Legal Assistant, Diploma

Program Information
Credential: 
Diploma
Duration: 

2 years at RDC

Delivery: 
Downtown Campus | Donald School of Business
Program Cost Estimates: 
Program Cost Estimates

Contact Information

Contact Name: 
Trevor Thomas
Contact Title: 
Associate Dean
Contact Phone: 
403.342.3400 OR 1.888.732.4630
Contact Email: 
inquire@rdc.ab.ca

Department Information

For more information visit the Legal Assistant Department, under Academic Departments.

Related Careers

Legal assistants often find work in law offices, governments, financial institutions, and in the oil and gas sector. They work under a lawyer's supervision completing routine legal and administrative processes.

Specific examples of Legal Assistant duties include real estate transactions; preparing common forms of wills, estates, probate and collection work, as well as litigation and corporate work.

Students are eligible to become members of the Alberta Association of Professional Paralegals.

The Program

This two-year program prepares students to work within the legal profession as a highly skilled administrative professional providing support to lawyers within law firms, legal departments of corporations and government agencies. Students will develop knowledge and skills in legal terminology and procedures, technology, and communication through the following learning outcomes:

  • complete processes and documents related to default judgments and contested actions, collections and chambers applications
  • complete processes, searches, documents, and letters related to a variety of real estate purchases and sales
  • create wills and enduring power of attorney, personal directives and applications for trusteeship and guardianship
  • complete applications for probate and administration
  • complete processes and documents for application for divorce, custody, access, support and matrimonial property pursuant to the various family law statutes
  • register a variety of types of businesses, and prepare and maintain a corporate minute book
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of the Canadian legal system
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of criminal law
  • identify components of contracts and assemble selected contracts
  • create messages, letters and documents with appropriate style and format, using correct grammar and spelling. Proofread and edit own work and the work of others
  • complete math calculations common to a law office
  • demonstrate technical competence related to information technology commonly used in legal environments
  • use interpersonal communication skills to promote positive client relations, resolve conflict and promote a positive team working environment
  • demonstrate initiative, attitude and positive presentation of self, appropriate to the legal environments
  • behave in an ethical manner based on the Code of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Alberta
  • demonstrate job search skills
  • locate, evaluate, select, organize and summarize information using appropriate resources
  • identify common problems encountered in the role of legal assistant and demonstrate problem solving strategies
  • demonstrate time management and organizational skills.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: 

A minimum of 50% in ELA 30-1 or 65% in ELA 30-2, or equivalent,

OR

A minimum score of 250 on the Reading component, 250 on the Writing component and 5 on the WritePlacer Test. 

Note: Applicants are advised that they are exempt from the Communication Course Placement Testing as COMM 150 and COMM 250 are program requirements.

Note: Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency in addition to the program admission requirements.

Other Requirements: 

Note: It is to your advantage to have basic keyboarding and grammar before beginning the Program.

Note: Applicants are advised that they may be required to provide a Police Information Check to some agencies where they will be placed for practicum experiences. The existence of a criminal record may affect practicum placement and program completion therefore impact future employment prospects. It is each agency's or institution's decision to accept or reject a student for placement or observation experience based on the results of the Police Information Check.

Graduation Requirements: 

You must pass all courses and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.

Program Content

Year 1

  • COMM 150 Fundamentals of College and Workplace Writing
  • COMM 250 Business and Workplace Writing
  • LEGL 100 Beginning Keyboarding
  • LEGL 105 Introduction to the Canadian Legal System
  • LEGL 110 Litigation I
  • LEGL 115 Litigation II
  • LEGL 120 Corporate Law
  • LEGL 125 Contracts
  • LEGL 130 Real Estate I
  • LEGL 135 Business Keyboarding
  • LEGL 140 Introductory Information Processing for the Legal Assistant
  • LEGL 145 Criminal Law

Year 2

  • LEGL 200 Professional and Interpersonal Skills
  • LEGL 205 Estate Planning
  • LEGL 210 Litigation III
  • LEGL 215 Litigation IV
  • LEGL 220 Intermediate Information Processing for the Legal Assistant
  • LEGL 225 Estate Administration
  • LEGL 230 Real Estate II
  • LEGL 233 Commercial Law
  • LEGL 235 Real Estate III
  • LEGL 240 Family Law
  • LEGL 245 Technology Integration for the Legal Assistant
  • LEGL 250 Practicum

LEGL 250 Practicum is usually completed during May and June following the second year.

Year 1 Course Descriptions

COMM 150

Practice in fundamental writing skills with an emphasis on grammar, basic business correspondence, and short reports for business or college. COMM 150 is accepted as a prerequisite for COMM 200 level courses.

COMM 250

Theory and practice in composition to prepare students for academic and professional work in business and office environments. Emphasis will be on mechanics, style, tone, and organization of communications including research reports, memos, letters, business proposals and resumes. Prerequisite: Placement Criteria must be met.

LEGL 100

Introduction to keyboarding skills including touch keying with no key watching. Emphasis on building skills through proper technique. Prior Learning recognition is available and must be completed before the course add/drop date.

LEGL 105

The operation and various roles in the Canadian legal system including the processes and Institutions involved in making laws.

LEGL 110

Introduction to civil litigation including the legal system, structure of a law suit, Rules of Court, commencing an action by Statement of Claim, Judgments if no defence, and settlement procedures.

LEGL 115

Examination of the Defendant's choices in a contested law suit. Also includes torts and how matters get to trial when settlements are not succesful. Prerequisiste: LEGL 110

LEGL 120

Review of Alberta business structures and legal procedures including creating and maintaining a corporate minute book in accordance with the Business Corporations Act, reporting to the law office client and completing the annual requirements of the corporation.

LEGL 125

Components of a contract, common problems and their remedies. Prerequisite: LEGL 105

LEGL 130

Introduction to real estate practice for legal assistants in Alberta including an overview of the Land Titles system, Personal Property Registration system, types of ownership and documentation used in this practice.

LEGL 135

Accuracy and speed building in keyboarding skills including transcription work and document production for the creation of business forms, legal documents and correspondence. Prerequisite: LEGL 100

LEGL 140

Self-directed course with seminar providing a foundation of computer literacy for the Legal Assistant field. Focus is on introduction of computers and introductory and intermediate level word processing.

LEGL 145

The principles and the administration of criminal law using the Criminal Code of Canada and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Year 2 Course Descriptions

LEGL 200

Application of professional skills and behaviour, including ethics, as well as development of interpersonal conflict resolution and job search skills.

LEGL 205

Preparation of Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Personal Directives, and applications for a Guardian and Trustee and the associated documents including the distribution of an estate when a person dies without a will.

LEGL 210

Collection of judgments, Writs of Enforcement, garnishment, seizures and an introduction to Chamber applications. Prerequisite: LEGL 115

LEGL 215

Development of draft documents for chamber applications, using a problem solving approach, based on fact situations using the Rules of Court as the primary resource. Prerequisite: LEGL 210

LEGL 220

Applications of advanced word processing concepts, communication, scheduling and law office accounting software. Prerequisite: LEGL 140

LEGL 225

Preparation of necessary documentation for the transfer of a deceased's estate to beneficiaries based on the Surrogate Court Rules. Includes applications for Probate and Administration. Prerequisite: LEGL 205

LEGL 230

File development in the practice of real estate in Alberta, focusing on the legal assistants' role in the purchasing of residential real estate. Prerequisite: LEGL 130

LEGL 233

Introduction to the purchase and sale of a business including: Master Sales Agreements, sale of shares, sale of assets, the Alberta Personal Property Registry system and commercial financing. Prerequisites: LEGL 120 and LEGL 230.

LEGL 235

File development in the practice of real estate in Alberta focusing on both Seller and Buyer perspectives for a variety of transactions. Prerequisite: LEGL 230

LEGL 240

Production of documentation for an application for parenting, a Divorce and a Separation Agreement using the Family Law Act, Matrimonial Property Act and the Rules of Court. Includes issues regading support, custody, access and also alternative dispute resolution methods.

LEGL 245

Application of advanced computer applications using a case based approach to cloud computing, spreadsheets, databases and specific law office software. Prerequisite: LEGL 220

LEGL 250

Directed practicum preparation followed by 175 hours (equivalent of about 5 weeks of full time work) of supervised practicum in a legal environment in the role of legal assistant. Prerequisite: Completion of all other course requirements with a GPA of 2.0.