Legal Assistant

• Two-year diploma
• Fall start
• Includes a Four-week practicum
• Available part-time in the evening
• High industry demand

Program Description

Due to the growing demand for legal support services, many employment opportunities are available for Legal Assistants. Without a doubt, legal assisting is projected to be among the fastest growing careers in Canada. Legal Assistants are highly skilled technicians who work closely with lawyers on a wide variety of legal matters. Using mock files and simulations, this program trains students extensively in the following areas of law: family, corporate and commercial, real estate, criminal, credit and collections, litigation, oil and gas, legal resources, legal research, legal document preparation and wills & estates. Students also receive extensive training in computers, computer applications for law office systems, legal accounting, law office procedures and communication skills. At the end of the second year, students complete a one-month practicum in a law office or similar legal environment.

Your Career

Graduates find work as legal assistants and as paralegals. Diversified employment opportunities are available in law firms, courthouses, government agencies, insurance companies, oil and gas corporations and bank & trust companies.

Admission Requirements (2009-2010)

• Alberta High School Diploma or equivalent with at least 50% in English Language Arts 30-1 or English Language Arts 30-2 or equivalents.
• All applicants to SAIT Polytechnic must demonstrate English Language Proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada. For more information, please visit English Proficiency.
• For upgrading options, please refer to the Academic Upgrading program.
• For international students, please refer to the International section.
• For mature students, please refer to the Admissions section.
• Advance credit may be granted to applicants who have completed equivalent education at a post-secondary institution or have demonstrated equivalent experiential learning. Please refer to Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition.

Selection Criteria

This program typically has more applications than seats. Meeting the Admission Requirements is the first step in the selection process. However, students may also be required to meet additional criteria in order to gain admission into the program. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the selection criteria.

Student Success

• Students with higher secondary or post-secondary marks usually experience greater success in SAIT’s programs.
• A keyboarding speed of 30 words per minute net is highly recommended. Students may be required to take an additional course during the first semester to meet this recommended speed.

Progression

Students must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better in each semester to progress through the program. To qualify for graduation, students must pass all courses and attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better.

Credentials

After successfully completing this program, graduates will receive a SAIT diploma as a Legal Assistant.

Accreditation

This program is officially approved and recognized by: The Alberta Association of Professional Paralegals The Public Services Commission of Canada. This means that LA students can now apply for Federal Government jobs.

Tuition And Fees (Subject To Change)

• Please refer to the Tuition and Fee Table.
• International Students, please refer to International Fees.
• Student funding, please refer to Financial Assistance.

Books And Supplies (Subject To Change)

• Books and supplies are approximately $950 per year.

Program Outline (2009 - 2010)

• To find the course description for a course shown below, please go to our Course Finder and enter the course acronym and numbers (I.E. DMST-350) into the Quick Search by Course Code field.

• SAIT students are offered an opportunity to develop lifelong learning skills in an online environment. One or more courses in the program are offered fully or partially online.

For More Information

Information: 403.284.8485
E-mail: business@sait.ca
Website: School of Business

Diploma to Degree… and Beyond

Through SAIT Polytechnic transfer agreements and institution partnerships, graduates of this SAIT program may be eligible for credit at the following universities and colleges:

• Athabasca University
• University of Calgary
• University of Lethbridge (Co-op Education)
• University of New Brunswick, Saint John

To learn more, visit Transfer Options.

Transfer options may also be available at other post-secondary institutions where credits from SAIT programs are evaluated on an individual basis. Interested students should contact the post-secondary institute of their choice for more information.

Related Links (Internal):

• Student-For-A-Day
• Academic Calendar