Week 3 - Post 2

I feel like a completely different student finishing second year than I did when I finished first year. Probably because after first year, I barely knew anything legal because the first year of the program was so generalized. After finishing second year I have the confidence I need to be successful working in a law firm. It made going to interviews easier as well, because overall I just felt like I had so much more legal knowledge.   

I really enjoyed blogging through my placement. I loved reading about everyone else's experiences and how differently things are done at different law firms. If we were not blogging through out work placement, then I would have been wondering how everything was going for people. 

I was well prepared for the workplace. I mean, school is too short to be able to cover everything, but for the most part I am familiar with the jargon, paperwork, formatting etc. I am very happy with the education I was taught through the legal program.  

I have chosen the right career path for me. I love law and that is why I was so interested in taking this program. I came back to school as a mature student and was terrified that I would not be able to complete the program. But I did, and I did a good job. I am proud of myself. This is something I have wanted to accomplish in my life for a long time. 

I think I have set the bar high for myself when it comes to expectations in the workplace. I know that I always want to do things the right way and efficiently. 

Well, I can't believe that this will be my last blog post and that tomorrow is officially the end of the Office Administration - Legal program. It is a bitter sweet end. Going back to school and attending school for the last two years has been a wonderful and positive experience in my life. I am so happy and thankful that I had the opportunity to further my education. Thank you Mrs. Bradley for being such a supportive and understanding professor. Thank you to all my classmates that helped me out when I had questions! I will miss everyone and I hope we all try to stay in touch just a little through the Facebook group. 

See everyone at graduation! Cheers!!!  

Week 3 - Post 1

Hello All!

Happy Administrative Professional Day! Did any of your firms do anything special? We got cake and a bottle of wine. How nice is that??? Anyways, it is the final week of placement and I couldn't be more excited....because next week I can start getting paid $$$$$$$$$$$$. Yesterday I received a visit from a familiar face, Mrs. Bradley! It was nice to see her and catch up, made me sad because I do miss school and my friends :(

So, for oral and written communication that I use in my workplace is mostly emails, phone, and direct communication with lawyers and other staff. I have to send out emails daily to other solicitors and real estate brokers. In outlook I use features such as the calendar, the flagging option, and I have sub folders for each client. I will flag emails when they need my attention until I have the time to attend to that email. Once I have completed what it is I need to complete, I then will un-flag my email and drag it into one of my sub client folders.

I have been using a to-do list (the one we created in school), but I find that I feel like I don't have the time to write things into it. I seem to use a lot of sticky notes that I attach to files, or my computer to remind me of certain things that need to be done. One of my weaknesses was having to answer the phone. You never know what someone is going to ask you. I had to answer phones right from the get-go, so I had to become more comfortable. Now that I have been at SmithValeriote for just over 2 weeks, I am more confident in answering the phone and I am able to answer questions and if I don't know the answer I am able to find out or forward the call to the appropriate person.

I think the curriculum is pretty good. I think it covers everything it needs to cover given the short time-frame. I would say what I think would need to be improved upon would to have more time learning certain areas of law like Real Estate and Family Law. I think those two courses are very heavy with a lot of things that need to be taught. It does look however that the new program has 2 real estate classes. I think future students will find that helpful.

Week 2 - Post 2

1. What resources are you using at your placement? 

I have been using google, mainly Canada Post Website to look up postal codes and realtor information, and I have printed out my to-do list template to write things down I need to complete for the day, I am also using the docket sheet we prepared in class, since I have to docket my hours for the day. 

1. Have you discovered resources on the Internet that were/are useful to you, other than those introduced in class?  If so, please share the URLs.

Not as of yet.

1. Review the list of responsibilities submitted by you before your placement.  Indicate whether the list was accurate or whether you were exposed to different responsibilities or did fewer than were listed. 

I believe this list is pretty accurate. I am using PC Law, Conveyancer, and just filled out a form to get access to Interview. Which I had to provide a government issued document in order for me to get access to it. 

1. What do you consider two of your strengths?  How are you using them to your advantage at this placement?

My two strengths would be my organizational skills and my communication skills. Keeping organized in my role is crucial to ensure that I do not miss important requisition and closing dates. So, not only are all of the client files organized on my desk, I have also started to created an excel sheet with all the purchases and sales with the dates that I need to have them handed over to the clerks for. As for communication, right away when I have a look at a file and see what information I still need, I will get in contact (usually through email) with mostly the realtors to get more contact and other party solicitor information. 

Week 2 - Post 1

At SmithValeriote we use Microsoft Office 2007. I am familiar with this version because I use it at home on my laptop. I currently use Conveyancer and PC Law every day. I will be getting access to Teraview when I have to look up legal descriptions of properties.

I create initial letters for the purchasers or sellers and either email them if we have the clients email on file or send them through regular mail. All of the documents are prepared on Conveyancer. This makes it a lot easier. Yesterday, I actually drafted up a Agreement of Purchase and Sale for a client. I then sent it to the lawyer who looked it over before sending it to the client.

I am feeling somewhat comfortable. This week I am actually doing my entire job by myself after having 4 days of training last week. For the most part things are going well, however, I still have questions that I need to ask. People do not mind helping me out and the girl that trained me sits kitty-corner to my desk so she is right there. I just can't wait to know the job inside and out so that I can be more relaxed. I am finding that I am having to look through Condominium Agreements from builders when clients are buying new property. These are new to me and very lengthy, so it is taking time to get a feel for where all the information is in that big package. I think it would be good to see one for a sample in future real estate classes.

I definitely am not drawing any skills learned from interpersonal communication class. I felt that those skills taught in that class are learned better through life experience. The legal classes that have come in handy for my current position would be Real Estate, Wills and Estates, and Legal Office Applications. Also Word and Excel.

I have had to interact with clients on the phone, through email, and in person. Sometimes people will show up at the firm to talk about getting a lawyer for their purchase or sale of their property. I tell them what our fees are and tell them was documents are required of them. We also have a 10-day turnaround for closings, so learning the closing date of their property is crucial. I find it somewhat easy to interact with clients, but sometimes they think I am able to give legal advice and I will have to tell them that they need to speak with a lawyer.

Week 1 - Post 2

It's the end of the week already, and it completely flew by! I am so excited to have an extra-long weekend ahead. I have definitely gotten the feel of how to execute my daily routine. I believe the key to being successful and cause minimal stress in my position is to ensure that I am very organized!

When I get into work, the first thing I do is check to see if I have any voicemail's waiting. My voicemail was set up prior to me starting, so I think there is a standard greeting. Then I check my email. Not only do I have to check my inbox, I also have to check the fax inbox, which I set up in my email as well, through the settings. I go through all the real estate faxes and either flag them for myself to work on, or forward them to the clerk that is working on that file. I know that if it is an Agreement of Purchase and Sale that I am to open the file for that client.

I open my client files first in PC Law to assign the file a matter number. I then input all the information that I have. Many times, I do not have the seller or buyers contact information, so I then have to email the realtor to get that information. Once it's put in PC Law, I print labels for the folder. After that I go into Conveyancer and input information like parties names, sale price, pin, roll number, etc. After I have completed that, depending on the closing date, I will print off the initial letters and either fax them, email them or mail them. There are certain letters that I sign on behalf of the lawyer and some that the lawyer is required to sign. All the real estate files are organized by closing date on my desk until I have completed my part of the file, then I will hand them over to the clerk I have assigned the file to. Today was an exceptionally busy day, and I know after this long-weekend that Tuesday is going to be nuts!

School Related Reflection

I think that smaller quizzes and portfolios are what I preferred to do in the legal program. I felt that I learned the theory a lot better by simply having to create a portfolio and guideline then I did when I was stressing over studying. I also feel that in real life and at real jobs, if you don't know the answer to something then you can look it up and ask, so I feel for things in school that are worth a lot of marks it should be the same way. The bulletin board did come in handy sometimes. 

Week 1 - First Impressions

First off I would like to say that I miss everyone so much :( , however, the last two days have been pretty awesome. When I arrived at the firm on Monday morning, I was met by the office manager who went through my orientation with me. She gave me a manual that has all sorts of information in it like lawyers names and areas of law they practice, hourly rates, office protocol, employee login information, employee extensions and so on. I was then introduced to Bryanna, the girl who is training me on the Legal Assistant Real Estate position I have taken there. She gave me a tour of the office and I was introduced to everyone. I met A LOT of people. Everyone was super friendly and offered their help whenever I may need it.

This is a very big firm, they have about 30 lawyers and practice all areas of law such as litigation, real estate, wills and estates, criminal, employment, corporate, and even farm law. Their slogan is "Excellence in our Community".

All the documents I am creating are through Conveyancer. There is not a lot more formatting that happens, but what is cool is there is a short cut to attach the letterhead to the document. Just a little code plus "F3" and there it is! So simple and easy. I am basically preparing client files for the law clerks who will take over and complete the necessary tasks in Teraview. I open the files in PC Law and Conveyancer, and then once I am done that I assign the file to a clerk. I have been busy, but not to the point that it is overwhelming. Today we had a team meeting to go over everyone's workload. Most the clerks have an average of 70 client files assigned to them at the moment, and it will probably only get busier!

I am currently working from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. I am not really supervised, besides from the girl that is training me, it seems that you are expected to complete your tasks on your own. This is fine with me because I am a self-motivated person, so I don't require someone checking on me to make sure things are being done. My work area is very nice! I have my own cubicle, with a computer, chair and telephone. I gathered some supplies today that I need like file folders, stapler, note pad, pens etc. They also have a catalog that I am able to order things from like mouse pads, keyboard pads etc.  

What I have observed about this firm is that they take employee morale very seriously and put a lot of effort into making people feel appreciated and welcomed. When I arrived I was given a welcome package that consisted of a blanket, mints, chap stick, and a coffee mug. I thought that was so nice. They also offer free hot beverages, pop, and water in the lunch room for all employees. I also noticed they are doing some sort of Easter contest in the office in the next couple days to win a prize. I think that kind of thing is nice.

I have to say that what I am most surprised about is how prepared I was coming out of the Office Admin - Legal program and into this position. There were times in Real Estate class where I felt lost, but now that I am in the workplace I feel confident and understand what is going on. I remember speaking with a past graduate and she had told me that you know a lot more than you think you do. She was definitely right, that's exactly how I feel. 

Work Placement Update!

Hey all!!

Work placement is fast approaching! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. I just thought I would update everyone on my work placement situation. I have been applying to full-time jobs for the last little while, and I had gotten a call to go in for an interview at SmithValeriote LLP in Guelph. I had originally applied for a Personal Injury Legal Assistant position that they had available, but when I got to the interview they told me that I unfortunately did not have the experience for that role, but did have a couple other job openings that would be more suitable for me. The hiring manager explained both positions to me. One was in Family Law and the other in Real Estate. She then proceeded to interview me, asking me questions about my organizational skills, past job experience, and things about school. I thought the interview went very well. She then gave me the night to pick which department I would be most interested in. After much thought I chose Real Estate. I chose this area because I felt that maybe working in Family Law would become depressing. I ended up going back in for a second interview to meet with one of the clerks that works in the Real Estate department and after that they took my references and a few days later I got a call with the job offer!!

As part of my job offer they asked that, even though I already have a placement, I complete my placement with them. I told my current employer and job placement, Giffen, and they were very happy for me.

I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life, but I am still so nervous! Ahhhh...