Legal support staff are integral to a successful law practice. LESA’s upcoming program, Law Office Fundamentals for Legal Support Staff, provides attendees with comprehensive learnings to become efficient and effective as support staff in any area of law. Our presenter, Ashley Stasiewich, has structured this program to explore foundational topics, including:
- What is the Alberta King’s Printer and why it is important
- Alberta Rules of Court and their importance in the drafting of legal documents and court processes
- Legal research databases such as CanLII, including how to find a case with a citation, how to read a case (not analyze) using the IRAC method, and how to help develop a memorandum on a chosen piece of case law
- Consideration of the Law Society of Alberta’s Rules and Code of Conduct in relation to legal support staff
- Best practices for efficient time management
- Communication and networking skills, including how to communicate with your lawyer(s), how to work with difficult personalities, and how to communicate with other legal professionals
In her role as Office Manager for Moreau Law, Ashley has become well-versed in the Law Society of Alberta’s Rules and Code of Conduct as it related to law office management. In addition to her (part-time) office manager role at Moreau Law, Ashley serves as a sessional instructor in the Paralegal Studies and Office Assistant programs at MacEwan University.
In this program, Ashley will bridge the gap between legal professional who received paralegal or legal assistant training from an accredited post-secondary institution and those who are working in the legal industry in a reception/administrative assistant role, who may not have the ability to obtain post-secondary education. For many, this education can be inaccessible due to financial barriers. For support staff who have not obtained post-secondary education in a legal assistant or paralegal studies program, this program will provide the foundational skills required to become competent in their roles and progress in their careers.
“The goal of this program is that attendees walk away with helpful resources to support them in their career.” Ashley Stasiewich
With a focus on collaboration to develop networking skills and sharing of resources, attendees can also expect to benefit from the opportunity to network with their peers. Comprehensive materials will provide greater insight into many of the topics discussed during the workshop, providing attendees with a reference guide to use in their day to day work.
“The content covered will not cover a single area of law but offer general knowledge in law office fundamentals with a focus on collaboration to develop networking skills and sharing of resources. We plan to use fictional scenarios for attendees to work through and create a space where we can share our challenges and new ideas.” Ashley Stasiewich
If you’re interested in growing in your role as support staff and expanding your network of peers, we invite you to join us on May 26.
To register for the in-person program in Edmonton, click here.
To register for the online livestream format, click here.
