession and I think it will help me if I decide to one day open my own office."

Paralegals provide important advocacy services for clients appearing before specialized tribunals -- such as the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal and the Immigration and Refugee Board -- and before the Provincial Offences Court and the Ontario Small Claims Court.

But the profession is undergoing an important transformation. Under new Access to Justice Act legislation, paralegals in Ontario will be regulated by the Law Society of Upper Canada. For the first time in Canadian history, they will be required to receive training, carry liability insurance and report to a public body that can investigate complaints. The regulation comes into force May 1.

The regulation will give increased credibility to the profession while opening up even more doors, believes Bernie Aron, co-ordinator of Humber's paralegal studies program. "Before, because there was no licensing, anyone could call themselves a paralegal," he says.


"Licensing will be something like a bar admission exam. It will increase the profile of paralegals and will highlight the role they can play. I think Ontario deserves credit (for regulation). I think other provinces will copy this model."

Humber's paralegal studies program prepares graduates to work in law firms, government departments, courts, tribunals and independent paralegal firms. Job titles include small claims court agent, provincial offences prosecutor, immigration consultant, legal researcher or investigator.

"Our graduates can work as independent paralegals or supervised in a law office or government agency. We are training them to be flexible," Aron says. Further education, including graduate programs, is also an option.

As part of their four-year program, bachelor-degree students are required to complete a 14-week paid work term that relates to their field of study. McLellan, now in her fourth year, completed her work term at Access Legal Services.

The Toronto agency focuses primarily on work-related injuries and motor vehicle collisions and has given McLellan valuable work experience. She continues to work there while completing her degree. "We do mostly insurance work and I find that interesting."

Mary Selvanathan, a senior legal consultant with Access Legal Services, lauds Humber's program. "I personally find that Humber's bachelor program is way ahead and once the law (requiring paralegals to be regulated by the Law Society) comes into effect, they are well ahead."

---

BACHELOR DEGREE QUICK FACTS

Humber College's first bachelor degree students from the following programs will graduate in June:

- The e-Business program integrates e-business concepts and application practices into a traditional business curriculum.

- The Paralegal Studies program combines the theoretical underpinnings of the legal system with practical applications.

- The Industrial Design program blends design, technology, business and liberal arts studies.

Visit www.humber.ca to learn more.



Send to a friend     Print