From legal assistant to law clerk: how to move up

Many law clerks started as legal assistants. The move usually means taking on more substantive work, such as drafting documents and managing files, and it comes with a meaningful raise. Here is how to plan it.

What changes in the job

The pay difference

In Job Bank's Ontario data, the median for legal administrative assistants is $26.44 an hour, compared with $33.00 for paralegals and law clerks, a difference of about $6.50 an hour, or roughly $13,500 a year full time (Job Bank, legal assistants; Job Bank, law clerks and paralegals). See our legal assistant and law clerk salary guides.

Three routes

1. Grow into it at your firm. Ask to take on drafting and file management in one practice area, under a clerk or lawyer who can review your work. Many firms promote from within.
2. Take a law clerk program. Ontario colleges offer law clerk diplomas, including part-time and online options that work around a full-time job.
3. Take targeted courses. Specialized courses in real estate, corporate, estates, or litigation can fill gaps without a full program. The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario also offers exams and courses for working clerks (ILCO).

Skills to build first

• Drafting from precedents, and knowing when a precedent does not fit.
• One practice area's procedure in depth, such as real estate closings or the civil litigation timeline.
• The software your target area uses: document management, e-filing, title search, or corporate records tools.
• Tracking deadlines and limitation periods reliably.

Showing the move on your resume

Employers hiring clerks want evidence of substantive work. Instead of listing duties, describe what you prepared and handled:

Before: Assisted lawyers with real estate files.

After: Prepared closing documents and statements of adjustments for about 15 residential purchases a month, under lawyer review.

Use your actual title, and describe expanded duties honestly rather than renaming the role. Our legal assistant resume skills guide has more examples, and the legal assistant resume page covers layout.

Talking to your firm

Before you look elsewhere, tell your manager or a lawyer you work with that you want to move into a clerk role. Ask what the firm looks for, which files you could start helping with, and whether it supports tuition for a law clerk program. A clear plan with a timeline makes it easier for them to say yes, and it gives you concrete experience to point to if you do apply elsewhere.

Should you go further to a paralegal licence?

If you enjoy advocacy and want to work independently, a paralegal licence is the next step. It requires an accredited program and the Law Society exam. See how to become a licensed paralegal.