Updated January 2023

Everyone wants to find a career that is both professionally and personally rewarding. We all want to strike that perfect balance between financial stability and feeling inspired to go to work each day.

This is what motivates us to seek out training, find our "tribe," and apply for jobs that deliver a sense of meaning along with a steady paycheque.

If you're considering a paralegal career, you're probably aiming for that very same goal. As you flip through program brochures or talk to people you know in the legal field, you're thinking about whether this is truly your ideal path.

Updated November 2022

There are several key advantages to becoming a paralegal in Ontario right now. Ontario paralegals enjoy more autonomy and a broader scope of practice than their peers in other parts of Canada—and there is constant pressure to expand their role even further.

Updated October 2022

Paralegals in Ontario enjoy a broader scope of practice than their peers in other provinces.

They are allowed to represent clients in small claims court and before various administrative tribunals—and often set up private practices that specialize in certain areas of the law (such as landlord-tenant disputes, immigration services, and disability appeals).

In order to regulate the expanding paralegal profession, and maintain high standards of professional practice, the Law Society of Ontario requires all would-be paralegals to complete a rigorous licensing process.

What exactly does this process entail? Here are five facts students should know about preparing for and successfully earning a paralegal license.