You’ve decided that you want to pursue a career as a paralegal in Toronto; congratulations!
Now as you embark on your journey trying to get the right certification in Ontario, it’s also important to get up to speed with everything that’s happening in the industry.
Navigating the world of law can prove to be a difficult challenge, especially when you’re starting out. Things are changing all the time, and if you’re not on the pulse of it, new legal legislation can easily fall from under your radar.
Thankfully, there are a lot of resources online to keep everyone in the know. For those ready to dive into the world of law, we’ve listed some of the best paralegal blogs, outlets, and resources to follow. Not only will it help you in your pursuits to becoming a paralegal, but each page will become an important bookmark for you when you become a practicing one down the road.
Law Society of Ontario
For anyone studying or practicing law in the province, the Law Society of Ontario might be considered the holy grail, thanks to all the information and resources they provide to users.
In addition to being a wealth of knowledge and resources, they’re also a body that regulates and disciplines the over 50,000 legal workers (lawyers and paralegals) in the province to ensure they adhere to the Law Society Act and the Law Society’s rules and regulations. This helps ensure that legal professionals provide the best quality legal services to Ontarians.
On the site itself, they have an entire section dedicated to resources for paralegals, including Rules of Professional Conduct, bookkeeping guides, regulation resources and more. They also have a “news” tab for users to stay up-to-date with everything that’s happening in the industry.
While the site mostly caters to lawyers and paralegals, it also doubles up as a resource to the public who are looking for legal help as well. The Law Society prides itself on having the public interest at heart by providing resources to help them gain access to legal services.
Slaw
When it comes to staying up-to-date on all the happenings in the world of law, Slaw is a must-read online magazine that keeps legal professionals informed on the latest news, including changes to certain legal legislation. They provide dynamic content, including tips and think pieces, so their readers are equipped with the best industry practices and tools.
Slaw has contributors from all over Canada, including some from other parts of the world, who contribute their expertise on a diverse range of topics within the law. Because of this, readers can be confident they’re getting multiple perspectives on legal issues that matter to them.
Canadian Lawyer Magazine
Another must-read outlet amongst many legal circles is Canadian Lawyer Magazine. They provide the latest news, reports, and column pieces to give readers a sense of what’s happening in law across Canada. They also have a print edition that gets published about ten times a year, which includes additional profiles and insights on the industry. You’ll definitely be able to find copies of it at firms and paralegal offices you work at in the future.
Ontario Paralegal Association
The Ontario Paralegal Association (OPA) is the largest association of licensed paralegals in the country. Some of their members are amongst the most talented in the industry and pride themselves on trying to improve access to justice and legal services for Ontarians in need.
Besides keeping their users up-to-date on the latest news and industry trends, the OPA hosts monthly conferences to help inform their members of any industry changes and discuss tactics on how they can better represent their clients. Members within the group range from students to veteran legal pros.
Paralegal students in Toronto looking to get involved can pay a $25 membership which will give them access to the conference events and supplementary educational materials distributed by the OPA.
Canadian Association of Paralegals (CAP)
The Canadian Association of Paralegals (CAP), which also goes by the Canadian Association of Legal Assistants, works similarly to the OPA, except it includes members from all over the country.
Their focus is much broader, as they advocate for the interests of various workers in the law profession, including paralegals, legal assistants, law clerks, legal technicians and more.
Apart from their mission to promote the paralegal profession, they host events and seminars to encourage continuing education within the industry. They also supply educational materials to their members and have a job board on their site to help users on the job hunt find a position within their desired field.
The best part? Student memberships for CAP are absolutely free.
Bonus: Cestar College
Last but not least, our Cestar College blog! While it doesn’t solely cater to budding paralegals, if you’ve been following us, we’ve enjoyed sharing a lot of insights about the industry, including what a paralegal is, how it compares to being a lawyer, the educational requirements to become a practicing paralegal in Toronto, the job security within the industry and more.
Apart from the blog, Cestar College also offers one of the province’s most comprehensive programs to help students kickstart their paralegal careers. It even includes a 120-hour co-op placement to ensure all the students that graduate from the program have invaluable real-life work experience and are set up for success in the real world.
To learn more and get one step closer to your dream career, contact us today.