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Northern College

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Northern’s two-year Law Clerk program is delivered exclusively online and is offered in both fall and winter intakes, providing flexibility to students in preparation for a career as a law clerk.

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Referenced from: Program Outlines Archive

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PROGRAM INFORMATION

Academic Year :

2026-2027

Credential :

Ontario College Diploma

Program Delivery :

Full-Time

Duration :

2 Years

Length :

4 Semesters

Program Codes(s)

: B258 - Distance (CH) - Fall Intake

B258W - Distance (CH) - Winter Intake

DESCRIPTION

Northern’s two-year Law Clerk program is delivered exclusively online and is offered in both fall and winter intakes, providing flexibility to students in preparation for a career as a law clerk.

Graduates of our Law Clerk program play an essential role in supporting the delivery of legal services within Canadian legal and administrative environments. They acquire the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours necessary to contribute effectively under the supervision of licensed professionals.

Our program provides foundational knowledge of substantive and procedural law, which graduates apply when conducting legal research, preparing documentation, and navigating procedural requirements across core practice areas. Graduates are prepared to communicate with clients, legal professionals and other parties in accordance with legal, ethical and organizational standards. They manage workloads, client files and deadlines, draft and process legal documentation, and use current technologies to organize, analyze, and manage information. Throughout the program, students will strengthen their cultural awareness and demonstrate their ability to work respectfully with diverse populations while maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and regulatory expectations.

Graduates will have acquired the practical skills to work in a range of entry-level law clerk positions. Employment opportunities exist in law firms, corporate and government legal departments, administrative tribunals, court services, financial institutions, and other settings where legal support functions are required. Career opportunities may vary based on the graduate’s chosen areas of focus and the needs of the legal workplace.

Graduates of our Law Clerk program may be granted credits towards relevant certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and degrees. Students should contact individual colleges and universities for further details about credit transfers and articulation agreements.

Delivery Method

Classes are delivered live during scheduled times through a web-based platform and are also recorded so students can access the playback of the lectures after hours. Through this virtual classroom setting, students can communicate with their professors and other students via written and verbal communications. Courses in Blackboard Ultra, where all course materials are uploaded. Students can access the course materials, submit assignments, complete tests, join discussion forums, share documents, and connect with the professor and other students.

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Law Clerk

Program Outline 2026-2027

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

This diploma program offers the student the opportunity to study subject areas necessary to prepare for a career in a law office or related environments, such as legal departments of government and industry. Graduates find employment as a Law Clerk in law firms, record search companies, and in legal departments in the private and public sectors.

Potential employment opportunities may include:

  • Law offices, court houses, legal aid, and municipal offices.
  • Collection and bankruptcy offices
  • MP and MPP offices
  • Service Ontario/Service Canada
  • Process servers and legal researchers.
  • Various legal departments in ministries such as: Attorney General, Northern Development and Mines, Labour, Official Guardian and Public Trustee, Legal departments in banking, insurance, corporate, real estate development, construction, and mining, etc.

VOCATIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

  1. Support the needs of clients and legal professionals through the use of accurate terminology and professional communication strategies, both orally and in writing.
  2. Complete all work within routine and unexpected timelines and limitation periods within the legal environment.
  3. Use current and relevant electronic and print resources, within the legal environment, to conduct legal research, to assist with file and evidentiary management, to facilitate communication and generate legal documentation, complying with current regulations and procedures.
  4. Research and summarize the presenting legal issues, applying knowledge of substantive law, to support the legal team.
  5. Apply rules of procedure to support best legal practices.
  6. Conduct oneself professionally in adherence to the guidelines of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
  7. Carry out clerical and administrative duties for the operation of a variety of legal environments.
  8. Outline strategies for ongoing professional development to ensure continuing competence as a Law Clerk.
  9. Act equitably and justly with diverse populations.
  10. Provide support for legal professionals in courts and administrative tribunals within the legal system.

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Law Clerk Program Outline 2026-2027

PROGRAM COURSES

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the program. Programs at Northern College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities.

Fall Intake

| Semester | 1 | Hours | |

Source: https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/Law-Clerk-2026.pdf