Course

Legal Office Procedures – Introduction and Corporate Law

Faculty
Commerce & Business Administration
Department
Office Administration
Course Code
OADM 1218
Credits
3.00
Semester Length
15 Weeks
Max Class Size
30
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Typically Offered
Fall
Winter

Overview

Course Description
This course introduces students to the skills and attributes required of and the duties performed by a legal administrative assistant in British Columbia. Students are given an overview of the Canadian and British Columbia legal systems and of referencing the sources of law. Students develop skill in preparing general legal correspondence and documents, in using general legal terminology, and in handling financial and client records. Specialized terminology, procedures, and documentation related to proprietorships, partnerships, and non-reporting companies are covered.
Course Content
  1. Roles, Professional Behaviours, and Duties of Legal Administrative Assistants.
    • Know and apply the specialized skills, knowledge, and character attributes required.
    • Identify and complete general and corporate records office tasks under supervision.
    • Practice discreet and ethical behaviours.
    • Appreciate the expertise, roles, and duties of the members of the legal team within which the legal secretary works.
  2. Legal Terminology.
    • Pronounce, spell, and define.
  3. Legal Correspondence and Documents.
    • Understand content and keyboard letters, memoranda, accounts, and general and corporate legal documents.
    • Proofread and edit legal correspondence and general legal documents.
  4. Legal Systems.
    • Understand Canada’s and British Columbia’s systems of justice.
    • Understand citing sources of law and keyboard citations.
  5. Legal Records.
    • Open, maintain, and close client files.
    • Understand and use tickler/bring forward systems.
    • Understand general and trust accounts.
    • Understand time sheets, receipts, and disbursements.
    • Calculate fees and disbursements and prepare client accounts.
  6. Corporate Law Procedures.
    • Understand proprietorships and partnerships and handle their formation and dissolution.
    • Understand non-reporting corporations and handle incorporation, post-incorporation, annual, mid-year, dissolution, and Minute Book procedures.
  7. Legal Transcription.
    • Transcribe using transcription software.
Learning Activities

The emphasis throughout this course will be on active learning.  Learning activities will simulate the procedures and tasks carried on in a legal office.  Both learning activities and evaluations will be structured to stress problem solving, accuracy, and working within time constraints.  The instructor will use short lectures, learning assignments, cases, and modeling to introduce new procedures and formats.

Means of Assessment
Legal Office Procedure Assignments/Simulations  20% – 30%
Midterm Examination 25% - 30%
Corporate Assignments/Simulations  20% – 25%
Final Examination 25% – 30%
Total      100%

Corporate Assignments worth up to 20% may be assigned and due in the last 14 days of class.  Some class time is provided to work on any assignments due in the last 14 days of class.

THERE ARE NO ORAL PRESENTATIONS IN THIS COURSE.

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.

Learning Outcomes

The learner has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

  1. transcribe using transcription software;
  2. use legal terminology appropriately;
  3. keyboard within given time limits and in correct format from instructions and/or rough draft correspondence, general legal documents, and company law documents;
  4. proofread and edit legal correspondence and documents;
  5. describe and understand the legal systems in British Columbia and Canada;
  6. describe and apply procedures and tools used in keeping legal records;
  7. describe and differentiate between types of business ownership; and
  8. follow current non-reporting corporate law procedures, guidelines, and statutes.
Textbook Materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students

Introduction to Legal Office Procedures Manual. Latest ed.  Douglas College or other legal office procedures textbook as approved by the department.

Corporate Law Manual. Latest ed.  Douglas College or other corporate textbook as approved by the department.

Course packs as determined by the instructor.

Requisites

Prerequisites

No prerequisite courses.

Corequisites

OADM 1246

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer Details for OADM 1218
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

Winter 2025