Week 3 Post 2

School-Related Reflection

From year 1, I have definitely become more confident in my work and what the law firm may deal with on a daily basis. By completing the five areas of law our program dealt with has made me comfortable if I ever come have to across any familiar work. The formatting of documents and even the role play of telephone calls has really helped me be prepared for what to expect. I believe by completing our program we are now "pre-professionals" by completing  documents and procedures that the workplace has to offer. Some elements that have helped me develop as an emerging legal assistant would be the work environment. By preparing documents and having a work area to complete files such as the classroom and available labs with the ability to remote into the legal software made it very similar and not much of a difference as it would be working in an office at a law firm. People skills are very important and essential in the workplace as every individual that works at the workplace represents the law firm. While speaking on the phone or to the client in person, maturity and people skills are a valuable asset to the law firm as the clients relies on the legal assistant for any information or details regarding the matter and expect professionalism while communicating.

There are definitely benefits to blogging during our three-week work placement. I believe by being able to keep in touch with other classmates and compare situations allows us to see how similar or even different some law offices may be. I also believe that blogging is essential as it allows us to keep a consistent journal of our journey at work placement. It shows not only yourself but others as well what you did a specific day or what you may have did at work placement that we have never encountered at school. By being able to reflect off of our blogs and see our struggles or accomplishments through our blogs it allows us really see how far we've come.

After completing the program, I was very nervous going into work placement. I was unsure about how prepared I was, but after the first few days I became confident as everything we did in class was similar to the work we have done in class. Although some of the documents we have not prepared in some class, such as Asset Purchase Agreements for Corporate Law, I became more comfortable after being able to see how one was done and feel prepared to do them for any future work.

I believe I have chosen the right career path as I am happy with the outcome of my program. After completing work placement, I was offered a job reflecting my overall work. I feel prepared, confident and comfortable in the work I do and enjoy the work environment. With respect to my approach to work assignments, I expect to have the task completed as soon as possible so I have time to work on other files that need to be dealt with. I believe that proofreading is very crucial and avoids any future conflicts. 

I cannot believe how far we have all come and can finally say we have successfully completed our program. I wish everyone the best of luck with their career and hope to see everyone at graduation. 

We did it ladies!

Week 3 Post 1

Communication is used at my work placement both orally and written. Depending on the lawyer, they may draft a document/agreement with markups and I would fix the errors or I would have the lawyer/legal assistants talk to me on how they wanted something done. We use Outlook on a daily basis for booking appointments, scheduling a meeting, emailing staff while they are out of the office, or emailing staff with client information they are working on. We use Outlook Email, Tasks, Reminder and Appointments. I have not encountered any problems, but if I did, I would ask the lawyer/legal assistant how the task is supposed to be done the correct way.

I use a To-Do List and notebook almost everyday to prioritize my work and meeting deadlines. I use sticky notes and templates to schedule my upcoming tasks and keeping them priority. I check off the task once it is completed so I can stay on track with my work. The Real Estate Clerk, Amy, told me she liked my idea of the To-Do Check List on the front of every file I am working on and she starting doing it as well. My notebook is for my own notes or any specific information I have received from the lawyer or legal assistant.

One of my weaknesses was becoming confident and comfortable with the work placement. Going into placement, I was very nervous as we had prepared for the "real world" for two years. I overcame this weakness by getting into the routine of my work and become familiar with the people of the firm. Watching how confident and friendly everyone at the firm was made it so easy to adapt and become comfortable in the environment. 

Some recommendations for refinements to the curriculum would be not spending so much time with Microsoft Office Suite as some law firms may not use it, and become more familiar with the specifics of the different areas of law so its not a surprise to anyone entering the workplace. For example, there is so much to Real Estate that I have learned in class but also at my work placement. Some of the software such as Teraview and Conveyancer also came to a surprise to me by my placement using the tab Teranet Connect, which we never used. I believe by being able to visually see and spend time at a law firm or even court visits can really give you the skills and experience of what this program is really about. I truly believe our trip to the court house was very essential to the curriculum as well as our three-week placement as it really allows students to become familiar of how the work environment is and what it may deal with. 

I will continue to learn and develop professionally as a legal assistant by continuing to keep organization and priority key. Asking never hurts, and it is always better than assuming any incorrect work. By keeping work consistent and accurate, it will allow me to become better and familiar with my work.

Week 2 Post 2

I can't believe we only have one more week of placement! Time is flying by fast! I am becoming more comfortable in the workplace as I am becoming familiar with my surroundings and routine. The lawyers and legal assistants have been very friendly from the start and kind enough to help me through any questions or concerns.

There is so much to law that it simply cannot all be covered in just two years. During placement, I got a chance to see how Teraview can connect to Conveyancer to make a more convenient way of transferring information as oppose to filling it all in. I also got to see how Commercial Corporate has so many different areas that we never got to learn in class. An example of this would be if a Shareholder dies then there are specific forms that need to be filled out and the shares would then need to be transferred. The Will would need to be located to find information regarding the individual. I had the opportunity to go through a file regarding a similar situation. The legal assistant was kind enough to guide me through the forms needed and how the shares would be transferred and to whom.

I am drawing skills that were learned on many of the classes offered in my program. In interpersonal communications we learned about how to handle meetings, the work environment, respect and how to deal with specific people in the workplace. I find it very useful to be prepared with simple yet knowledgeable tips to remind people to keep professionalism priority at all times. In office procedures we learned the importance on confidentiality, filing, itineraries, tables etc. and all are very useful for the workplace. Math and bookkeeping were also very useful when it comes to Real Estate, specifically Statement of Adjustments and Statement of Account. Math and bookkeeping are used throughout any legal transaction and is essential to have for a legal background.

I have had the opportunity to interact with a lot of clients everyday during my placement. In the mornings, I start at reception so I'm always on the telephone with clients or even in person when they come in for appointments. The clients are all very friendly and there hasn't been any issues. I have even had a client come in and recognize my voice from the telephone call and tell me I sound very friendly and nice on the phone. That made me more comfortable to answer/help clients as I got to have some positive feedback.

School-Related Reflection

At my placement I have the opportunity to use resources such as the internet (Google, AMO Municipalities, Law Society of Upper Canada, Ontario Law Statutes etc.), any of the legal software provided at the law firm that was mentioned whenever it may be needed, or even my precedents/Portfolios from school.

There are no specific resources that I have discovered on the internet, other than the ones mentioned above that we had already discovered in class. I have access to my bookmarks with all the useful URLs that were used in class from time-to-time.

The list of responsibilities that was submitted by myself before placement has been accurate up-to-date, other than a change in the schedule and not going over bookkeeping with Gail. She is very busy and only in the office a couple of times a week, so to make up for the days I would have been with her, I am now going to be with Anne, the Wills and Estates Legal Assistant. I have used all the software and completed all the tasks assigned to me and will update everyone if there are any different responsibilities that were exposed other than the ones listed.

Two of my strengths I use as an advantage at my placement are time-management skills and organization/attention to detail skills. Within fast-paced environment, I always prioritize time-management especially with tight deadlines in a law firm. I believe time-management skills will benefit at my placement and be an advantage by arriving everyday 30 minutes early. By arriving at placement early, it allows me to prepare myself for the upcoming day and tasks as well as having everything organized prior to my given task. When I arrive early, rather than late, it allows the people of the firm to be aware of how I keep time priority while also valuing their time. I also believe I am very flexible and well organized with strong attention to detail. By paying attention to every single detail and reviewing documents constantly, this reassures myself that I have successfully completed my task with no errors. This will also avoid any future mistakes that will come back and I will have to face/fix.

Week 2 Post 1

In the office, we use a lot of similar software we have used in our classes. We use Conveyancer, Teraview, Estate-a-Base and Will Builder. We also use Outlook for a more convenient way to communicate with others in the office or even leaving an email with a detailed messaged from clients when one of the lawyers or assistants are not in the office. Microsoft Word is also very useful in the office and i'm glad to know all the shortcuts and tools we learned in class. The equipment that is used everyday is of course, the printer, fax machine, scanner, photocopier, stapler and hole punch.

I am currently using Teraview and Conveyancer up-to-date from my placement, which is great as we are familiar with the software from class. I will be using Estate-a-Base during the third week of my placement and am glad to know my way around the software program as we gained experience from our Wills and Estates class. I have briefly been shown two new software's that I am not familiar with, which are, Oncorp and ESIlaw. I find both software's easy to adapt to because the legal assistants of the firm allowed me to get a better understanding of how the software works and they are very similar to FastCompany and PCLaw.

During the process of my placement I have been preparing documents for Corporate Law, Real Estate Law and Wills and Estates. For corporate, I had the opportunity to prepare 33 share certificates, articles of incorporation, corporate by-laws, Directors' and Shareholders' Resolutions, Form 1- Initial Return/Notice of change and work on documents in regards to files relating with death and estates. In Real Estate Law I prepared all the same documents regarding a purchase and sale file such as sale file opening sheet, verification of identity forms, transfer/charge, direction re title, consent to act re conflict, direction of funds, authorization for withdrawal (Form 9b), statutory declaration, transfer/deed, mortgage etc. In Wills and Estates I prepared envelopes for Wills and copy envelopes for clients, Powers of Attorney for both personal care and property, letters to clients and their accounts, and affidavit of executions. On Friday I had the opportunity to sit in as a witness for a wills signing with the clients and the lawyer.

I do not have any accounting responsibilities as there is an accountant/bookkeeper in the office named Gail who deals with all accounting duties. All bills are filed at Gail's office and she is responsible for expenses and work hours.

Everyday I am scheduled a specific task with different legal assistants depending on who I am working with that day. For example, if I am working Real Estate, I would be assigned to open/close files, or work on documents regarding a specific file. I have had the chance to sit down and review a file to gain a little knowledge about the background of the matter. I emailed clients and sent letters, fax and emails as well to the opposing solicitor. I also was assigned to drive to the bank and certify cheques on my own. 

Week 1 Post 2

The Office Environment:

My work hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. I am supervised by one of the Legal Assistants, depending one who I am working with that day. My work area is either Reception or a desk upstairs near Heidi (Corporate Law, Legal Assistant) and Amy (Real Estate, Legal Assistant). I have printers, staplers, hole punches, and papers clips all nearby and on my desk. I have sticky notes and pens for any upcoming reminders or notes. My daily routine is arriving at the law firm 15 minutes early to be able to set up my work area and organized and prioritize files or clients coming in for appointments. Work is initiated by mostly email and being dictated. I find both very helpful as I get to listen to my given task and/or be able to have a notification email pop up to grab my attention. This week I enjoyed being able to go to the bank near the firm and certify cheques. I was given the task on my second day and was eager to be able to visually see how they were certified as we always made them for assignments in class. I do not have my own voicemail greeting, but I do answer telephone calls at Reception. As I continued picking up phone calls throughout the day I became more comfortable and confident doing so.

Placement has been very exciting so far as i'm becoming more familiar and comfortable in the environment of the firm. On Wednesday, I mainly worked on Reception and Real Estate. Practicing a few roleplay situations in class has really helped out in the workplace and knowing exactly what to say and how to handle telephone calls. While working at Reception, clients would come in for their appointments and I would then allow the lawyer and/or legal assistant know that their client has arrived. While working the telephone and greeting clients I had also multi-tasked and worked on opening files. I opened files on Conveyancer and opened physical files with printed labels.

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to go to the Waterloo Courthouse with one of the Legal Assistants, Kate. One of the lawyers, Mr. Appleby, was kind enough to drive us there in order to pick up court documents. It was very interesting to be able to see how the process was, and knew my way around by Ms. Bradley giving us the opportunity to visit the courthouse for Civil Litigation class. After we had received the court documents, Mr. Appleby took us to a storage room where all extra files were filed in order to find 2 files regarding specific matters. I enjoyed being able to see how the process of going to court and finding files for the lawyers. 

School-related Reflection:

In the courses that did not require an exam and had portfolios, quizzes and tests to substitute, I find it made it easier for the workplace. By being able to create a portfolio, I am able to keep the precedents by my side if I stumble upon a similar situation or task in the workplace. The quizzes were also helpful in a way of being able to see my mistakes and learn from it. They were very useful by showing the correct answer and allowing myself to know what the answer is for the future. The bulletin board was also very helpful by allowing not only myself, but any classmate be able to look at precedents and how they are correctly formatted. Being able to visually see templates and documents in proper format is very important, and I am glad I know that by the opportunity of of answer keys on the bulletin board.

Week 1 Post 1

First Impressions:

At Amy, Appleby & Brennan there are several areas of law that are practiced. There is Contested Family Law, Commercial Corporate, Wills and Estates, Real Estate and Charities/Corporate- Not for Profit. There are no mission statements. The orientation up-to-date has been very exciting as the staff members are very welcoming. For my three-week placement I have each day set up with a new staff member, which I enjoy as I get to know each and everyone at the law firm. I was given one manual at reception and I find it very useful as it lays out each lawyer of the firm and what specific area of law they offer to clients. It also lays out which legal assistant is working under their specific lawyer so when a client calls it can make it easier to transfer the call to the correct person. The way we have learned formatting of documents in class is how my placement formats their documents. For example, for backsheets in Wills and Estates and Family law,  it is landscape, centered, with the date on the top of the page. I don't find much difference at the law firm from what I learned in my classes, therefore there are no surprises so far. My experience has been positive by the friendly environment i'm surrounded in and the comfortableness in the workplace.

On the first day of my placement, I started with General Office Procedures. I had met with Kate, one of the Legal Assistants at the law firm and she showed me around the firm and her daily routine. The people at the firm are very kind and welcoming. I was given a schedule prior to my placement which laid out what areas of law I would be going over throughout the duration of my three-week placement. I observed Kate's daily routine and how she prioritizes clients. The areas of law she mainly works on are Family Law and Wills and Estates. She was kind enough to show me how the lawyers of the firm prefer the layout of documents and how to file them afterward. I have to say, all the procedures we have learned in class are all being used in the process of my placement.

On Tuesday, I was scheduled to work on Corporate Law with Bonny, one of the Legal Assistants. She went over the Minute Book we worked on in class and how it differentiates from the Minute Books at their law firm. However, there were similarities, but it was very interesting when she showed me the old Minute Books their law firm kept from 1962, and how the Ministry signed it with a very unique seal and stamp. Bonny gave me very detailed and educational information on Commercial Corporate and how the law firm mainly deals with that side of Corporate Law. After lunch, I then sat down with Heidi, another Legal Assistant who works on Corporate Law. She looked over my Minute Book and was very pleased to see the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws were very similar to the ones she was working on that day. She had me sit at her desk and guided me through a legal software called Oncorp which is similar to Fast Company. From Oncorp, I was able to work on Corporate Profiles, Data Extracts and Articles of Amendment.

So far, I am enjoying my placement very much and the people are very friendly. Although it has only been three days, I am becoming more comfortable in the environment and my surroundings. I am eager to learn more at my placement and continue incorporating the skills and knowledge I have gained in the course of the program. I cannot wait to hear the journey of my other classmates, as I keep in touch with mine!

Interview and Currently

Yesterday on, Monday, March 6, 2017, I had an interview arranged with Amy, Appleby & Brennan in Waterloo. I had kept in contact with the legal assistant of the firm and sent a confirmation email prior to the interview. When I arrived at the firm I had met all the partners of the firm and they all asked me questions. The lawyers were very kind and all seemed pleased with the answers I had provided them. We further discussed what software we had used throughout the course of our program and of course, they are all familiar and use the same software at their law firm. They were happy to hear that all the documents we had become familiar with in our classes were the same ones their firm is dealing with. When it came down to questions, I had asked them "What qualities does your firm look for to allow a legal assistant in becoming successful?" They told me the exact same thing our professor tells us everyday in class, ACCURACY! It is always important to proofread and pay close attention to every detail. The lawyers then introduced me to one of the legal assistants currently working there, and she was nice enough to give me a tour of the firm and introduce me to the staff. 

Overall, the interview went great and I was offered a position at their law firm for my placement. I can't wait to begin and keep in touch with my journey !