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Some of our paralegal graduates have gone on to law school.

I was sitting at work one day wondering what I could do to help me decide whether or not I was the right kind of person who could make it in law school. I had taken the LSAT a year earlier and just not sure if law was right for me. I started searching on the internet for any type of program or seminar that would help me figure out what I wanted or needed to do. During my search I came across many websites for paralegal programs. I had not considered or even thought of a paralegal program. So this really got me thinking. Maybe law school was not for me and being a paralegal was. I had worked in a law firm previously doing some paralegal work and really enjoyed it. I looked into all the programs around Houston and decided that the University of Houston program was the best one. I was in the weekend class and I knew it was going to be a lot of work since I was also working full time. After the first few weeks of class I was exhausted. I was putting in an average of 10 hours a week on the homework and studying for the tests. It was not until half way through that I realized I was putting in so many hours because I was really enjoying it. I found the material very interesting and loved the guest speakers. Several of them really made me want to be in their shoes.
A few weeks before the class was ending I received a letter in the mail from South Texas College of Law. They had accepted me and I was to start in January. This had taken me by surprise since I was so focused on the paralegal class. But by this time I knew I could make it in law school. If I could make it through Jac's class I thought I could make it through anything. Even though I knew I would be starting law school in January, I finished the paralegal class because at this point I knew all the information I was learning would only help build a solid foundation to help me survive.
Now that my first semester of law school is over I can honestly say everything I learned in the paralegal class I have used. I have even been able to use this information to answer the questions from the professors (and they were really impressed I knew the answer). I will not lie and say that law school is easy but by having the foundation from the paralegal program I feel I was able to stay above water and be successful. So for anyone interested or even thinking about law school, the paralegal program is a great way to help with your decisions.


Tracy Moore
Fall 2007 Graduate

I absolutely cannot believe that it's been a year and a half since I enrolled in Jac's paralegal class.  Nearly everything about my life has changed since then, and, most notably, I began attending law school part-time at U of H.  When I signed up for Jac's class, I really wasn't planning to use the program as a stepping stone to law school.  All I knew was I had an intense desire to change careers, but I didn't have time to go back to college to get another degree.  Earning a paralegal certificate was definitely the best possible choice for me because it not only allowed me to increase my income by changing careers, but it also piqued my interest in the law enough to convince me attend go to law school.  After I earned my paralegal certificate and began working as a contracts administrator in the legal department of a corporation, I was able to see what lawyers do on a day-to-day basis, and I liked what I saw so I decided to attend the law school at UH.  As an added advantage, the lawyers I work with have been liberal in giving advice and helping me avoid the pitfalls many first year students make.  I also firmly believe that, had I not changed careers, I would not have the extra time and money I need to allow me to attend school part time.  When I look back at the past year and a half, I am convinced that I would not have taken the steps necessary to become a lawyer had I not stumbled upon the UH Paralegal program.

I discovered another great advantage to the paralegal program when I began attending school.  In the program, I was able to get a brief overview of many different areas of law and the major first year classes. Now that I have some idea about how our court system works, how to draft documents, common motions made in court, rules of evidence, and much, much more, I feel I have an advantage in my classes.  I think the most helpful aspect of the program is Mock Trial, in which I was able to get an up-close look at the mechanics of some of the abstract things I'm learning about in law school today.  I now have a mental framework for many of the topics I study in school, and that allows me to retain the information I study more easily than I would otherwise.  Also, the experience I gained in the internship Jac arranged for me after I completed the program and in my subsequent work experience has also helped me immensely, so the benefits definitely didn't stop as soon as I'd earned my paralegal certificate.  

I am so grateful that I found the UH Paralegal Program, and I honestly think my life would be very different if I hadn't chosen to attend.  I would strongly recommend the program for anyone looking to either make a career change into an interesting and challenging field or toying with the idea of law school.

Elissa Bateman
Summer 2007 Graduate  

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The things you learn, and the people you meet, in the UH Paralegal Program will help you if you decide to go to law school later.

Paralegals -- the REAL Power of Attorney!