Law Clerk - St. Clair CollegeCriminal Justice Education in CanadaCrime and Fire Programs -- Community College Programs
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Law Clerk - St. Clair College Incorporated in 1968, the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario (ILCO) constitutes 'the professional organization for Law Clerks' that seeks to provide 'an organized network for the promotion of unity, cooperation and mutual assistance among Law Clerks in Ontario,' as well as 'advance and protect the status and interests of the profession.' ILCO also provides and promotes 'general and legal education to its members for the purpose of increasing their knowledge, efficiency and professional ability.' Members of ILCO are provided with continuing education opportunities, a network of fellow professional law clerks, and a newsletter regarding the law clerk profession. As ILCO states, a Law Clerk is an individual employed or retained, in functions and/or capacities involving administrative, managerial, and/or 'specifically-delegated substantive legal work,' by governmental and/or judiciary agencies and agents, including court judges, law firms, lawyers, and/or other entities. For instance, law clerks working for a lawyer in a corporate setting are usually in charge of completing certain transactions, like in real estate, conducting searches and research, drafting contracts and correspondences, and maintaining, managing, and filing corporate documents and files. On the other hand, law clerks employed in a litigation firm often accompany the lawyer to meetings and court appearances, conduct research, file documents with the courts, and interview clients and witness. Law Clerks acquire qualification 'through education, training or work experience,' and will typically require 'sufficient knowledge of legal concepts' in order to perform any delegated legal work 'that, in the absence of a law clerk, the lawyer would perform.' To be successful as a law clerk, an individual will require strong communication, human relations, inter-personal, literacy, and organizational abilities as well as be able to work under pressure, detail-oriented, and observant. Combining theoretical and practical education St. Clair College's 2-year Law Clerk diploma will provide students with the knowledge and skills required to pursue a wide range of careers, career advancement, or further education in the legal field, particularly as law clerks. The Program will include focus onto those areas of Canadian law most applicable to the law clerk profession, including civil litigation, corporate and commercial law, criminal law, estate law, family law, and real estate law. Moreover, learners will be equipped with the abilities in the areas of office administration and information technology as they relate to the law clerk field through such courses as Communication and TodayÆs Workplace, Computer Applications, Legal Accounting, Micro Computer Applications, Oral Communication, and Written Communications. During the final year of the Program, qualifying students will have the opportunity to apply and practice what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations via internships in relevant settings, such as law offices or legal departments of corporations or government. Graduates of the Program can pursue careers, career advancement, or further education in the legal field and related areas of the criminal justice system. Career-wise, graduates are often hired as law clerks by corporate legal departments, financial institutions, insurance companies, law firms, legal technology providers, title insurance companies, and various levels of governments. Graduates have had a high rate of success in finding employment; for example, in 2005, upwards of 92 percent of the Program's graduating class of 20 found employment in their chosen professions 'with an average annual salary of $25,000.' Individuals with a criminal record may find it difficult to obtain employment in this field as, because of the nature of the work, many employers may be reluctant to hire those who have a criminal history. Graduates can also pursue further education in the legal field at various institutes, colleges, and universities, often with advanced standing of up to 60 credits, or 2 years To be eligible for admission to the Program, 'applicants who started High School in Ontario in September 1999 or later' must have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 'with the majority of courses at the College (C), University (U), University/College (M), or Open (O) level,' or equivalent. Applicants that began ' High School in Ontario prior to Sept. 1999' under the Ontario Schools: Intermediate and Senior (OS:IS) curriculum must have an 'OSSD with the majority of the credits at the general or advanced level,' or equivalent. Prospective students who do not have any of the aforementioned credentials and who will be '19 years of age or older prior to registration' may apply under 'mature student status.' Mature applicants 'will be required to write an Admissions Test.'
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