Who We Are
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1200+
Members The leading professional community for law clerks in Canada.
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50+
Years of Excellence Supporting law clerks since 1968.
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30+
Accredited Law Firms and Organizations Trusted by leading legal employers.
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100%
Committed to Law Clerks Supporting law clerks at every stage of their careers.
Committed to Education, Excellence & Professional Growth
The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario is 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.
The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario supports the highest professional standards by providing essential opportunities to innovate, share ideas and knowledge of best practices. Our distinguished network and specialized education programs are carefully designed to enrich expertise, enhance efficiency, advance the profession, and ultimately protect the interests of the legal team and the clients we serve.
The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario (“ILCO”) was incorporated in May 1968 following extensive correspondence and discussions with The Law Society of Upper Canada (“Law Society”).
ILCO is a self-governing organization representing “law clerks” who are legal paraprofessionals working under the supervision of lawyers. It is important to note that law clerks do not provide services directly to the public.
“Law Clerk” means 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, or duties of an administrative or managerial nature, and/or of specifically-delegated substantive legal work which requires a sufficient knowledge of legal concepts that in the absence of a law clerk the Lawyer would perform”.
The role of supervised law clerks in the practice of law is historically enshrined in English legal history. Barristers and Solicitors of the English bar have utilized the services of law clerks for over four centuries, by way of direct supervision in the provision of legal services. In Ontario, law clerks have been working alongside members of the Ontario bar since the turn of the nineteenth century.
The administration of ILCO is governed by its Charter and By-laws. All members of ILCO are bound by the Code of Ethics and must achieve the legal educational standards for each membership classification.
The Leading Organization for Ontario’s Law Clerks
A Proud History of Supporting Ontario’s Law Clerks
Since 1968, ILCO, the first Institute of its kind in North America, has:
- Enrolled and maintained a membership base in excess of 1,800 Law Clerks, annually, in Canada – primarily in Ontario and the Eastern Provinces.
- Arranged for the preparation of training courses at numerous community colleges, both public and private.
- Prepared Institute courses in specialized subjects with high academic standards comparable to the level of courses provided by law schools.
- Received inquiries and collaborated with representatives of most Law societies of Canada, many Bar Associations, numerous educational and governmental establishments, and other similar paralegal Institutes, all of whom have recognized ILCO as a forerunner in setting up training courses and regard ILCO as the governing body for Law Clerks in Ontario.
- Received official recognition for the Executive of the Ontario Branch of The Canadian Bar Association who, at its Council meeting in October 1975, passed a resolution recognizing ILCO as the only organization in Ontario representing Law Clerks.
- Attended and participated in seminars and panel discussions sponsored by various professional associations, including the Canadian and American Bar Associations to inform members of the profession of the role of a Law Clerk and the advantages to the profession in the employment of Law Clerks.
- Attended numerous community colleges to address students contemplating pursuing a career as Law Clerks. ILCO continues to support the development, advancement and recognition of the Law Clerks and the Law Clerk profession. It has seen unprecedented growth in the past years and continues to receive recognition as the preeminent organization for Law Clerks.