THE EDUCATION OF BC NOTARIES
How the MA-ALS Degree Underpins a Successful BC Notary Practice
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fter spending 20 years in the Notary profession as legal support staff for one of the biggest Notary firms in BC, I joined education Cohort 3 of the MA-ALS at SFU in September 2011. It had been 2 decades since I completed my Bachelor of Arts at UBC. It was exciting and terrifying to be re-entering the postsecondary setting—somewhat like studying to awaken a longforgotten language. Fast-forward 10 years: I am 8 years into running my very busy Notary practice that grows with each passing year. Many of my clients ask me how to become a BC Notary. They are surprised to learn that the BC Notary Education Program is 2 years of rigorous training consisting of a Master of Arts degree in Applied Legal Studies at SFU that runs concurrently with the BC Notary Practical Training Course delivered and administered by the BC Notary Society. Additionally, students must complete 105 hours of mandatory mentoring with an approved BC Notary and pass six very challenging statutory examinations.
Volume 30 Number 1 Spring 2021
Jackie Tait
…I have completed 6 years of postsecondary education… To anyone who says BC Notaries are not as educated as lawyers, I remind them I have completed 6 years of postsecondary education, including courses similar to those given in law school, some delivered by lawyers such as Tony Wilson, Todd McKendrick, George Cadman, QC, and Peter Ramsay, QC—experts in their fields with decades of knowledge and experience to share. BC Notaries are highly educated in their nonlitigious fields of practice and skillfully assist the public with a large majority of the province’s real estate conveyancing and estate planning needs. Topics covered include Canadian Law and the Canadian Legal System, Legal Research and Writing, Legal Philosophy, Contracts, Real Property, Personal Planning, and Selected Topics in Applied Legal Studies and Legal Practice. During my application process, I read the course curriculum descriptions with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Always a keen student, I find the opportunity to learn new things appealing but some of the content was intimidating. Legal Research? Legal Philosophy? The Scrivener | www.bcnotaryassociation.ca
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