Police Foundations - Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and TechnologyPolice Education in CanadaCrime and Fire Programs -- Community College Programs
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Police Foundations - Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology 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.' 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. Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology 2-year Law Clerk diploma program will 'provide students with the solid grounding in business law combined with the practical law clerk/paralegal training that students will need to enter the diverse, fast-paced, ever-changing field of law.' Students will be exposed to a broad array of 'areas of Canadian law including criminal law, civil litigation, corporate commercial, debtor and creditor rights, real estate, landlord and tenant, estate administration, and family law contracts.' Students will also refine their 'communication and information skills' in conjunction with learning 'how to research, analyze, write and advocate in the legal environment.' Participants will further 'develop an ability to work in a variety of cutting-edge legal software applications and online commercial legal databases and services.' Students enrolled in the Program are offered a co-operative learning options enabling them to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations at a relevant setting. Participants 'who fulfill both the academic and co-op requirements of the program will be eligible to graduate with a co-op endorsed diploma.' 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. According to the College, as law clerks, graduates may 'also appear as agents in Small Claims Court and Provincial Offences Court as well as Government Boards and Tribunals.' 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 at various institutes, colleges, and universities, often with advanced standing. For example, 'graduates of this program have direct transferability of 60 credits to the Bachelor of Professional Arts - Communication Studies degree program at Athabasca University.' To be eligible for admission into the Diploma program, applicants must have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 'with courses from the College (C), University (U), University/College (U/C), or Open (O) stream' including 'any Grade 12 English (C) or (U), with a minimum final grade of 60. Applicants without an OSSD may be considered if they have an Academic and Career Entrance Certificate (ACE), including Communications, with a minimum final grade of 60, or an Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate (GED) including 'the combined Language Arts - Reading AND Language Arts - Writing test results having a minimum average Standard Score of 480.' Those who do not possess any of the aforementioned diplomas or certificates may apply via "mature student status" provided they have successfully completed Grade 12 English (C) or (U) or equivalent. Although not required for admission, the College recommends that prospective students complete 'Grade 11 Understanding Canadian Law (U/C) OR Grade 12 Canadian and International Law (U), Grade 12 English (U) is strongly recommended. Advanced writing skills are essential, Grade 12 Communication in the World of Business and Technology (O), and Grade 12 Mathematics (C) or (U).' Applicants in the Academic and Career Entrance Certificate (ACE) program' are encouraged to 'take a Computer Skills course within the ACE program.' Furthermore, it is suggested that 'students should possess excellent communication skills...develop a high degree of responsibility, maturity, conscientiousness, and the ability to work independently with little supervision,' and 'speak to a law clerk, paralegal or lawyer to acquire some knowledge of the duties of a law clerk.'
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