Connections

The verdict is in: paralegal studies gives graduates access to a wider range of law-related career opportunities than any other undergraduate applied degree. From Bay Street to Main Street, there is no more versatile degree for people interested in the field of law than Humber's Bachelor of Applied Arts in Paralegal Studies. Bernie Aron is Program Coordinator of Humber's four-year degree program and says that graduates find work not only in law firms and paralegal firms, but in court services and the legal departments of corporations as well.

PUTTING THE APPLIED IN APPLIED DEGREE 

One of the things that sets Humber's Paralegal Studies program apart is the balance it achieves between theoretical knowledge of the justice system and hands-on legal practice. From an applied perspective, the number one skill demanded in any paralegal workplace is legal writing. According to Bernie, "to be able to communicate properly and persuasively in statements of claims, defenses, and correspondence is key to the legal environment and the execution of an expedient and fair judicial process." Bernie says that legal research is a close second to writing, as laws and regulations are constantly changing and paralegal professionals need to be able to find, analyze, and interpret them. Bernie and the rest of the paralegal faculty prepare students to apply these kinds of skills in court and tribunal simulations where legal professionals are invited to participate.

Paralegal students are also equipped with a full range of business management skills. As a result, grads are ready to contribute to the machinery of justice as well as the business of justice.

The paralegal curriculum is designed to make graduates ready to contribute and make a difference from the day they are hired - a critical selling feature for a program serving an industry that specializes in just-in-time delivery and has little time for orientation and training. As one employer said of a recent paralegal co-op student she had hired: "the student came with a strong understanding of the required skill sets which were significantly reinforced by her work experience."

Bernie is thrilled with the national attention and interest the program has been receiving. He also points to the fact that the Chief Justice of Ontario, the Honourable Mr. Justice Roy McMurtry, visited Humber at the program's launch to recognize the importance of paralegal studies to the entire legal profession.

Who knows - maybe one day a Humber grad could become Chief Justice.

Have a passion for justice? Contact Bernie Aron at bernard.aron@humber.ca to find out how you can pursue a career in paralegal studies.