Job Description
I am a paralegal for a medium-sized construction company.
The company focuses on projects valuing between $1 million and $100 million dollars in the ICI sector. ICI stands for industrial, commercial and institutional, so projects at places such as schools, facilities, food processing plants, heritage buildings, etc. When you think about construction, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the job site and workers building the building? What is sometimes forgotten, is the work and tasks that take place before a project begins and off-site throughout the course of the project.
My title is paralegal but I am responsible for several task related to the construction of our project. From the request to submit an tender bid (or an application to build the project) to sometimes years after the project is completed, I am consulted to give my opinion on various situations that arise. I am responsible for reviewing and assessing the risks on the project from inception all the way to the end, as well as on anything that comes up years later. I review the project documents to highlight unusual requests from owners that may costs us money or extra time on the project. I review contract terms and assist with negotiations over terms that are not fair or could lead to a dispute later on. I am responsible for setting up and purchasing bonding and insurance for the project, as well as assisting with any related claims that arise throughout the course of the project. I ensure that the company is compliant with legislative changes and review all policies and procedures. I conduct investigations and provide guidance on next steps for on contract claims, issues, insurance claims, health and safety issues, and various other items that come out of the wood work along the way.
Put more simply. I look at the project on a different level than my colleagues. While they focus on how to build a project from a constructability and budget stand point, I analyze it from a liability, contractual and legal stand point. Together, we have delivered some amazing projects to our clients.
I am a firm believer of putting everything on the table at the beginning to avoid conflict; open and honest communication throughout the project; and, focusing on a realistic and practical evaluation of a project to ensure that a project is delivered according to the plans, budget and schedule.
Construction is exciting! Every project is different and filled with new challenges. It is also fun to drive around the region and Ontario to see the different projects I helped work on and point them out to family and friends. It connects you to the communities you live in, work in and travel to by having a sense of contribution to the betterment of those cities, towns and communities.
Relevant School Subjects
- Business
- Guidance and Career Education
- Social Sciences and Humanities
Areas of Expertise
- Admin/Business
- Building/Construction
- Legal
Career Story
I knew from a young age that I had a passion for the law. I worked hard and was accepted to the International Baccalaureate program at Cameron Heights in Kitchener as I believe this would assist me in my journey to law school.
Honestly, I did okay in the program but the math and science heavy curriculum was challenging and brought my grades down a bit lower than my over-achieving personality would have liked and I graduated with partial IB status. As a result, I didn't get into the Universities or programs I was hoping for.
This ended up being a blessing, as it led me to accept an offer to Wilfrid Laurier's Business Communications program at its Brantford Campus. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Laurier's Brantford Campus was also the home of their Criminology program and before I even started, I was researching and figuring out how I could set myself up to switch majors.
Ultimately, I graduated from Laurier with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in criminology and minoring in law and society. After completing university, my head was filled with potential careers (lawyer, probation/parole officer, getting my masters in criminology, social work, etc.). I wrote the LSATs -- twice. Applied to law school and didn't get in.
Outside of the school context, my now husband and I started having very real conversations about our future. His dream was to take over his family farm, which isn't a small venture and very time consuming. This is how/why I decided to applied to Sheridan College to complete my paralegal degree.
Paralegals are legal professionals that work in a limited scope of the legal profession. I excelled at Sheridan and wrote my law society exams to become fully licensed. Again, my head was filled with so many possibilities of where I was going to go with my career.
My first "career position" was with a private investigation company that focused on insurance claim investigations. This was my first interaction with insurance agencies and I found it very interesting. The position allowed me to make connections in the industry which led to two law clerk positions with law firms in their insurance defence practices. I really loved my job and the insurance industry.
However, when I was on maternity leave with my first child, an offer to develop a legal and risk management department at a local construction company fell into my lap. My dad was the owner of the company and a forward thinking individual in the construction industry. He recognized that construction contracts were becoming more complex with additional terms that were longer than the base contract itself. The risks were increasing and the number of skilled individuals were rapidly decreasing. I have always loved a challenge, but will admit that I never really thought I would ever work in construction. I took a leap of faith and accepted the position.
I have been with the company for four years now, and I love it. Construction is such a diverse and exciting industry but also one with a lot of risk.
I have recognized that even with my education and experience, full career development is required to properly assist my team. So, I am going to be a Laurier student again this fall to complete my Canadian Risk Management designation through their professional development program. I am a firm believer that you can always keep learning and there are so many options out there to assist with this.