E-Portfolio for Legal Professionals

Abstract

This study explores whether including an e-portfolio in the hiring process is effective in obtaining entry-level employment for legal assistants and/or paralegals ("non-lawyer legal professionals") by surveying perspectives from current legal professionals and MacEwan University students in the Paralegal Studies and Office Assistant - Legal Major programs where it was further factored into primary and secondary means. Primarily, the research study explored whether e-portfolio implementation within the hiring process would be effective for legal assistants and/or paralegals to gain entry-level employment in the legal industry. The study secondarily explored the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on this demographic of those entering the legal profession. We hypothesize that an e-portfolio will be received favourably by employers and students where the purpose will be to analyze an e-portfolio’s value for non-lawyer legal professionals, including MacEwan legal students, to showcase their skills for entry-level employment in an ever-evolving general AI landscape.

Faculty Mentor: Ashley Stasiewich