Municipal Court Training Programs in Canada

  • Added:
    Jun 23, 2014
  • Article Views:
    1562
  • Word Count:
    495
Municipal Court Training Programs in Canada Photo by Jason White

The role of the court clerk is multifaceted and may include maintaining the records of a court, administering oaths to witnesses, implementing courtroom procedures, assisting lawyers and judges in research, drafting documents, corresponding with legal professionals, explaining rules and regulations and procedures to parties involved in a case, informing participants prior to legal proceedings, preparing court dockets and schedule hearings and communicating with the clients.

The exact job roles and responsibilities of a court clerk depend upon their employment. They may be employed with district courts, tribunals and boards, official examiners, municipal courts and The Ministry of Attorney General. In private sector, they may find employment with attorneys, law firms, and organizations providing any kind of court reporting or support services.

Becoming a Court Clerk in Canada

Most functions of a court clerk or a court monitor are related to legal procedures and practices. Therefore, the professionals are expected to have complete knowledge of the Canadian Law. With this, they must know how to prepare legal documents.

Apart from this, they are required to correspond with legal professionals, parties involved in cases and general public. Therefore, having excellent interpersonal and communication skills is a mandatory requirement to seek employment in this field. Understanding of ethics and professional conduct are other important prerequisites for becoming a court clerk in Canada.

Court Clerk Training

A program in court support services helps you gain the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience required to become a court monitor. The one-year course is specifically designed for individuals who wish to pursue careers in legal environment, without spending years studying law. This is a quickie credential that helps you get to the world of work in just one year.

The court clerk training program is short but intensive and covers all aspects of the legal environment. During the program, you will study about Current Issues in Canadian Law, Ethics and Professional Conduct, Court Clerk Criminal, Court Clerk Family, Communications and Word Processing Applications.

Exposure to Industry

Only theoretical understanding of court support services is not sufficient. Practical hands-on experience is an essential requirement to seek employment. Not all municipal court training courses incorporate industry field placements. Therefore, it's important to conduct a thorough research before applying for a program.

Centennial College's one-year diploma program in court support services provides you with legal and practical hands-on learning in a stimulated courtroom setting. You will attend hearings in family, criminal, small claims, tribunals, and municipal court settings. With this, practical, career-oriented assignments are also incorporated in the program.

The USP of this program is that it provides education and training that has been approved by the Ministry of the Attorney General. Moreover, the program is delivered by experience faculty with strong academic and professional backgrounds.

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for this course, you will need to submit:

- Secondary school diploma certificate or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older)
- English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent or else you will need to take English Skills Assessment for Admission given by the college

Author's Profile

The author of the article, discusses the roles and responsibilities of court clerks in the first part of the article. He also writes about how Centennial College's court clerk training program prepares students for careers in legal industry in just one industry.


Please Rate this Article
Poor Excellent