The Law Society of Upper Canada PARALEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ACCREDITATION

Transcription

1 The Law Sciety f Upper Canada PARALEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ACCREDITATION SEPTEMBER 2015

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3 PARALEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ACCREDITATION TABLE OF CONTENTS TAB 1 Definitins... 1 Accreditatin Prcess fr Paralegal Educatin Prgrams... 3 TAB 2 TAB 3 TAB 4 Applicatin Prcedure and Prgram Requirements... 8 Appendix 1 By-Law Appendix 2 Curse List Appendix 3 Cmpetency Prfile TAB 5 TAB 6 Appendix 4 Prgram Change Frm Frm 1a Applicatin Frm 1b Payment Remittance Frm TAB 7 Frm 2a Curse Overview Frm 2b Curse Sequence TAB 8 TAB 9 Frm 3 Curse Infrmatin Frm Frm 4a Faculty List Frm 4b Faculty Curse Chart TAB 10 Frm 5 Field Placement LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

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5 DEFINITIONS PARALEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ACCREDITATION DEFINITIONS Accreditatin Accreditatin means the frmal apprval by the Law Sciety f Upper Canada fr a pst-secndary institutin t deliver a Paralegal Educatin Prgram, accrding t the parameters set ut in these and related dcuments. Applicatin Applicatin means the cmpleted dcumentatin submitted by a pst-secndary institutin requesting that the prpsed Paralegal Educatin Prgram be granted Accreditatin by the Law Sciety. Chrt Chrt means the grup f students wh begin their accredited Paralegal Educatin Prgram studies at the same time, and cntinue their studies tgether. Curse Curse means a cmplete set f mandatry legal studies classes which cvers all f the required cmpetencies set ut in the Accreditatin requirements. Faculty member Faculty member means an instructr within an Accredited Paralegal Educatin Prgram, wh may r may nt be a Licensee. Intake Intake means the cmmencement f a Prgram by a pstsecndary institutin fr a Chrt. Licensee Licensee means an individual wh is licensed by the Law Sciety f Upper Canada as a lawyer r paralegal. Prgram Prgram means an educatinal ffering based n a single curriculum and credential prvided by a pst-secndary institutin, which is accredited by the Law Sciety, and which, upn successful cmpletin, will allw an individual t be eligible fr applicatin int the Law Sciety s Paralegal licensing prcess. Reaccreditatin Reaccreditatin means the frmal apprval by the Law Sciety f Upper Canada fr a pst-secndary institutin t cntinue t deliver a Paralegal Educatin Prgram, LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 1

6 DEFINITIONS accrding t the parameters set ut in these and related dcuments. Supervisr (Field Placement) Supervisr means a Licensee in gd standing with the Law Sciety, wh undertakes t prvide guidance t a paralegal student during the student s Field Placement internship. Suspensin Suspensin means a perid f time in which a Licensee is prhibited by the Law Sciety frm practicing law r prviding legal services. Sessin A Sessin is a particular time f the day in which a Prgram is ffered. Pssible Sessins are mrning, afternn r evening. 2 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

7 ACCREDITATION PROCESS ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOR PARALEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS I. INTRODUCTION The Access t Justice Act, 2006 mandates the Law Sciety f Upper Canada (Law Sciety) t gvern and regulate lawyers practising law and paralegals prviding legal services in Ontari in the public interest. The underlying ratinale fr regulating paralegals and lawyers is t prvide cnsumer prtectin and t ensure that cnsumers have access t cmpetent and high quality legal service prviders. II. OVERVIEW As part f its mandate, the Law Sciety accredits every paralegal educatin prgram (Prgram) in Ontari, apprved by the Ministry f Training, Clleges and Universities (MTCU). Accreditatin is required fr Clleges f Applied Arts and Technlgy and Private Career Clleges that ffer Prgrams. Amng ther requirements set ut in the Applicatin Prcedure and Prgram Requirements dcument, these Prgrams are required t include, at a minimum, certain mandatry Curses that cver the essential elements f prcedural and substantive legal services practice as well as ethical and respnsible practice. This accreditatin package and the requirements set ut fr accredited paralegal educatin herein reflect the current recmmendatins apprved by the Law Sciety's Cnvcatin in February Accreditatin r Reaccreditatin is in effect fr a perid f five (5) years. Graduates f accredited Prgrams will be eligible t apply t write the Paralegal Licensing Examinatin that, in additin t ther requirements, must be cmpleted fr an individual t qualify fr a licence t prvide legal services as a paralegal in Ontari. III. ACCREDITATION APPLICATION PROCESS Any institutin that wishes t make an applicatin t ffer a Prgram must be a registered institutin with the MTCU. The institutin must prvide prf f its apprved status with its Applicatin t the Law Sciety by including a cpy f the institutin s funding apprval r cnfirmatin f registratin frm the MTCU. If a Prgram is apprved fr Accreditatin by the Law Sciety, ntice f the Accreditatin will be prvided t the MTCU. At that time, the MTCU will decide whether r nt t apprve the Prgram. IV. REVIEW OF SUBMITTED APPLICATION PACKAGE Once received, the Law Sciety will cnduct a technical review f the Applicatin t ensure that it has been cmpleted in accrdance with the Applicatin Prcedure and Prgram Requirements and that it cntains the basic required elements f an accredited Prgram befre a full Accreditatin review is cnducted. If a full review is warranted, the Law Sciety will prvide a letter f acknwledgement t the submitting institutin. If a full review is nt warranted because the institutin has failed t meet the basic Applicatin requirements (e.g. Curse assessments have nt been included, n faculty r insufficient licensed faculty are listed, r the Applicatin fee has nt been rendered), the submitting institutin will be ntified by letter f the technical deficiencies and the Applicatin will be denied. The denial letter will be cpied t the MTCU. LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 3

8 ACCREDITATION PROCESS Each Applicatin that successfully passes the technical review will underg a full review f its cntents, as set ut in the Applicatin Prcedure and Prgram Requirements dcument. If a full review f the Applicatin reveals that the prgram des nt meet ne r mre f the Prgram requirements, cmpetencies, r the frmal Curse requirements set ut in the Cmpetency Prfile fr Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin (Appendix 3), the Law Sciety may decline the Applicatin. If the accreditatin review reveals that additinal infrmatin r revisins are required t cmplete the Applicatin r t cmplete the accreditatin assessment, the Law Sciety will ntify the educatinal institutin and will prvide specific details regarding the infrmatin that is required t cmplete the review prcess. The institutin will be given an pprtunity t respnd, and the Law Sciety will cmplete its review when the additinal requested infrmatin is prvided. The Law Sciety s decisin regarding the apprval r denial f an Applicatin is final. There is n appeal. Where an Applicatin fails a technical r full review f the Applicatin, the Applicatin Fee is nn-refundable. Similarly, an Accreditatin r Reaccreditatin Fee is nn-refundable if a Prgram is later discntinued by the institutin, if its institutinal registratin r Prgram apprval is remved by the MTCU. Institutins that have successfully applied fr Accreditatin fr their Paralegal Educatin Prgram are required t ffer the Prgram t students n later than six (6) mnths after the Applicatin s apprval date t ensure that the infrmatin in the Applicatin remains current with the institutin s ffering. Prir Accreditatin - mre than six (6) mnths in advance f the Prgram s ffering date - will nt be prvided. An invice fr the Accreditatin Fee will be issued upn accreditatin. An up t date list f all accredited Prgrams is published n the Law Sciety s website at Institutins that have been previusly declined fr accredited status are permitted t reapply fr a prpsed Prgram withut restrictin, hwever, each Applicatin is cnsidered a new applicatin and all frmal requirements, including payment f the Applicatin Fee, must be met with each submissin. V. MULTIPLE CAMPUS LOCATIONS If an institutin wishes t ffer a Paralegal Educatin Prgram at multiple campus lcatins, a separate Applicatin must be prvided fr each prpsed campus lcatin. Guidelines fr these types f applicatins are set ut in the Applicatin Prcedure and Prgram Requirements dcument. An Applicatin Fee is als payable fr each campus seeking prgram accreditatin. Accreditatin is nt prvided n an institutinal basis but granted n a prgram and campus basis nly. If an institutin wishes t expand its currently-accredited Prgram by ffering the Prgram at an additinal campus lcatin(s), anther Applicatin must be cmpleted fr that prpsed new lcatin. Apprval f the Prgram must be btained frm the Law Sciety befre the Prgram can be ffered at a new lcatin. If the institutin wishes t cease delivery f a Prgram at ne (r all) f its campus lcatins, r t cnslidate multiple campus lcatin fferings due t the institutin s inability t meet the mandatry requirements r fr ther reasns, the Law Sciety must be ntified befre any Prgram ffering is discntinued. 4 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

9 ACCREDITATION PROCESS Synchrnizatin Requirement fr Multiple Campuses As stated abve, a Prgram ffered at multiple campus lcatins is deemed t be ne Prgram fr the purpses f Accreditatin r Reaccreditatin. The Prgram must be ffered in a synchrnus manner acrss the campus lcatins. The Prgram s curriculum, assessments, and plicies shuld be managed centrally by the Prgram Crdinatr. Intake dates and Sessins must be synchrnized acrss the Prgram. Fr example, if Campus A has an Intake date f Octber 1 fr the afternn Sessin f the Prgram, all ther campuses ffering an afternn Sessin f the Prgram must schedule their Intakes n the same date (r ne r tw business days thereafter). Each campus lcatin is permitted tw Intakes per Sessin (mrning, afternn, evening, etc.) VI. APPLICATION AND ACCREDITATION FEE SCHEDULE Applicatin and Accreditatin Fees Fee 1 ($) Applicatin Fee fr Accreditatin 500 Applicatin Fee fr Additinal Campus Lcatin 500 Accreditatin Fee 4,500 Additinal Campus Accreditatin Fee (per campus) 1,500 Applicatin Fee(s) are due at the time f Applicatin and shuld be paid by cheque r ther direct depsit/transfer f funds, payable t The Law Sciety f Upper Canada. The Applicatin Fee is nn-refundable. If an institutin submits an Applicatin but fails t remit this Fee with the Applicatin, it will result in a technical failure f the Applicatin and the remittance f a denial letter t the applicant institutin. If the Applicatin is declined t be reviewed due t technical deficiencies r the Applicatin is denied after a full review, and the institutin chses t resubmit anther Applicatin, subsequent Applicatins are als subject t the Applicatin Fee. An invice fr the Accreditatin r Reaccreditatin Fee will be issued upn accreditatin r reaccreditatin. A ntice fr Reaccreditatin will be sent by the Law Sciety at an apprpriate date well in advance f the institutin s requirement t submit a Reaccreditatin Applicatin, fr each Accredited Prgram. 1 All Fees quted in the Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin dcuments are subject t applicable taxes. LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 5

10 ACCREDITATION PROCESS All fees relating t Accreditatin r Audit activities by the Law Sciety are due within 30 days f the invice date. Failure t remit mnies wed may result in cnsequences fr a Prgram's Accreditatin status. VII. CHANGES TO PROGRAM/CURRICULA Administratrs/Prgram Crdinatrs wh gvern the delivery f Prgrams have a respnsibility t ntify the Law Sciety in writing f any Majr Change t the Prgram prir t the change. A Majr Change is defined as any change t Curse structure, key persnnel r individual Curses that might affect the accredited institutin s ability t cmply with the mandatry requirements f Accreditatin and/r the cmpetencies. A change t the Prgram Crdinatr/Directr psitin als qualifies as a Majr Change, and must be cmmunicated t the Law Sciety. Additin t r remval f individual faculty members des nt need t be reprted t the Law Sciety, hwever, an annual update listing current faculty will be required as part f annual infrmatin updates fr the Prgrams. Appendix 4 cntains the Majr Change Frm t be sent t the Law Sciety. If there is a lengthy time perid after the Prgram has started in which the Prgram will nt be ffered by the institutin (i.e. 4 mnths r lnger), this infrmatin must als be cmmunicated t the Law Sciety, with anticipated dates fr the Prgram s restart, and subsequent cmmunicatin f key persnnel r Prgram changes. In these circumstances, the institutin may be required t satisfy additinal criteria t assure the Law Sciety f its ability t maintain Accreditatin standards within the Prgram. VIII. PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND TRANSFERRING CREDITS The develpment and articulatin f Prir Learning Assessment plicies, as well as transferring Curse credits frm ne educatinal institutin t anther will be the respnsibility f each institutin. Each accredited institutin will be expected t have an apprpriate plicy in place, either specific t the Paralegal Educatin Prgram r applicable t the institutin verall, regarding the prvisin f Prir Learning Assessments and/r Advanced Standing fr paralegal students. In general, Advanced Standing fr a Curse r Curses shuld nly be given fr previusly cmpleted paralegal educatin frm an Accredited Prgram, and fr a maximum f 40% f a Prgram s Curses. IX. AUDIT PROCESS SITE VISIT The Law Sciety reserves the right t audit accredited Prgrams at its discretin. Each newly accredited Prgram will be audited n later than three (3) years frm the date f its Accreditatin, and within every five (5) years thereafter, at the discretin f the Law Sciety. A Prgram site visit will be cnducted t validate the infrmatin submitted by each institutin and t assess the effectiveness f Prgram cntent and prcesses. Prgram Administratin/Crdinatrs will be required t verify that the institutin is maintaining the mandatry requirements f an accredited Prgram, including the cmpetencies within its curriculum. The Law Sciety s audit team will request updated infrmatin regarding the Prgram, prir t cnducting a Site Visit at the institutin. The Prgram site visit may cnsist f, but is nt limited t, the fllwing activities: Meetings with the Prgram Directr/Administratr/Dean/Chair Meetings with a representative grup f students 6 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

11 ACCREDITATION PROCESS Meetings with the faculty Class bservatin A tur f the facilities, including the library, cmputer labs and classrms, if apprpriate Meetings with key administratrs and staff, such as the Field Placement Crdinatr Review f recrds, such as samples f student wrk A draft agenda fr the Prgram site visit will be sent t the Administratrs/Prgram Crdinatr when the audit is scheduled. Fr mre detailed infrmatin regarding the Audit prcess, please see the Audit Plicy and Framewrk that is available n the Law Sciety s website at An invice fr the applicable audit fees will be issued t each institutin upn cmpletin f the Audit prcess. Additinal fees may be incurred by the institutin fr fllw-up visits t address nn-cmpliance with mandatry requirements and/r Prgram quality cncerns. These fees are set ut in the Audit Fee Schedule, belw. X. AUDIT FEE SCHEDULE Audit Fees Fee ($) Prgram Audit Fee 4,500 Additinal Campus Audit Fee (per campus) 1,500 Audit Revisit Fee (nn-cmpliance and remediatin) 2,000 XI. REACCREDITATION Prgram Accreditatin and Reaccreditatin is granted in five year increments. The Law Sciety will initiate the reaccreditatin prcess. If the institutin wishes t cntinue t deliver the Prgram, it will be required t cmplete a new Applicatin seeking Reaccreditatin. Additinal guidelines cncerning Reaccreditatin may be fund in the Applicatin Prcedure and Prgram Requirements dcument. If Reaccreditatin is nt sught by the institutin, r if it is nt granted by the Law Sciety, the Law Sciety will assist the institutin t determine a date by which students will have graduated frm the Prgram. The Prgram will then be remved frm the Law Sciety s listing f accredited Prgrams. Reaccreditatin Fees Fee ($) Reaccreditatin Fee (every five years) 3,500 Additinal Campus Reaccreditatin Fee (per campus, every five years) 950 The Law Sciety will issue an invice fr the applicable Reaccreditatin fees. LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 7

12 APPLICATION PROCEDURE APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS SUBMISSION OF ACCREDITATION APPLICATION Each institutin must submit tw (2) cmplete cpies f its Applicatin fr Accreditatin, ne cpy in a paper frmat and the ther cpy electrnically. The fllwing is the prcedure t apply fr Accreditatin f a Prgram: 1. Prepare an Applicatin n the frms prvided by the Law Sciety. 2. Submit ne hard cpy and ne electrnic cpy f the Applicatin t: Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin, Licensing and Accreditatin Prfessinal Develpment & Cmpetence The Law Sciety f Upper Canada 130 Queen Street West Trnt, ON M5H 2N6 PREPARING THE APPLICATION Please adhere t these prcedures in preparing the Applicatin: Applicatin Requirements 1. The hard cpy f the Applicatin must be submitted in a 3-ring lse-leaf binder with sequential and numbered tabs. 2. The name f the submitting institutin must be n the spine and the cver f the binder. 3. The Applicatin must be prepared using a wrd prcessing prgram, a standard 11-pint fnt size, and standard weight 8 1/2" by 11" paper. 4. A dated cver letter prepared by the senir Administratr/Prgram Crdinatr cnfirming that ne hard cpy and ne electrnic cpy f the cmpleted Applicatin are being sent t the Law Sciety. 5. A Table f Cntents shuld fllw the cver letter indicating the cntents f each Tab and/r Sub-tab. 6. The Applicatin must be submitted using the standard frms prvided by the Law Sciety. 7. Where indicated, the standard frms must be accmpanied by supprting dcumentatin including detailed Curse utlines/syllabi, Curse assessments and faculty résumés. 8. The cntents f the Applicatin shuld be tabbed numerically accrding t the Applicatin Frms. e.g. Tab 1 shuld include Frm 1, Tab 2, Frm 2, etc. Fr Tab 3, 8 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

13 APPLICATION PROCEDURE each Curse shuld be separated by a labelled sub-tab with the Curse s identifying name/number n the tab, with the relevant Curse utline/syllabus and assessment(s) inserted after each Curse Infrmatin frm. 9. Electrnic submissins shuld be delivered t the Law Sciety n a USB flash drive, alng with the hard-cpy f the Applicatin. 10. The electrnic versin f the Applicatin shuld be rganized in the same manner as the hard-cpy, i.e. electrnic dcuments must be cmbined and rganized either as a single PDF dcument that has been electrnically tabbed, r with each tab prvided as a single dcument. Prgram Cntent Requirements An accredited Paralegal Educatin Prgram must ffer a minimum f 830 prgram hurs that are cmprised f the fllwing: 590 instructinal hurs in cmpulsry legal Curses 2 within a paralegal s permitted scpe f practice, 3 and 120 hurs f field placement/practicum wrk experience, and 120 instructinal hurs in additinal Curses 4 that relate t r supprt a well-runded cllege graduate. Additinally, the Prgram as a whle will be reviewed t assess whether the applicatin demnstrates that the institutin understands and reflects the gals f the Law Sciety s entrylevel cmpetence requirements, and that individuals wh graduate frm that Prgram will have the necessary skills and knwledge t be able t be licensed as paralegals and prvide ethical and prfessinal legal services upn entering the prfessin. 2 The cmpulsry legal Curses and field placement/practicum cmpnent f the Prgram must meet the Curse structure and cmpetencies set ut by the Law Sciety in the Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin Curse List attached as Appendix 2, and the Cmpetency Prfile fr Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin attached as Appendix 3. 3 See Sectin 6 f By-Law 4 under the Law Sciety Act (attached as Appendix 1) fr the areas within the permitted scpe f practice. 4 An institutin is permitted t ffer additinal legal Curses exclusively, in place f general educatin Curses. Any additinal legal Curse prvided cannt fall utside f a paralegal s permitted scpe f practice. Alternatively, the institutin may increase the hurs f the mandatry Curses t a ttal equal t r greater than 120 hurs abve the minimum 590 Prgram hurs. A cmbinatin f additinal legal/nn-legal Curses and augmented mandatry Curse hurs may als be implemented t satisfy the requirement. LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 9

14 APPLICATION PROCEDURE Prgram requirements are set ut belw, rganized accrding t the required Applicatin Frms. Frm 1 Applicatin fr Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin and Frm 2a and 2b Paralegal Prgram Curse Overview and Curse Sequence These Frms request general infrmatin abut the institutin and the apprpriate cntact infrmatin as well as an verview f the Curses that cmprise the applicant prgram. Specific requirements cncerning Prgram versight and structure are as fllws: Prgram Crdinatr: The Prgram Crdinatr plays an integral rle in the maintenance f a Prgram s accreditatin. He/she is respnsible t ensure that all elements f the Prgram meet the Law Sciety s requirements at all times. The Prgram Crdinatr must be a licensee wh spends n mre than 50% f his/her time teaching in the Prgram. The Prgram Crdinatr s respnsibilities include: Crdinatin f instructrs, e.g. ensuring that a licensed instructr is present in class t teach mandatry Curses, and crdinating regular faculty meetings. Cnducting peridic classrm bservatins with apprpriate supprting dcumentatin that such bservatins were cnducted. Oversight f the Field Placement prtin f the Prgram, e.g. ensuring that prspective placement hsts have been cnfirmed as apprpriate hsts. Maintenance f the curriculum and assessments, t ensure that they are current and valid. In a multi-campus situatin where the Prgram Crdinatr is nt n-site at each campus full time, he/she must either appint a Faculty Head at each campus lcatin t versee the Prgram n a day-t-day basis and/r ensure that the Prgram Crdinatr is sufficiently invlved in the cre peratins f the Prgram t maintain these quality requirements. Where a Prgram Crdinatr is prhibited frm cnducting peridic classrm bservatins due t a cllective agreement r ther agreement regulating the terms and cnditins f faculty members wrk in the Prgram, peridic classrm bservatin will be cnducted by the individual designated t perfrm classrm bservatin under that agreement. Delivery Frmat: The Prgram must be delivered in a frmat that allws students t study legal principles in cntext. T satisfy this requirement, mandatry Curses must be delivered cncurrently with at least ne (r preferably tw) ther Curses. Semesters that include a minimum f tw mandatry Curses r hybrid mdular systems where students alternate Curse material mrning/afternn r during the week are acceptable frmats t satisfy the requirement. This requirement must be satisfied fr each Sessin mrning, afternn r evening f the Prgram that the institutin chses t ffer. Online r remte delivery f the Prgram is nt permitted. Curse Sequencing: The curriculum must be cvered in a lgical rder with fundatinal Curses as pre-requisites, with mre advanced Curses being weighted twards the latter sectin f the Prgram. A recmmended sequence fllws: 10 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

15 APPLICATION PROCEDURE Primary Intrductin t the Legal System Legal Cmputer Applicatins Cmmunicatin/Writing Legal Research and Writing Secndary Trts & Cntracts Criminal/Summary Cnvictin Prcedure Prvincial Offences/Mtr Vehicle Offences Administrative Law Emplyment Law Residential Landlrd and Tenant Law Small Claims Curt Tribunal Practice and Prcedure Legal Accunting Ethics and Prfessinal Respnsibility Practice Management/Owning and Operating a Small Business Advanced ADR Alternative Dispute Reslutin Advcacy Evidence and the Litigatin Prcess The Curses may be prvided in any rder within these sectins; hwever, the Primary Curses shuld be cnsidered pre-requisites and ffered first in the Prgram. The Advanced Curses shuld be ffered at the end f the Prgram, t build n learning frm previus Curses. One r tw Curses frm the Secndary categry may be mved t the schedule f a Primary r an Advanced semester/mdule gruping, if the institutin has a valid pedaggical reasn t sequence the Curses in this way. Curse Names, Structure and Cmpetency Cverage: Applicant institutins may use different names fr the mandatry Curses but these shuld nt deviate greatly frm thse recmmended in the Applicatin. Each Curse must satisfy the minimum number f class hurs as set ut in Appendix 2, Curse List. These hurs must be instructr-lead, e.g. lecture, discussin, grup-wrk, tests. Hurs ther than regularly scheduled Class time shuld nt be cunted twards the minimum required hurs. If the applicant institutin wishes t allcate additinal Curse hurs t certain subjects, this is permitted. Certain Curses such as Trts & Cntracts, Legal Research and Writing, Evidence and the Litigatin Prcess, and thers may be separated by their respective subject matter int tw Curses, hwever, deviatin frm the sequencing mdel shuld be kept t a minimum. LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 11

16 APPLICATION PROCEDURE While individual cmpetencies may receive additinal cverage in ther Curses, each Curse must prvide sufficient instructin time and attentin t all f their respective cmpetencies as set ut in Appendix 3, Cmpetency Prfile. Curse Cmpsitin: A minimum f ten (10) paralegal prgram students is mandatry fr each Curse and Chrt f the Prgram. This minimum applies t each campus lcatin that ffers the Prgram, rather than n an verall Prgram basis. An institutin that has received Accreditatin fr the Prgram with less than ten (10) students will receive a cnditinal apprval n its Accreditatin nly and will nt be permitted t start the Prgram until the mandatry minimum ten (10) students have been frmally registered. Each institutin will be required t make an annual declaratin that this minimum mandatry student Chrt level cntinues t be met (r exceeded) thrughut the Prgram s ffering. Institutins are permitted t ffer pre-prgram r pst-prgram elective (nn-mandatry) legal Curses in which there are fewer than the required minimum number f ten (10) students per Curse/Chrt. All f these additinal Curses must be designed t cmplement the Prgram they must be subject areas within the scpe f paralegal practice which d nt infringe n their cverage in a Mandatry Curse. In additin, written cnfirmatin that the Curse cmpsitin meets r exceeds the minimum number f ten (10) students per Chrt/Curse fr the Prgram must be sent t the Law Sciety at least six (6) weeks prir t the start date f each Intake, fr every Prgram ffering. New Student Intakes: Prgrams are limited t tw Intakes per Sessin (mrning, afternn, evening) per calendar year (see sample intake schedule, belw). Fr example, a Prgram with a mrning and an evening Sessin is permitted tw Intakes fr each Sessin per year. The institutin must maintain dcumentatin that tracks Intake dates and new registrant numbers and prvide these statistics t the Law Sciety, when requested. Admitting new students (wh have nt received prir learning credit equivalent t the Chrt s already cmpleted studies) t a Chrt in the middle f a Sessin is nt permitted. Sessin Intake # Intake Date Mrning 1 March 1 Evening 1 June 1 Mrning 2 September 1 Evening 2 Nvember 1 These Intake dates must be cnsistent fr all campuses where the Prgram is ffered. 12 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

17 APPLICATION PROCEDURE Frm 3 Individual Curse Infrmatin Frm This Frm requires an utline f each paralegal Curse and all elective and nn-mandatry Curses (if applicable) that will be taught in the Prgram and that are cnnected with the Prgram. Each Prgram curriculum must include all mandatry Curses and teach, practice and/r assess all cmpetencies as set ut in the Law Sciety s Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin Curse List and The Cmpetency Prfile fr Paralegal Educatin Prgram Accreditatin, attached as Appendix 2 and 3, respectively. Prgrams that include legal Curses that fall utside f the permitted scpe f paralegal practice will nt be apprved. Please see Sectin 6 f By-Law 4 under the Law Sciety Act (attached as Appendix 1) fr areas within the permitted scpe f practice. Curse Outlines: Included with the Applicatin, institutins must prvide t the Law Sciety a detailed Curse utline/syllabus fr each Curse that will be ffered in the curriculum, as well as all pre/pst-prgram Curses. The Curse utline shuld explain hw students are graded within the Curse and must include a detailed list f all tpics cvered and resurces t be used in teaching each Curse (e.g. name and publicatin date f each textbk). If the Curse mark includes a percentage allcated Participatin, explanatin is required as t the activities which will be cnsidered fr this grade. Infrmatin n hw the Curse cmpetencies are taught and assessed must als be included in this detailed utline. Cmpetencies shuld be identified by number within the instructin schedule fr verificatin within the accreditatin review prcess. Curse Assessments: A minimum f ne sample assessment, preferably a final exam r a majr assignment, must be prvided with the Applicatin fr each mandatry Curse. Curse assessments will be reviewed t determine that they reflect assessment best practices fr design and length, that they are sufficiently detailed, reflect an apprpriate level f difficulty t test the student s knwledge, and test the mandatry cmpetencies using fact scenaris and examples that are within a paralegal s scpe f practice. Specifically, sample assessments must have an apprpriate marking rubric; have a cmpanin answer key, submitted with the sample assessment; state a maximum time fr cmpletin f each assessment; nt cntain True-r-False and Fill-In-the-Blank type questins; and specify a timeframe fr return f the marked assessment. Students must be prvided with marks and apprpriate feedback in a timely manner, e.g., n mid-term assessments, students shuld receive feedback befre they write their final exam fr that Curse. Frm 4a and Frm 4b Faculty List and Faculty Curse Chart Prpsed faculty member listings are required fr review and assessment s that the fllwing requirements are met: LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 13

18 APPLICATION PROCEDURE Minimum Faculty: The Prgram must have a minimum f tw (2) full-time, 5 licensed 6 faculty members, neither f whm teaches mre than 50% f the Prgram s mandatry Curses. Faculty Qualificatins: Faculty wh teach substantive law Curses are required t be paralegals, lawyers, judges r justices f the peace. 7 Prspective faculty members are licensees in gd standing with the Law Sciety. 8 Prpsed faculty members have teaching experience r frmal training in educatin best practices. 9 Prpsed faculty members must have at least ne year f practice experience as a paralegal r lawyer, preferably within the subject matter areas that they will be teaching. Cncurrent experience des nt cunt tward the ne year practice experience requirement. Current instructrs already teaching at the institutin that d nt meet this requirement may be grandparented. Frm 5 Field Placement Frm The Field Placement prpsals must be prvided t assess whether there is sufficient infrastructure fr students t prperly cmplete this mandatry prtin f the Prgram, including secured hst placements that ffer relevant, within-scpe wrk experience fr Paralegal students. As part f the Prgram requirements, each student must cmplete a minimum f 120 hurs f field placement/practicum wrk. Field Placements can be cmpleted in institutins such as: Paralegal r law firms Administrative tribunals Gvernment agencies Legal aid clinics Cllectin agencies Curts Legal departments. 5 Full-time faculty status, as defined by the Law Sciety, means a significant number f Curses taught and/r participating hurs in administratin r ther tasks invlved with the paralegal Prgram s that the faculty member is making a valuable cntributin. 6 Fr these purpses, licensed members means paralegal r lawyer members f the Law Sciety wh are nt suspended, nt under active discipline and/r nt restricted in their practice at the time f Applicatin. Individuals wh are exempted frm the licensing requirement, such as justices f the peace, may act as instructrs nly as lng as they are actively wrking in an exempted area. When the exempted individual ceases t wrk in the exempted area, as in the case f retirement, the instructr is n lnger qualified t instruct in the Paralegal prgram. 7 Substantive law Curses are identified as thse cre legal Curses required by the Law Sciety t be ffered within the Prgram, but excluding Legal Cmputer Applicatins and Legal Accunting. Please see Appendix 2 fr the full listing f required legal Curses. 8 Institutins shuld cnduct prper due diligence n each faculty member befre he/she is hired t teach legal Curses. Additinal infrmatin n the Law Sciety s resurces t review a member s status can be fund n the Law Sciety s website at in the Member s Directry sectin r by cntacting the Law Sciety directly. 9 If a prspective instructr lacks teaching experience r frmal teaching training, the instructr must participate in frmal teaching training curses r activities within six mnths f being hired. 14 LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA

19 APPLICATION PROCEDURE Students must be expsed t areas within the permitted scpe f paralegal practice thrughut the curse f their Field Placement and must meet the cmpetencies set ut in Appendix 3 fr this Curse. Evaluatin f these cmpetencies will be measured by way f a reprt prepared by the student and field placement/practicum emplyer. Each Field Placement must be apprved by the accredited institutin prir t the student undertaking it, and each Field Placement student must have a licensee r licensee equivalent 10 wh has supervised and reviewed the student s Field Placement. The applicant institutin shuld als include a cpy f the Paralegal Field Placement Plicy in the Applicatin, including hw students wh are remved frm a placement (due t their wn behaviur r fr ther reasns) will be addressed. This sectin shuld als set ut a critical path prcedure fr placement, nting imprtant dates within the placement prcess during which the institutin and/r Field Placement Crdinatr will cmmunicate requirements with students, secure hst lcatins fr students well in advance, and finalize arrangements with Field Placement hsts (including verificatin f the hst/supervisr s status with the Law Sciety). ADDITIONAL CAMPUS LOCATIONS If an institutin wishes t ffer a Prgram at mre than ne campus lcatin, and the cntent and faculty f thse Prgrams differ, a new set f frms must be cmpleted fr each campus lcatin. If the nly change t the Prgram at the ther campus lcatins is the cmplement f faculty and Field Placement hsts, then nly Frms 1 and 4 must be cmpleted fr each additinal campus lcatin that will ffer the Prgram and these dcuments prvided in a separate binder. The institutin is required t declare the cmmn elements f the Prgram s delivery at the different lcatins, and which plicies are applicable t each lcatin. An Applicatin Fee is due fr each campus lcatin seeking Accreditatin r Reaccreditatin, as per the Fee Schedules set ut in the Accreditatin Prcess fr Paralegal Educatin Prgrams dcument. CONTACT INFORMATION If yu have any questins abut this prcess, please cntact the Licensing and Accreditatin department at paralegaleducatin@lsuc.n.ca. 10 An example f a Licensee equivalent is a Justice f the Peace r a member f the Immigratin Cnsultants f Canada Regulatry Cuncil (ICCRC) fr Field Placements in the area f immigratin. LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA 15