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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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