FAQ

In Ontario, a Law Clerk is a person, qualified through education, training or work experience, who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity in a capacity or function which involves the performance, under the ultimate direction and guidance of a lawyer, of duties of an administrative or managerial nature, and/or of specifically-delegated substantive legal work, which requires sufficient knowledge of legal concepts that, in the absence of a law clerk, the lawyer would perform.

We are a professional association providing continuing education, fellowship and networking for its members. ILCO was incorporated in May 1968 for the purpose of providing an organized network for the promotion of unity, cooperation and mutual assistance among Law Clerks in Ontario. ILCO strives to advance and protect the status and interests of the profession. In addition, it is the mandate of ILCO to provide and promote general and legal education to its members for the purpose of increasing their knowledge, efficiency and professional ability.

The Law Society of Upper Canada established the name "Law Clerk" and permitted use of this title to members of ILCO in 1968.

ILCO provides the opportunity to network with colleagues and a forum for discussing areas of mutual interest in the legal field.

ILCO, in cooperation with members of the legal profession, offers courses aimed at educating Law Clerks, which are available at a number of community colleges throughout the province.

Continuing education is provided by means of seminars and workshops to inform the membership of developments in the law and professional development. These seminars and workshops are usually held in the evening or on the weekend and cover a wide range of topics.

A newsletter, The Law Clerks Review, is published 5 times a year, to keep members apprised of amendments to legislation, administrative changes, job opportunities and upcoming events sponsored by The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association, etc.

ILCO also hosts an annual conference for law clerks from across the province and country. This annual conference is a tremendous opportunity for law clerks to meet, network and continue educating themselves.

Members receive discounted fees for CLE seminars/workshops, fellowship courses and our Annual Conference. Members have free access to the BAR-eX website; free listing in the Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book and the Ontario Legal Directory; corporate or association rates with Comfort Suites City Centre Toronto, CAA, Costco, Budget Rent-a-Car and Truck, Bell Mobility; et, al.

ILCO offers a two (2) year program, held in cooperation with nineteen (19) community college campuses throughout the Province of Ontario. The courses are provided through the continuing education departments of the colleges and are a part of their part-time evening studies. The Associate level program consists of four (4) courses being litigation, corporate, real estate and estates law. The courses begin in September and continue through to late spring. There are no Associate level programs offered in the summer.

Our program is designed to enhance the education and skills of law clerks already in the profession, expand the knowledge of experienced legal secretaries, and provide the basic academic foundation needed for people with legal experience planning a career as a law clerk. A minimum of Grade 12 and two years of legal experience is recommended.

In order to be a full graduate of our program, you must successfully complete examinations in all four areas of law. The passing grade is 60% and a pass with honours is 80% or higher.

In order to register for any of the courses, contact the college directly. All relevant information will be provided by them. ILCO sets a final examination at the completion of each course.

At the end of each course, there is one final examination that is uniform across the province and is worth 100% of the final mark. The examinations are written at the college where you are taking the course.

You must register directly with ILCO to write the final examination. If you did not receive your Examination Registration Form in the front of the course syllabus, please contact ILCO's Education Coordinator. Please read the form carefully. The completed form together with a cheque or money order payable to The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario for the prescribed fees, or VISA credit card number/expiry date/signature, should be sent to the head office of ILCO. Your registration will not be processed unless the form is properly completed, signed and dated, and is accompanied by the appropriate fee.

While ILCO does not offer any correspondence courses per se, it is possible to self-study and write the scheduled examinations where, for example, an individual is unable to attend one of the college campuses offering our program. Please contact the Education Coordinator at ILCO for further information.

Our Associate Level Program is also available "online" through OntarioLearn.com, which is a consortium of 22 Ontario Community Colleges who have partnered to develop and deliver online courses to students through an accessible, flexible computerized learning environment. They currently offer more than 245 courses over the internet. Students will continue to register for the courses through their own community college. The online courses are delivered by use of a software package that is downloaded; it is a conferencing system that incorporates private e-mail, public discussion within the course, online chat capabilities and an organized structure that leaves the course material easy to find. For further information, you may wish to visit the OntarioLearn.com website at www.ontariolearn.com.

Our education program will provide you with the academic foundation to begin a career as a law clerk. Your academic training will need to be supplemented with job experience.

In addition to law firms, employment opportunities include the legal departments of local, provincial and federal governments, banks and trust companies, as well as commercial and industrial corporations.

Check your local newspaper for advertisements. Send out resumes and covering letters to lawyers, law firms, companies and government agencies.

Check out our Job Hotline on this web site