Willis College
Legal Assistant
Become an Essential Part of Any Legal Team
Program Length:
34 weeks
Credential:
- ON Diploma
Program Hours:
785
Cost per Credit:
$
Online Learning:
Available
Start Dates
May 25, 2026
July 13, 2026
August 31, 2026
Job-Ready
January 29, 2027
March 19, 2027
May 7, 2027
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Become an Essential Part of Any Legal Team
The Legal Assistant program at Willis College is meticulously crafted to equip students with the expertise and proficiencies essential for a career in legal administration. This comprehensive program seamlessly integrates theoretical knowledge with hands-on training, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the demands of the professional realm.
Covering a diverse array of subjects, including legal research and writing, civil litigation, corporate law, real estate law, family law, and more, the Legal Assistant program offers a holistic understanding of the legal landscape. Students will delve into practical exercises utilizing legal software and navigating legal documents, honing their skills for real-world applications.
Throughout their journey, students will also engage in mock trials, legal research projects, and interactive learning experiences, fostering a dynamic and immersive educational environment. Graduates of the Legal Assistant program will be prepared to pursue various career paths, including roles such as Administrative Assistant, Corporate Law Legal Assistant, Legal Assistant, Legal Assistant in Criminal Law, Legal Secretary, Litigation Legal Assistant, Litigation Secretary, or Real Estate Secretary.
Legal Assistants have the potential to make significant contributions in law firms, government agencies, corporate legal departments, and beyond. The curriculum delivered at Willis College lays a solid foundation for those aspiring to pursue further education in law or related fields. If you’re ready to make an impact – register today!
$25.64
Average Wage/HR$41.00
High Wage/HRNational Occupation Classification (NOC) for this program: 1242/13111
Source: noc.esdc.gc.ca & www.jobbank.ca
Want to see if Online Learning is right for you?
Join us every other Tuesday at 6:30 pm EST to discover the possibilities of our flexible online schedule at Willis College. Our interactive sessions are designed to address any questions you may have, helping you determine if online learning aligns with your goals and preferences. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the benefits of our online programs.
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Program Outline
Please click on the course title to see the course description.
This 20 hour course is designed to provide you with the skills needed to work in Windows and Outlook. You will learn to use the tools and options available in the Windows operating system, manage folders and files, and work with simple applications packaged with the operating system. The Outlook course will provide you with the skills to compose and send emails, schedule appointments and meetings, manage contact information, schedule tasks, create notes, customize the Outlook environment, calendar, and mail messages, and track, share, assign, and quickly locate and organize various Outlook items.
As a student in this course, you will learn the most important topics of Microsoft Word . No prior computer experience is assumed. You will delve into Microsoft Word to learn how to create, edit, and format documents and multiple-page reports. Once you have mastered this, you will learn to work with templates, themes, styles, and mail merge. Finally, you will learn advanced techniques, such as automating your work and using advanced online forms.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have achieved a core level competency of the Microsoft Excel application. Topics include creating worksheets, formulas, functions, charts, formatting, analysis, templates, and working with multiple worksheets and workbooks.
This 12-hour course is designed to introduce key concepts about creating, modifying, and enhancing a presentation using PowerPoint. You will explore the PowerPoint environment and create a presentation. You will format text on slides to enhance clarity. To enhance the visual appeal, you will add graphical objects to a presentation and modify them. You will also add tables and charts to a presentation to present data in a structured form. You will then finalize a presentation and deliver it.
This course will help the student develop the proper communication skills necessary to function in a professional business setting. There will be a review of grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation as they apply to business communication. Students will complete various exercises with the emphasis on improving basic skills in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and apply them to writing assignments and tasks.
Our Career Management course will introduce students to and teach them how to apply the most effective strategies to achieve employment in the career of their choice. Topics that are covered; effective job search strategies, cover letter and strategic resume writing, interview preparation and effective interviewing skills.
This course is a virtual trip in the legal world which allows the students to visualize working in a law office, combining the theoretical knowledge accompanied by the corresponding guidelines, forms, and precedents. As a part of a legal team, the future assistant can assist with projects that are seeking knowledge, finding solutions and ways to accomplish a task. To do so, this course takes a practical approach to different legal areas, including litigation, corporate, estate and real estate documents, and continuing with an introduction in the family law.
The Legal Research course will provide the Learner with the skills to properly identify, find and cite laws and information needed to support the client's case/issue. You will learn the foundations of Canadian Law, plan and conduct computer assisted legal research, analyze cases and statutes and write legal memorandum using proper citations.
This 20-hour course is designed to help you develop strategies that will make your writing clear, concise, and efficient. These in-depth writing techniques are a continuation from Business Communication-English Essentials. You will learn to express yourself more easily and with more confidence by applying the principles of good writing. Throughout the course there will also be an emphasis on developing effective writing and editing techniques.
This subject has three areas of study: Presentation Skills, Facilitative Management and Interpersonal Communications. Students will learn how to create and deliver effective oral presentations. They will also be introduced to interpersonal problem-solving skills through effective listening and responding skills.
The Learner will gain a strong understanding of how to handle different personalities and situations that occur in a law firm. We will discuss how to employ a variety of interviewing skills to best address the situation. Understand the importance of confidentiality and ethical advocacy.
This course provides the Learner with the foundational knowledge that is required to be a successful Legal Assistant/Law Clerk in a Family Law practice. The Learner will learn all aspects of contested and uncontested divorce proceedings. All steps required to obtain a Certificate of Divorce. An overview of the types of contracts and agreements in Family Law. Preparation, filing and service of documents related to Family Law. Child custody, child support, spousal support and property issues including the collection and production of financial. Disclosure and an overview of the Maintenance Enforcement Program. The Learner will gain knowledge of common-law relationships and adoptions. The Learner will understand the process of Mediation and Collaborative Law when dealing with Family Law issues.
In the Corporate and Commercial Law course the learner will gain the knowledge required to successfully perform the law clerk/legal assistant responsibilities based on the instructions received from the corporate/commercial lawyers. This course structure provides the main corporate and commercial theoretical knowledge accompanied by the corresponding guidelines, forms and precedents. The guidelines provide students with an overview, and outline of content and a practical set of steps. The students navigate through a variety of technics and forms applicable in this legal field allowing them to encounter daily challenges and obstacles.
Corporate and Commercial Law II provides students experience in corporate and commercial legal concepts. This process will direct the student to a successful performance of their corporate/commercial law clerk/legal assistant responsibilities. The intention of this program is to ensure that the students can become a knowledgeable law clerks/legal assistants. This program structure implements progressively complex corporate and commercial theoretical knowledge sustained by the corresponding guidelines. The students explore with each lesson more complex templates, examples, and forms on the companion websites. Additionally, all learning steps of this course provide students with overview, and outline of content and practical set of forms for the most common type of corporate and commercial transactions. This journey through a variety of technics and forms gives the learner the necessary confidence level required to manage daily challenges and obstacles.
Civil Litigation I will introduce the Learner into the world of Litigation. The Learner will gain the ability to produce the required documents to litigate and defend an action. The Learner will also gain an understanding of the litigation process. This course will ensure that the legal assistant/law clerk will have the ability to assist the lawyer and client in the litigation process, including drafting, filing, and issuing legal documents. The legal assistant/law clerk will have the ability to see a file through from commencement to finalization.
The Civil Litigation II course introduces the Learner to Torts. The Legal Assistant/Law Clerk will understand the process and documents required in an undefended Court of King’s Bench action. The Legal Assistant/Law Clerk will learn the processes and documents required in both a defended and undefended Small Claims Court action. The Learner will gain knowledge in the judgment recovery process.
This course focuses on residential real estate. The Learner will gain the confidence and knowledge to take command of a real estate file from start to finish. The learner will become well versed in the preparation of documents, correspondence, performance of various searches required in the representation of a purchaser of real property. The learner will also gain an understanding of mortgages and other types of encumbrances.
This course is a continuation of the Real Estate I course. The Learner will become knowledgeable in the documents, searches, correspondence required in a residential sales transaction. Also covered will be condominium sales, new construction, and rural properties. A brief overview of different conveyancer software will be explored.
This course is designed as a culmination of the program. Our Placement Department works with you to arrange a suitable placement with a corporation, or a public or non-profit organization which conducts typical Canadian business practices. In your Practicum term, you could perform, or job shadow or a combination of both, the skills and knowledge acquired in the courses within your program. While not all placements will allow for performance of all skills acquired the student should endeavor to observe and practice where possible.
Job Market
Legal Assistant graduates can find employment opportunities in a diverse array of settings, including law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, real estate firms, and more. The Legal Assistant program equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in various roles upon graduation. Successful graduates of this program may pursue a variety of fulfilling positions, such as:
- Legal Assistant
- Legal Administrative Assistant
- Legal Secretary
- Corporate Law Legal Assistant
- Litigation Legal Assistant
- Real Estate Secretary
- Legal Administrative Support Worker
- Legal Document Clerk
Salary Information
Average Wage ($/hr) – $24.52
High Wage ($/hr) – $42.86
National Occupation Classification (NOC) for this program: 1242/13111
Source: noc.esdc.gc.ca & www.jobbank.ca
Admissions Requirements
Admission Requirements:
Canadian High School diploma or equivalent. Willis College Admission’s Team uses the Wonderlic assessment tool.
For Mature Students:
If you don’t have a High School Diploma, we have admissions options specifically for you depending on which province you are in enrolling. Please contact us to see how our Admissions Team can help you achieve your new career.
*Mature student is defined as 19 years or older.
This program is an excellent fit for:
- Someone interested in pursuing a career in the legal field but seeking a practical and comprehensive introduction.
- Individuals currently working in administrative roles within law firms or legal departments who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills to advance their careers.
- Those interested in exploring various specialties within legal administration, such as corporate law, real estate law, or litigation, and seeking a program that offers exposure to different areas of legal practice.
Why choose the Legal Assistant program?
- Features a comprehensive curriculum covering a wide range of legal topics.
- With a strong emphasis on practical learning, students will learn to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios and develop practical skills essential for success in legal administration roles.
- Lifetime career services!
Save time & money
- Finish most programs and become job-ready in less than a year!
- Get the skills you need to get hired with programs that cut the extras and give you the skills you need to get hired.
- With career support for life with Willis College, our experts will help find you employment no matter how long ago you graduated
- You don't need three to four years of school to enter the workforce with the skills to start a great paying career!
Exceptional flexibility
- Learn online with instructor-led programs that will prepare you for the career of your dreams.
- On-Campus program availability is also an option for select programs in Ottawa.
- Start school NOW with most program intakes happening every six weeks (no need to wait!)
- No waiting lists, even in our most-popular programs. We'll get you the job training you need to start your career ASAP.
Career-relevant education
- Our programs are programs aligned with real-world, in-demand occupations. We will get you job-ready!
- Most Willis College programs include practicum experience so you can hit the job search running with a great education AND experience.
- Willis College has 160 years of skills training excellence.
- We have real relationships with employers who are waiting to hire qualified Willis College graduates!
Is financing the only thing stopping you from attending school? We can help.
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What Our Graduates Are Saying
Willis College is so flexible for students! My program allowed me to complete all my courses online. I got to choose when I wanted to attend my live lectures which was incredibly helpful around my daily life. This program made it possible for me to pursue a career as a single mom!
Taylor McElroy
Veterinary Medical Assistant