Herzing Blog

Too often, people assume legal assistants just exist to schedule meetings and file papers. But this view misses the forest for the trees.

Legal assistants are not just support staff. They are strategic partners whose contributions directly impact efficiency, client satisfaction, and, ultimately, the bottom line. They provide the procedural expertise, communication finesse, and organizational mastery that allows the entire legal team to function at its peak.

In this post, we focus on the importance of legal assistants and the unique value they bring to law firms. Keep reading to find out why their work matters and how they shape the success of legal practices.

Back in 2015, Alisen Kotyk enrolled in the legal assistant program at Herzing College as a way to build a more secure and fulfilling future. She thrived in Herzing’s close-knit, supportive environment, and landed a legal assistant job at a boutique criminal firm shortly after graduating.

She loved the work and found meaning in it. But after a while, she felt driven to do more. So she went on to complete her BA and finish law school. Today, she’s a civil litigator at Myers LLP, a mid-size Winnipeg firm.

We spoke with Alisen recently to learn more about her inspiring journey and how Herzing set her up for success. Here are the highlights of that conversation.

Good news: You don’t need a law degree to build a rewarding career in law.

Legal assistant and immigration case manager are two in-demand roles that allow you to work in the legal industry without becoming a lawyer. These professionals play a vital role in law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies, handling tasks like document preparation, client communication, and case management.

In this post, we explore two prosperous jobs in the legal field that don’t require you to go to law school. We’ll cover what legal assistants and immigration case managers do, the skills they need to succeed, and the career growth opportunities they have.

Updated December 2024

When you think about career colleges, what sorts of programs come to mind? Many people instantly think of courses like health care aide, office administration, and computer networking. And while those certainly exist, the full range of course offerings is far more diverse than you might imagine.

Keep reading to learn about some unique career college programs that often go unnoticed but offer a specialized education leading to exciting career prospects.

Cheryl Michaud’s original plan was to become a teacher. But when she was partway through her education degree, a change in her personal circumstances made her realize she needed to get job-ready more quickly. So she enrolled in the legal assistant program at Herzing College.

That was back in 2004. Since then, she has supported lawyers in both small and midsize firms, worked as an executive assistant to a couple of chartered accountants, assisted a group of provincial court judges, and played a key role in the legal services department of city government.

Along the way, she kind of fell into office management, developing systems and processes to keep operations running smoothly. That eventually led her to management positions supervising other legal assistants. Today, as part of her position she’s in charge of hiring and training assistants for a firm that offers legal support in more than 20 different areas of law.

We interviewed Cheryl recently to learn more about her career journey and what advice she has for people considering this line of work. Read on for the highlights.

Updated December 2024

Legal assistants are highly skilled administrators who are an important part of the legal team.

In addition to maintaining files and scheduling appointments, they help prepare legal documents like statements of claim, petitions for divorce, wills, and transfers of land and mortgages. They may also assist a lawyer with case research.

In other words, they keep legal offices running smoothly. But it seems there aren’t enough of them to go around.

Considering a career in this field? Below, we explore the factors behind the growing demand for legal assistants and explain what you need to know about training, skills, earnings, and career opportunities.

It was her personal experience with immigrating to Canada that got Michelle Peralta interested in the field.

A nurse in her native Philippines, Michelle came to Canada as a caregiver in 2018. After going through the steps to get her work permit and become a permanent resident, and helping some of her loved ones through the same process, she decided to pursue formal training in immigration.

So she enrolled in Herzing’s online immigration case manager program—and landed a job in the field even before she graduated!

We spoke with Michelle to get her reflections on the training and learn more about her career journey. Here are the highlights of that conversation.

After years of working in healthcare, Jacylou Pallorina was ready for a change. Having come to Canada from the Philippines, immigration was a subject that was close to her heart. She just needed a training course that was flexible enough to fit around her work schedule.

Herzing College’s online immigration case manager program fit the bill. She completed the training in November 2022 and now works for a Toronto-based immigration consultant—the very same immigration consultant who supervised her internship.

We interviewed Jacylou to learn more about her experience in the program and get her advice for prospective students.

Herzing College has offered an accelerated immigration case manager diploma program for several years. It's designed to prepare students for a rewarding role in the legal field in just nine months.

Experienced immigration consultant Marilyn Taupan teaches the program and has been with Herzing since 2021. Her students consistently give her stellar reviews, and she was recently recognized as Herzing College Toronto’s instructor of the year!

We spoke with Marilyn to get her thoughts on the honour and her overall career journey.

Here’s how that conversation unfolded.

Updated December 2024

Are you considering a career in the immigration industry? Like the idea of helping with visa applications and the often complex process of settling in Canada?

You may be familiar with jobs like immigration lawyer and immigration consultant. People in those roles focus on providing advice and developing customized strategies for clients seeking to immigrate.

But what does an immigration case manager do? How do they fit into the immigration process? And what does it take to thrive in this role?