Court Clerk Training at Centennial College Gets You into Canada’s Courts

“It is a two-semester certificate program,” says Patty-Ann Sullivan of the Court Support Service undertaking at Centennial College where students obtain court clerk training and Municipal Court Training . “We have designed it on the recommendation of the Ministry of the Attorney General. This program will introduce students to the procedural rules [and is a place] where they will learn about family law and criminal law. We’ll also touch upon some court reporting and transcribing. The unique thing about this program is that it contains a practicum portion. We have an assimilated courtroom within Centennial College, so the students will actually be able to practice taking an oath and presenting before judges. In addition, there will be numerous trips to the various courtrooms and tribunals in order for these students to see first-hand exactly what their role will be within the courtroom setting. It’s perfect for an individual who is very confident, articulate, and who enjoys interacting and working with a number of different individuals. This program should result in jobs within the courtroom setting — either as Court Monitors or Court Clerks. In addition, these graduates will be able to work with all the administrative tribunals and will also be able to work for any official examiners’ offices.”

Patty-Ann does a fantastic job of describing the program but let’s take a closer look at some of the specifics. First and foremost, to apply, students must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Academic requirements include compulsory English 12 or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent. Applicants must demonstrate an acceptable level of English language proficiency in order to be considered for admission. Applicants whose first language is not English, and who have studied in an English language school system, for less than three full years may meet English proficiency requirements by providing satisfactory results an English Language Proficiency test.

Experienced Court Clerk Training faculty members who work within the court system provide students with the legal and practical hands-on learning through: small class sizes, newly upgraded computer labs, simulated courtroom setting, practical, career-oriented assignments and the out-of-classroom experiences that Patty-Ann mentioned. Specific course within the court clerk training include: Court Clerk Criminal, Ethics and Professional Conduct, Communications, Word Processing Applications and more. Lastly, the field experience offers students a look at how the field functions and a chance to network. “We look forward to the opportunity of working with the graduates of the Centennial College Court Support Services program,” says Ali Maqbool, A/Supervisor, Court Operations, Family & Small Claims Court, Ministry of the Attorney General

In order to graduate from the Court Support Services program, students are required to attain a minimum C grade average and an overall minimum GPA of 2.0 for graduation. Upon graduation, the role of the court clerk is multi-faceted and includes the implementation of courtroom procedures, in addition to working with judges, lawyers and other courtroom personnel.