Paralegal Certificate
Faculty of Business & Professional Studies
School of Legal Studies
Credential
Certificate
Program Highlights
Become a qualified paralegal through CapU’s Paralegal Certificate while employed in a legal setting and studying part time onsite or online. Pursue a rewarding and challenging career in law working under the supervision of a lawyer.
The Paralegal Certificate is designed for students who wish to study part time and who are already working in the legal field. Students primarily study substantive law and legal skills courses while gaining their procedural law skills on the job. Some procedural law courses, including courses dealing with litigation procedures, are available as electives. You can begin your studies either in the fall term in September, the spring term in January or the summer term in May. Our graduates are highly sought after, and we work closely with representatives of the legal industry to ensure that our curriculum is current and relevant.
- Demonstrate the ability to examine various legal problems by identifying appropriate areas of the law and sources to consult in commencing the process of legal analysis.
- Demonstrate competence in researching legislation, case law and other secondary legal materials.
- Summarize legal research findings in appropriate legal formats with clear and compelling analysis and conclusions.
- Demonstrate competence in effective communication in legally relevant contexts such as presentations of case summaries, interviewing clients, and group presentations.
- Prepare, draft and produce legal documents, including pleadings and other court documents, wills, corporate documents, or real estate documents.
- Demonstrate an awareness of and ability to identify legal issues in a broad range of areas through an exposure to a variety of legal subjects.
Intakes
| Campus | Terms | Full/Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| Off Campus | Fall | Part-Time |
| Off Campus | Spring | Part-Time |
| Off Campus | Summer | Part-Time |
Tuition and Fees Per Year
| Domestic Students | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Tuition | Fees | Total | ||
| Year 1 | $1,964 | $940 | $2,904 | ||
| Year 2 | $1,964 | $940 | $2,904 | ||
| Year 3 | $1,964 | $940 | $2,904 | ||
| Year 4 | $655 | $313 | $968 | ||
| Total | $6,547 | $3,133 | $9,680 | ||
Note: Fees are subject to change. Some programs have fees for supplies and equipment that aren’t included in the estimate. To get an idea of what you’ll pay to study at CapU, try out our Tuition & Fees Estimator.
Total program credits: 30.00
Program Notes
Certificate requirements must be completed within five years of commencing the program. The five-year period may be extended in exceptional circumstances.
Continuation Requirements: Any student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 (B) after completing LAW 101, LAW 110 and LAW 210 may be required to withdraw from the program in consultation with the Chair. Any student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 (C) will not be permitted to continue in the program.
Graduation Requirements: Students must complete all courses in the curriculum (the five required courses and 15 credits of electives) and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher in order to graduate. Students who complete the course requirements without being admitted in the certificate option (for instance, by taking the courses in the degree or diploma option, or transferring in credits from other institutions) and without two or more years of legal work experience will not be eligible to graduate automatically. In these circumstances students must complete up to two years full-time relevant work experience in consultation with the Chair before being eligible to graduate.
Important Dates
Application Dates
May 1, 2018 - Apr 2, 2019
Course Registration & Waitlisting Starts
Mar 4, 2019
Fee Payment Deadline
May 1, 2019 4:00 PM
Application Dates
Aug 7, 2018 - Aug 6, 2019
Course Registration & Waitlisting Starts
Jul 8, 2019
Fee Payment Deadline
Aug 19, 2019 4:00 PM
Application Dates
Feb 5, 2019 - Dec 3, 2019
Course Registration & Waitlisting Starts
Nov 12, 2019
Fee Payment Deadline
Dec 17, 2019 4:00 PM
Application Dates
Jun 4, 2019 - Apr 7, 2020
Course Registration & Waitlisting Starts
Mar 9, 2020
Fee Payment Deadline
Apr 28, 2020 4:00 PM
Note: Dates are subject to change.
Admission Requirements
BC Secondary School graduation (Grade 12) or equivalent; or Mature Student status
Capilano English Language Requirement for students whose primary language is not English: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): paper=560, internet=83, or English Language Assessment (ELA)=145, or International English Language Testing System (Academic IELTS)=6.5 overall, and no one score less than 6, or Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL)=70, or Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic)=56 or Capilano University EAP 100 and 101 with a minimum B+ grade in each course.
English 100 level or higher course (B- or higher), CMNS 159 (B+ or higher) or LPI exam [www.lpitest.ca] (level 5 or higher – please note that in the School of Legal Studies the EDT is not accepted in place of the LPI).
Resume || Letter from employer confirming current legal employment || One of the following: 1) two years legal admin work experience; 2) graduation from Cap U's Legal Admin Assistant (LAA) program with B+ or higher (other LAA programs may be considered); 3) graduation from Cap U's online LAA program with B+ or higher (other online LAA programs may be considered) plus one year legal admin work; or 4) relevant life/work experience with or without legal admin work experience (some limitations)
For the official publication of programs, course descriptions and admission requirements please view the Capilano University 2018-2019 Calendar (pdf).
Instructors
Contact
Have questions about this program?
School of Legal Studies
604 983 7594 604 990 7808 (fax) legalstudies@capilanou.ca
Student Information Services
604 984 4900 604 984 1798 (fax) Birch Building, room BR230 registration@capilanou.ca