Legal Assistant Diploma

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.

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
• Legal Transcription
• Law Office Procedures
• Legal Information Processing I
• Securities Law
• Prepare for Employment
• Work Experience for Legal Assistants

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Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

• Credit in English 30-1 or 30-2 or equivalent
• Credit in Grade 10 Math (excluding 10-4 and 16 levels) or equivalent

OR:

• Successful completion of the General Equivalency Development test (GED) with a standard score of 520 in Language Arts: Reading and Writing and 450 in Math

OR:

• Satisfactory results on the BVC Admissions Test

• 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

This page has information on English Language Proficiency Requirements

Transferability

Graduates of this program may be accepted into

• Athabasca University – Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) degree - 60 Block credits
• Royal Roads University - Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies
• Thompson Rivers University Open Learning Division– Bachelor of Commerce degree - 24 Block credits
• University of Calgary - Graduates of two-year BVC diploma programs will be awarded up to 5 full course junior open options.

Some transfer credit is also available from: 

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