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Description
Example Titles
Classified Elsewhere
Duties
Skills
Employment Requirements
Terms & Conditions
Earnings
Education / Training
Career Paths
Outlook
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies

Employment by Age Group
Employment by Industry
Employment by Region
Employment by Gender
Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
Employment by Visible Minority

Paralegal and Related Occupations (NOC 4211)

Description

Legal assistants and paralegals prepare legal documents, maintain records and files and conduct research to assist lawyers or other professionals. Notaries public administer oaths, take affidavits, sign legal documents and perform other activities according to the limitations of their appointment. Trademark agents advise clients on intellectual property matters. Independent paralegals provide legal services to the public as allowed by government legislation, or provide paralegal services on contract to law firms or other establishments. Legal assistants and paralegals are employed by law firms, by record search companies and in legal departments throughout the public and private sectors. Independent paralegals are usually self-employed. Trademark agents are employed by law firms and legal departments throughout the public and private sectors, trademark development and search firms or they may be self-employed. Notaries public are employed by government and in the public and private sectors or they may be self-employed.

Example Titles

commercial law clerk
corporate paralegal
family law paralegal
independent paralegal
land titles examiner
law clerk
legal assistant
legal researcher
litigation legal assistant
notary public
paralegal
real estate law clerk
title searcher
trademark agent

>> View all titles

Classified Elsewhere

Articling students, Quebec notaries and trademark lawyers (in 4112 Lawyers and Quebec Notaries)
Legal Secretaries (1242)
Patent agents (in 4161 Natural and Applied Science Policy Researchers, Consultants and Program Officers)

Duties

Legal assistants and paralegals in law firms or in other establishments perform some or all of the following duties:

Assist lawyers by interviewing clients, witnesses and other related parties, assembling documentary evidence, preparing trial briefs, and arranging for trials
Prepare wills, real estate transactions and other legal documents, court reports and affidavits
Research records, court files and other legal documents
Draft legal correspondence and perform general office and clerical duties.

Notaries public perform some or all of the following duties:

Administer oaths and take affidavits and depositions
Witness and certify the validity of signatures on documents
May draft contracts, prepare promissory notes and draw up wills, mortgages and other legal documents
May arrange probates and administer the estates of deceased persons.

Trademark agents perform some or all of the following duties:

Advise clients on intellectual property matters and represent clients before the Registrar of Trade-Marks on matters including prosecution of applications for registration of trademarks
Advise on the registrability of trademarks, trademark licensing requirements, transfer of intellectual property and protection of existing trademark rights
Represent clients at proceedings before the Trade Marks Opposition Board and in related proceedings
May represent clients internationally in consultation with foreign associates and attorneys.

Independent paralegals perform some or all of the following duties:

Represent clients in small claims court and in other lower court proceedings, at tribunals and before administrative bodies
Advise clients and take legal action on landlord and tenant matters, traffic violations, name changes and other issues within their jurisdictions.

Skills

Paralegals should have the following skills and abilities:

excellent organizational and record-keeping skills,
ability to focus on details,
the ability to think logically and analyze information,
excellent writing and verbal skills in dealing with clients and lawyers,
the ability to organize work and co-ordinate other people's activities,
the ability to understand and follow instructions,
the ability to explain complicated concepts in simple terms,
the ability to work independently with minimum supervision and as a member of a team,
the ability to use libraries and computer databases for research,
have respect for confidentiality,
the ability to work to deadlines and cope with stress,
the ability to use computers,
knowledge of the law, legal terminology and processes.

Employment Requirements

In Manitoba, paralegals in law firms require a post secondary education related to legal principles and procedures or equivalent experience usually obtained through experience in legal secretarial or clerical work.

Terms & Conditions

Paralegal and related workers, such as legal assistants, notaries public, trade mark agents and independent paralegals, usually work indoors, in law firms and the legal departments of large government and private sector organizations.

Occasionally, they must travel from their usual place of work to conduct research, particularly in libraries. Although paralegals and other related workers usually work during regular business hours, they must, when required, work very long hours and under pressure to meet deadlines. Most work full-time (89%). In Manitoba, self-employment in this occupation is rare (2%).

Earnings

$30,000 per annum - starting

$37,800 per annum - average

$53,000 per annum - high

Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.

Education / Training

Red River College offers the following programs:

Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate (11 months)

The following private vocational institutions offer programs in this field:

CDI College of Business, Technology & Healthcare - Law Clerk, Legal Administrative Assistant, Paralegal Certificate, Paralegal Communications, Professional Legal Assistant,
Herzing Career College - Legal Assistant/Secretary,
Robertson Career Inc. - Legal Administrative Assistant Diploma.

High School:

Some high schools in Manitoba offer a program in Business Education.

Career Paths

Legal secretaries or clerks working in law offices may advance to paralegal positions with experience.

Paralegals may specialize in areas of law such as real estate, litigation, tax law, corporate records.

Experienced paralegals may supervise other paralegals and clerical staff. With additional training, paralegals may move to managerial positions. Some paralegals enroll in law school to become lawyers.

Outlook

Employment prospects for paralegal (legal assistants) and related workers are expected to be good in the period 2010 - 2014. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 1,025.

The trend towards larger law firms encompassing a range of specialities is encouraging the hiring of paralegals. In many cases they are assuming responsibility for tasks previously performed by lawyers, although they work under the supervision of a lawyer. It is expected that employment opportunities for paralegals will increase over the forecast period.

A proportionally number of jobs for paralegals are located in Winnipeg. Across industries, the majority of paralegals and related workers work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (81%) and in Public Administration (8%).

Employment by Age Group

Employment by Industry

Employment by Region

Employment by Gender

Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification

Employment by Visible Minority

Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.

Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...

A C T Legal Services Ltd., 407 The Thicket, Mississauga, ON, L5G 4P6, Telephone: (905) 891-3410.
Canadian Association of Paralegals, http://www.caplegal.ca