“My experience at Edison College Canada has been very rewarding. The Community Support Worker program, especially the Mental Health and Addiction specialization, has helped me build confidence and real-world skills to support vulnerable individuals in my community. I feel more prepared for my future career.”
Program Description
The Legal Assistant Diploma Program is an intensive, career-focused curriculum designed to transform students into indispensable professionals within the Canadian justice system. Whether your goal is to work in a high-paced law firm, a corporate legal department, or a judicial setting, this program provides the technical expertise and administrative precision required to succeed.
By blending a solid foundation of modern office skills with specialized legal training, students emerge ready to provide high-level support and effective information management.
A central pillar of the legal assistant course is the mastery of legal documentation and research. Students develop a sophisticated understanding of legal terminology and concepts across diverse areas of practice, including corporate and business law, criminal law, family law, civil litigation, and wills and estates.
Beyond research, this legal assistant program emphasizes the practicalities of litigation support and case management. This diploma is your gateway to a rewarding career, ensuring you have the confidence to navigate the complexities of the legal workforce.
Program Highlights
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Diverse Legal Specializations: Master essential principles of family, criminal, corporate, and residential real estate law. - ✔
Professional Legal Writing: Develop business communication skills to draft precise legal documents and official correspondence. - ✔
Ethical Office Management: Apply legal ethics and professional responsibility while managing modern law office procedures. - ✔
Financial and Administrative Literacy: Utilize accounting fundamentals to manage legal aid billing and client trust accounts. - ✔
Contractual and Tort Law: Analyze complex torts and contracts to support litigation and legal research processes.

Program Objectives
Upon completion of this program, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Demonstrate a solid understanding of key legal terms, principles, and concepts across various areas of law, including criminal law, family law, civil litigation, and business law through our comprehensive law assistant courses.
- Develop the ability to conduct legal research using primary and secondary sources, including statutes and case law, to analyze issues and communicate findings through clear, well-organized legal writing.
- Gain knowledge of the litigation process, including pleadings, discovery, motions, trial preparation, and post-trial activities, which are core components of our legal assistant classes.
- Develop skills to manage client interactions professionally, including intake and confidentiality, while learning to organize client files and legal records effectively to earn your legal administrative assistant certificate.
- Identify and differentiate between various types of laws—including criminal, administrative, family, corporate, and immigration law—and understand their applications within the legal system.
- Understand the ethical responsibilities and conduct expected of a professional, including managing conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring legal compliance.
- Learn how to draft and review various legal documents, including wills, contracts, pleadings, affidavits, and discovery requests, as part of the requirements for this legal assistant diploma.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the legal assistant diploma are prepared to work across the full spectrum of legal settings in Canada — from private law firms and government agencies to corporate legal departments and the courts. Career opportunities include:
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Legal Assistant - ✔
Legal Administrative Assistant - ✔
Legal Secretary - ✔
Commercial Law Legal Assistant - ✔
Corporate Finance Legal Assistant - ✔
Law / Judicial Clerk - ✔
Administrative Assistant — Judicial - ✔
Government Legal Department Assistant - ✔
Legal Department Advisor - ✔
Corporate Legal Assistant - ✔
Insurance Law Administrative Assistant - ✔
Real Estate Legal Assistant
Estimated Salary
Legal assistants usually earn from $39,000 to $86,778 annually, according to the Canadian Job Bank. The hourly wage of legal assistants in Canada is in the range of $18.75 to $41.72 per hour.
Legal assistants have some of the highest salaries in Alberta and British Columbia compared to other provinces and territories. Your salary will mainly depend on your experience and the company you work for.

Career Outlook
Canada’s legal sector employs thousands of trained legal administrative professionals who keep law firms, government departments, courts, and corporate legal teams operating efficiently.
The demand for diploma-trained legal assistants is consistent, stable, and found across every province — making this one of the most reliable career investments available at the diploma level.
Approximately 9,350 people currently work as legal administrative assistants in British Columbia, according to the Canadian Job Bank — a substantial workforce that generates consistent openings through both new positions and retirements.
Edison College offers this program both in-class at our Victoria campus and fully online — meaning students across Canada, from British Columbia and Manitoba to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, can develop the specialized legal knowledge and administrative skills needed to enter the Canadian legal workforce from wherever they are.
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Admission Requirements
- High school graduate or equivalent or mature student status (19 years or older prior to starting the program).
English language proficiency requirements:
- Minimum Grade 10 English plus a minimum of three years of full-time secondary education (Grades 8–12) completed in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages, or
- Provide verified results for one of the English language proficiency tests listed below. The test results must be dated no more than two years before the program start date.
- Overall minimum IELTS (Academic) score of 5.5, or
- Overall minimum TOEFL score of 46 (only TOEFL iBT is accepted), or
- Overall minimum CAEL score of 40, or
- Minimum CELPIP score of listening 6, reading 5, writing 5, and speaking 6, or
- Overall minimum Duolingo English Test (DET) score of 95.
The Accuplacer assessment may be accepted only if
- The applicant is 19 years or older at the start of the program and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who cannot access their educational records or provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education as outlined above.
- The applicant provides attestation that they have completed at least three years of full-time instruction in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages, and
- The applicant completes an Accuplacer English Assessment (Next Generation: reading, writing, and WritePlacer) and achieves the following minimum scores: reading of 230 and writing of 230. WritePlacer: 4.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Student Recommendations of Edison College
"Graduating from this program as a Mental Health and Addiction Community Support Worker has been a truly impactful experience. The education I received provided me with both the knowledge and practical skills needed to support individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges in a meaningful and compassionate way.
The instructors were supportive, knowledgeable, and brought real-world experience into the classroom, which made the learning feel relevant and applicable. I especially valued the focus on trauma-informed care, cultural awareness, and building genuine connections with clients.
This program helped me grow not only professionally but personally. I left feeling confident, prepared, and motivated to make a difference in my community. I’m grateful for the foundation it gave me and would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a career in mental health and addiction support
"
"I had a great experience completing my Therapeutic Recreation Activity Assistant program at Edison College. The course was practical, easy to follow, and really helped me feel prepared to work in the field. I would definitely recommend it to others."
"My experience at Edison College Canada has been very rewarding. The Community Support Worker program, especially the Mental Health and Addiction specialization, has helped me build confidence and real-world skills to support vulnerable individuals in my community. I feel more prepared for my future career."
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