Continuing Education

Legal Administrative Assistant certificate

This program is intended for students with an interest in office work and experienced office workers who wish to advance their career options. This comprehensive, full-time program includes eight courses and prepares students for employment in a variety of private and public sector organizations. Employers include law firms, real estate companies, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, and government agencies such as regulatory bodies, municipalities, and B.C. Public Service divisions (e.g., registry services, court services, and Crown Counsel offices).

The program also integrates Indigenous perspectives, knowledge systems, and culturally respectful practices into the curriculum. This will help students to work effectively and ethically with Indigenous clients, communities, and legal contexts.

Program learning outcomes

The goal of this program is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to perform the duties required of a legal administrative assistant.

Upon successful completion of the Legal Administrative Assistant certificate, students will be able to:

1. Describe provincial and federal laws relating to Indigenous peoples, organizations, and land.
2. Articulate their positionality in relation to key reconciliation frameworks, including recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
3. Develop critical thinking skills to effectively make decisions and solve problems.
4. Apply appropriate digital literacy and technical skills within legal environments.
5. Communicate effectively to diverse stakeholders in legal settings.
6. Apply legal knowledge and procedures to a wide range of legal administrative situations.

Upon successful completion of the first seven courses, students will be placed in a practicum setting.

Students are expected to have foundational digital literacy/computer skills 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 of a business office training program at the post-secondary level (such as UFV’s Applied Business Technology certificate) within two years of the program start date.
• One full year of administrative experience within the past four years. Applicants may be requested to submit a resume and letter from their past or current employer confirming their position, or participate in an intake interview.
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 for entrance to the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

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.

Fees and additional costs

Please see the School of Continuing Education for current fee information. See the Fees and Other Costs section for additional information. Following acceptance to the program, full tuition will be due at the time of registration.

All tuition fees that total more than $100 in a calendar year are tax deductible.

Financial aid

Students may be eligible for financial aid; contact Financial Aid and Awards for more information. Connect with the Indigenous Student Centre to learn about Indigenous-specific aids and awards.

Program duration

The Legal Administrative Assistant certificate is 600 hours and 7 months in duration.

Dates and location

This full-time program may be offered online or in a hyflex format (option of online or in-person). Any classroom instruction takes place at the Clearbrook Centre in Abbotsford. The practicum follows directly after successful completion of the first seven courses and will be held throughout the province, where the student resides.

Program outline

Program requirements

Students will be evaluated for each course in the program on contributions to the classroom, professionalism, assignments, projects, and by written examination.

Students must successfully complete the first seven courses with a minimum program GPA of 3.67 (A-), prior to practicum placement.

Graduation requirements

To be eligible to graduate, students must successfully complete all courses with a minimum program GPA of 3.67 (A-) and receive credit (CR) for the practicum.

For more information

Contact the School of 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.