Willis College
Law Clerk
Build Practical Legal Skills in 48 Weeks
Online (Remote Classes)
Program Length:
48 weeks
Program Hours:
1050
Credentials:
- ON Diploma
Study Options:
- Online
Start Dates
Online
February 8, 2027
March 29, 2027
May 17, 2027
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Build Practical Legal Skills in 48 Weeks
The Law Clerk program at Willis College provides comprehensive, career-focused training to prepare you for a professional role in the Canadian legal field. In less than a year, you’ll gain practical knowledge across key areas of law, including litigation, corporate and commercial law, real estate, family law, wills and estates, and criminal law.
You’ll develop the hands-on skills employers expect, from drafting legal documents and managing files to understanding court procedures and legal office operations. The program also builds essential workplace competencies, including business communication, client relations, and legal software proficiency.
Through a practicum placement, you’ll gain real-world experience in a legal or professional setting—helping you build confidence and apply your skills before graduating.
Designed for flexibility, this program allows you to balance your training with other commitments while working toward a stable, in-demand career. Whether you’re starting fresh or building on existing experience, you’ll graduate with the practical skills, industry knowledge, and Canadian workplace readiness needed to succeed as a Law Clerk.
What the Law Clerk Program Covers
The Law Clerk program features comprehensive training in essential topics such as:
- Legal research and writing
- Civil litigation
- Corporate law
- Real estate law
- Family law
- Legal software proficiency
Students in the Law Clerk program will also gain hands-on experience with legal documents and participate in mock trials, legal research projects, and other activities to build practical skills. Practical assignments can help students learn how to follow instructions, locate reliable legal information, prepare documents, track deadlines, protect confidential information, and communicate clearly with clients and members of a legal team.
Flexible Law Clerk Online Program in Ontario
Willis College offers a Law Clerk program delivered 100% online by experienced instructors who have worked in the legal field. The flexible format allows students to study remotely while receiving instructor-led training.
What Does a Law Clerk Do?
A law clerk supports lawyers and legal teams with substantive and procedural work. Duties can include legal research, drafting correspondence and court documents, organizing evidence, preparing corporate records, supporting real estate transactions, maintaining files, calculating deadlines, communicating with clients, and coordinating filings or service. The exact scope depends on the employer, area of law, experience level, and supervision provided.
In Ontario, the title law clerk is commonly used for trained legal support professionals who work with lawyers. It should not be confused with a judicial law clerk, who is usually a law graduate working directly with a judge, or with a licensed paralegal, who may provide specific legal services within the scope authorized by the Law Society of Ontario. Completing this law clerk program does not grant a paralegal or lawyer licence.
Where Can Law Clerks Work?
Although many law clerks work in private law firms, opportunities also exist with corporations, financial institutions, insurance companies, municipalities, government agencies, and organizations that manage legal documentation or regulatory compliance. Some law clerks build careers in a single area of law, while others develop experience across multiple practice areas throughout their careers.
$33.05
Average Wage/HR$52.19
High Wage/HRNational Occupation Classification (NOC) for this program: 4211/42200
Source: noc.esdc.gc.ca & www.jobbank.ca
Program Outline
Please click on the course title to see the course description.
Learners in this 60-hour course develop a strong foundation in Microsoft Word, with no prior computer experience required. The course covers how to create, edit, and format documents and multi-page reports before progressing to templates, themes, styles, and mail merge. Learners also explore advanced features, including workflow automation and the creation of advanced online forms.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have achieved a core level competency in the Microsoft Excel application. Topics include creating worksheets, formulas, functions, charts, formatting, analysis, templates, and working with multiple worksheets and workbooks.
This 12-hour course is designed to introduce key concepts about creating, modifying, and enhancing a presentation using PowerPoint. You will explore the PowerPoint environment and create a presentation. You will format text on slides to enhance clarity. To enhance the visual appeal, you will add graphical objects to a presentation and modify them. You will also add tables and charts to a presentation to present data in a structured form. You will then finalize a presentation and deliver it.
This course will help the student develop the proper communication skills necessary to function in a professional business setting. There will be a review of grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation as they apply to business communication. Students will complete various exercises with an emphasis on improving basic skills in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and apply them to writing assignments and tasks.
Our Career Management course will introduce students to and teach them how to apply the most effective strategies to achieve employment in the career of their choice. Topics that are covered; effective job search strategies, cover letter and strategic resume writing, interview preparation and effective interviewing skills.
This course is a virtual trip in the legal world, which allows the students to visualize working in a law office, combining the theoretical knowledge accompanied by the corresponding guidelines, forms, and precedents. As a part of a legal team, the future assistant can assist with projects seeking knowledge, finding solutions and ways to accomplish a task. To do so, this course takes a practical approach to different legal areas, including litigation, corporate estate and real estate documents, and continues with an introduction to family law.
This 20-hour course is designed to help you develop strategies that will make your writing clear, concise, and efficient. These in-depth writing techniques are a continuation of Business Communication-English Essentials. You will learn to express yourself more easily and with more confidence by applying the principles of good writing. Throughout the course, there will also be an emphasis on developing effective writing and editing techniques.
This subject has three areas of study: Presentation Skills, Facilitative Management and Interpersonal Communications. Students will learn how to create and deliver effective oral presentations. They will also be introduced to interpersonal problem-solving skills through effective listening and responding skills.
The Learner will gain a strong understanding of how to handle different personalities and situations that occur in a law firm. We will discuss how to employ a variety of interviewing skills to best address the situation. Understand the importance of confidentiality and ethical advocacy.
This course provides the Learner with the foundational knowledge required to be a successful Legal Assistant/Law Clerk in a Family Law practice. The Learner will learn all aspects of contested and uncontested divorce proceedings. All steps required to obtain a Certificate of Divorce. An overview of the types of contracts and agreements in Family Law. Preparation, filing and service of documents related to Family Law. Child custody, child support, spousal support and property issues, including the collection and production of financial disclosure and an overview of the Maintenance Enforcement Program. The Learner will gain knowledge of common-law relationships and adoptions. The Learner will understand the process of Mediation and Collaborative Law when dealing with Family Law issues.
In the Corporate and Commercial Law course, the learner will gain the knowledge required to successfully perform the law clerk/legal assistant responsibilities based on the instructions received from the corporate/commercial lawyers. This course structure provides the main corporate and commercial theoretical knowledge accompanied by the corresponding guidelines, forms and precedents. The guidelines provide students with an overview and outline of the content, as well as a practical set of steps. The students navigate through a variety of techniques and forms applicable in this legal field, allowing them to encounter daily challenges and obstacles.
Corporate and Commercial Law II provides students with experience in corporate and commercial legal concepts. This process will direct the student to a successful performance of their corporate/commercial law clerk/legal assistant responsibilities. The intention of this program is to ensure that the students can become knowledgeable law clerks/legal assistants. This program structure implements progressively complex corporate and commercial theoretical knowledge sustained by the corresponding guidelines. The students explore with each lesson more complex templates, examples, and forms on the companion websites. Additionally, all learning steps of this course provide students with an overview and outline of content and a practical set of forms for the most common type of corporate and commercial transactions. This journey through a variety of technics and forms gives the learner the necessary confidence level required to manage daily challenges and obstacles.
Civil Litigation I will introduce the Learner to the world of Litigation. The Learner will gain the ability to produce the required documents to litigate and defend an action. The Learner will also gain an understanding of the litigation process. This course will ensure that the legal assistant/law clerk will have the ability to assist the lawyer and client in the litigation process, including drafting, filing, and issuing legal documents. The legal assistant/law clerk will have the ability to see a file through from commencement to finalization.
The Civil Litigation II course introduces the Learner to Torts. The Legal Assistant/Law Clerk will understand the process and documents required in an undefended Court of King's Bench action. The Legal Assistant/Law Clerk will learn the processes and documents required in both a defended and undefended Small Claims Court action. The Learner will gain knowledge in the judgment recovery process.
This course focuses on residential real estate. The Learner will gain the confidence and knowledge to take command of a real estate file from start to finish. The learner will become well-versed in the preparation of documents, correspondence, and performance of various searches required in the representation of a purchaser of real property. The learner will also gain an understanding of mortgages and other types of encumbrances.
This course is a continuation to the Real Estate I course. The Learner will become knowledgeable in the documents, searches, and correspondence required in a residential sales transaction. Also covered will be condominium sales, new construction, and rural properties. A brief overview of different conveyancer software will be explored.
The Learner will be introduced to the procedures and laws regarding the drafting of a Will, Enduring Power of Attorney and Personal Directive. We will discover and be able to interpret different Will Clauses and become clear on the procedures to prove the validity of a Will. The Learner will understand the importance of Estate Planning and know and understand the documents required in the administration/probate of a Will/Estate.
This course is a continuation of Wills and Estates I. The Learner will continue learning the required steps and documents required in the administration/probate of a Will/Estate. The Learner will receive an overview of Estate Litigation.
The Learner will obtain a general knowledge of the basics of accounting concepts and cycles as they concern a law office. The Learner will become clear on the differences between trust accounts and general accounts.
The Learner will gain an introduction to the Legal Aid program available in their Province. They will be introduced to billing, timekeeping and disbursements. An introduction to PCLaw will be explored along with an overview of other types of software used in law firms.
The Learner will develop the skills necessary to assist with the documentation required to aid clients in various types of application and visas. They will gain an understanding of the different types of representatives that can be used to assist applicants when applying for residency programs.
The Learner will gain general knowledge in Employment law with respect to employment and labour laws and regulations both federally and provincially. Knowledge in the areas of health and safety, accessibility, different types of harassment and bullying in the workplace. Discussions will be had with respect to different forms of termination and leave of employment.
This course introduces the learner to Criminal Law in Canada. The learner will become familiar with the Canadian court system, policing, Legal Aid and various other agencies and people involved in the criminal processes/procedures. The learner will dive into the basic principles of criminal liability, analyze the elements of criminal offences, and identify possible defenses as well as be introduced to the idea of burden of proof. The learner will become familiar with the Criminal Code of Canada and the protections provided by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The trial process, sentencing, juries and appeals will be covered. Prepares the legal assistant/law clerk for their role in criminal defence matters.
This course is designed as a culmination of the program. Our Placement Department works with you to arrange a suitable placement with a corporation, or a public or non-profit organization which conducts typical Canadian business practices. In your Practicum term, you could perform, or job shadow or a combination of both, the skills and knowledge acquired in the courses within your program. While not all placements will allow for performance of all skills acquired the student should endeavor to observe and practice where possible.
Job Market
Successful graduates of this law clerk course may pursue entry-level and junior legal-support opportunities, including:
- Commercial Law Clerk
- Law Clerk
- Land Titles Examiner
- Legal Researcher
- Notary Public
- Real Estate Law Clerk
- Title Searcher
- Trademark Agent
Law clerks may work in law firms, corporate legal departments, real estate organizations, government offices, financial institutions, title or registry services, and other settings that manage legal documents or processes. Some positions focus on one practice area, while smaller workplaces may require broader administrative and legal support skills.
Salary Information
Average Wage ($/hr) – $33.05
High Wage ($/hr) – $52.19
National Occupation Classification (NOC) for this program: 4211/42200
Source: noc.esdc.gc.ca & www.jobbank.ca
Admissions Requirements
Academic Admission Requirements:
Canadian High School diploma or equivalent. Willis College’s Admissions Team uses the Wonderlic assessment tool.
For Mature Students
Applicants without a high school diploma may qualify under Mature Student Status by meeting the following criteria:
- Age: Must meet provincial minimums (18 in ON; 19 in the rest of Canada), verified via government photo ID.
- Assessment: Achieve minimum cut-off scores on the securely proctored Wonderlic test.
- Prerequisites: Satisfy all program-specific and language proficiency requirements.
For full details, see the Willis College Mature Student Admissions Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
A law clerk supports lawyers with research, document preparation, file organization, deadlines, client communication, filings, and procedural work. Duties vary by area of law and employer. Law clerks usually work under a lawyer’s direction and do not provide independent legal services unless they separately hold a licence that permits them to do so.
The Willis College law clerk program is listed at 48 weeks and 1,030 program hours. Successful completion leads to an Ontario diploma. Start and completion dates can change, so use the current intake information provided by Admissions.
The law clerk courses cover Microsoft Office applications, business communication, legal office procedures, client relations, family law, corporate and commercial law, civil litigation, real estate, wills and estates, law-office accounting, legal software, immigration law, employment topics, criminal law, career preparation, and a practicum.
The titles can overlap, and employers may use them differently. Law clerk roles often involve more substantive legal and procedural work within a particular area of law. In contrast, legal assistant roles may place greater emphasis on scheduling, correspondence, document formatting, and office administration. Students who want a shorter program can also compare the Willis College Legal Assistant program before deciding.
No. In Ontario, licensed paralegals are regulated by the Law Society of Ontario and may provide certain legal services within an authorized scope. A Law Clerk diploma does not grant a paralegal licence. Law clerks commonly support lawyers and legal teams rather than representing clients independently.
Yes. The course outline includes a practicum. The Placement Department works with students to arrange a suitable host, but the setting, duties, format, and opportunity to practise specific skills vary. Confirm practicum hours and completion requirements before enrolling.
Graduates may apply for entry-level or junior roles such as law clerk, commercial law clerk, real estate law clerk, legal researcher, title searcher, or related legal-support positions. Employers may require experience, knowledge of a specific area of law, software skills, bilingual ability, or other qualifications. Program completion does not guarantee employment.
This program is an excellent fit for:
- Aspiring legal professionals looking to start a career as a Law Clerk.
- Career changers seeking a stable, professional career in the legal field without committing to years of university.
- Detail-oriented individuals who enjoy organization, paperwork, and working with structured processes.
- Strong communicators interested in client interaction, professional writing, and working closely with legal teams.
- Someone who views this career as fulfilling on it's own or as a valuable stepping stone to a growing legal career.
- Motivated learners seeking fast entry who want practical, job-ready skills and real-world experience to enter the workforce quickly.
Why choose the Law Clerk program?
- Gain Comprehensive Legal Training: Explore a broad range of legal practice areas to prepare for diverse Law Clerk roles and workplace environments.
- Develop Specialized, Job-Ready Skills: Learn to manage files, conduct legal research, prepare documents, and support legal matters from beginning to completion.
- Complete Your Training in Under a Year: Prepare for a professional legal career through a focused 48-week online program.
- Gain Practical Workplace Experience: Build confidence and apply your training during a six-week practicum in a legal or professional setting.
- Prepare for a Variety of Career Paths: Pursue opportunities with law firms, corporations, government departments, financial institutions, insurance companies, and legal clinics.
- Train Online Without Putting Your Life on Hold: Develop professional legal skills through flexible online learning designed to fit around your existing responsibilities.
What You'll Learn
- Knowledge Across Key Areas of Law: Build practical knowledge in civil litigation, family law, corporate and commercial law, real estate, wills and estates, criminal law, and immigration law.
- Legal Document Preparation: Learn to draft, file, organize, and manage legal documents, correspondence, forms, and court materials accurately.
- Legal Research & Analysis: Develop the skills to find, interpret, cite, and apply Canadian legislation and case law to support legal matters.
- Legal File & Office Management: Understand legal workflows, court procedures, billing, trust and general accounts, Legal Aid, and law office software such as PCLaw.
- Client Relations & Professional Communication: Build the confidentiality, interviewing, writing, and interpersonal skills needed to work effectively with clients, lawyers, and legal teams.
- Real-World Legal Experience: Apply your knowledge during a six-week practicum placement and gain practical experience in a professional Canadian workplace.
Why You'll Love Willis College
- Industry-Aligned Programs: Career-ready curricula designed alongside top employers to ensure your skills match current market demands.
- Instructor-Led, Applied Learning: Hands-on training taught by industry experts who bring real-world knowledge, mentorship, and practical insight into the classroom.
- Flexible Learning Pathways: Tailored study options—in-person, online, or hybrid—that fit your lifestyle and meet you where you are.
- Personalized Small-Class Support: Dedicated guidance and encouragement in smaller group settings where you are a person, not a number.
- Accessible Funding Assistance: Direct support navigating student loans, grants, scholarships, and flexible payment plans to make your education attainable.
- Lifetime Career Services: Continuous job-search support and career counseling to help you transition smoothly from the classroom to the workforce.
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