Continuing Education

Legal Administrative Assistant certificate

This advanced program is intended for experienced office workers who wish to increase their career options or candidates with successful completion, within the past two years, of a business office training program at the post-secondary level, equivalent to the UFV Applied Business Technology certificate. This comprehensive, five-month, full-time program prepares students for employment in a variety of organizations including: law firms, real estate companies, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, and government agencies such as court services and Crown Counsel offices.

Upon completion, graduates will be familiar with the use of legal vocabulary, able to perform legal administrative duties and procedures in all the specialty areas, and able to apply principles of organizational and priority setting. Upon successful completion of the theory component, students will be placed in a practicum setting.

Students are expected to have foundational digital literacy/computer skills in order to be successful in this program. To gain employment in the industry, graduates may also be expected to have a minimum keyboarding speed of 50 words per minute.

Entrance requirements

1. Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.
2. One of the following:
• B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
• 19 years or older on the first day of classes.
3. One of the following:
• Successful completion, within the past two years, of a business office training program at the post-secondary level, equivalent to UFV’s Applied Business Technology certificate.
• One full year of administrative experience within the past two years. Applicants must submit a resume and letter from their employer confirming their position.
4. Applicants must be willing to undertake a Criminal Records Check prior to placement in the practicum, if required by the host.

When to apply

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year. Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space. See Continuous application process for more information.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply.
2. Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. Full tuition is due at the time of registration.

Fees and additional costs

Please see the Continuing Education webpage for current fee information. See the Fees and Other Costs section for additional information.

Financial aid

Financial aid is available from a variety of sources. For more information, contact the Financial Aid and Awards office at either the Abbotsford or Chilliwack campus. A variety of bursary applications are also available from the Financial Aid and Awards offices.

Dates and location

This is a seven-month, full-time program that may be offered online or in a hyflex format. Any classroom instruction takes place at the Clearbrook Centre in Abbotsford. The practicum follows directly after successful completion of the theory components and is held at various locations throughout the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.

Program outline

The program is divided into seven modules as listed below. The first module is an overview of general legal procedures, five cover the specialty areas of law, and the last module is the practicum.

Introduction to legal office procedures

• The legal system
• The legal administrative assistant
• Office systems
• Basic legal documents

Litigation

• Commencing civil procedures
• Service and interlocutory applications
• Pretrial procedures
• Trial procedures
• Collections

Corporate law

• The nature of business
• Incorporation for B.C. non-reporting companies
• Post-incorporation procedures
• General corporate procedures

Wills and estates

• Wills and codicils
• Letters of probate
• Letters of administration
• Transmission and distribution procedures

Conveyancing

• Introduction to conveyancing
• Preliminary conveyancing procedures
• Final conveyancing procedures

Divorce and family law

• Introduction to family law
• Undefended divorce procedures
• Defended divorce procedures
• Supplementary applications
• Provincial and Supreme Court adoptions

Practicum

The practicum must be taken immediately following the six theory modules.

Program requirements

Students will be evaluated for each module in the program on classroom participation, assignments, study projects, and by examination.

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 4.00 (A) in all theory modules to be eligible for the practicum. Students must successfully complete all theory components prior to practicum placement.

Graduation requirements

To be eligible to graduate, students must successfully complete all courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.00 (A) and receive credit (CR) for the practicum.

For more information

Contact Continuing Education at 604-851-6324, or 604-504-7441 local 6324, or toll-free (within Canada) 1-888-504-7441 local 6324, or continuingeducation@ufv.ca.