It is hard to avoid news and blog articles these days about for-profit colleges. For the most part, these businesses are written off by academics, politicians, and many students as scams created to take advantage of potential students. I have read that for-profit colleges encourage students to take on hefty student loans for useless degree/certificate programs, then abandon the debt-laden students in the real world with a degree of little to no value, hundreds of dollars a month in re-payment, no job placement, and no hope of finding an employer who will value the student's education.
I admittedly have a difficult time conjuring sympathy for many of the students who claim they have been duped (although I am sure some have been taken advantage of despite their due diligence). Personal responsibility still requires us to make the most educated decisions we can. Look at the story of Eric Schmitt, who claims that he took out $45,000 for an Associates and a Bachelors degree at Kaplan in paralegal studies before slowly learning that the employers in his area do not value the Kaplan degree. Obviously this stinks. But my own degree in English at a state school left me with the same amount in student loans. (I should point out that the amount I borrowed was only for my last two years at an out-of-state rate after transferring from a college where I already had a full scholarship. Lots o' monies? Yes. My own bad financial decision? Absolutely.)
And with a degree in such a broad area as English and no other specialized training, your choices are either to teach at a private school, get further education and certification to teach in a public school, write books/poetry while waiting tables, find a job in copy-editing, or go to graduate school to eventually become an English professor. No one told me this when I decided on my degree. The school I paid for happily took my student loan money, and they did not even offer to help me find a job when I graduated! Also, my first college, the one where I had the scholarship, did not provide job placement. And yet, why would I expect them to? By the time I graduated, I was an adult who could ostensibly go out into the world and find a way to make a living myself. My education and degree would help me, of course, but a degree does not a great employee make (not even a degree from a brick-and-mortar not-for-profit school).
Some students have also complained of the lack of accreditation by for-profit schools. This, too, is a matter of personal responsibility. In the age of Google, and particularly for individuals who intend to take fully online classes. a simple search will bring up an institution's accreditation. Some of the issues I have heard regard the fact that the for-profit college paralegal program is not ABA-accredited. First, the ABA does not accredit but rather approves paralegal programs. Second, the ABA will neither accredit nor approve online programs of study. If you want to be thorough and check for ABA-approval, you have to look at the school's accreditation page or ask them directly. If you only ask whether they are accredited, and they are, they will only tell you they are accredited. I cannot imagine a school volunteering to tell you that it is not ABA-approved. Since there are no minimum requirements for paralegals, ABA-approval only means as much as the student and his prospective employers think it means, anyway.
As an example, I have a B.A. in English and a non-ABA-approved paralegal certificate. Neither my current employer in Memphis, TN nor my previous employer in Alabama asked whether my program was ABA-approved. In interviews where I did not accept the job, not once was I asked whether my program was ABA-approved. Obviously, depending on your area, graduation from an ABA-approved program might be more or less valued by employers. Since the paralegal world has no minimum standards across-the-board, we have to check our specific areas ourselves. Even if you find yourself in a bind after graduating from a non-ABA-approved program, or a program that is not highly valued by employers in your area, there are still things you can do to make yourself more marketable.
For instance, get certified! There are so many possibilities for certification these days! While your A.A. or B.A. might not be from an ABA-approved program, designation as certified could be look as good or even better on a resume. In fact, in my personal experience, employers have been more interested in my certification than which school I attended or my GPA.
So to end my ramblings, please potential paralegals-to-be, take responsibility for your career from the beginning. Research and make educated decisions. While for-profit colleges are not for everyone, plenty of people who do the research and make careful decisions can find them to be helpful alternatives to traditional colleges.
About Me
- ParaMel
- Memphis, Tennessee, United States
- Small town paralegal in the city. Once ran a law office, now being run by one. Med mal defense litigation. I think it's growing on me.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Three Month Update
Once again it has been weeks and months since the last time I posted. Opportunities to write are so rare these days. Nevertheless, I'm sitting down on this cloudy Sunday morning to update the Internet on my life.
First, I was admitted to the MBA program at University of Memphis recently. It will be an online degree, giving me time to work full-time and maintain somewhat of an extracurricular life (I hope). I was completely undecided about which degree to pursue - an MBA or Communications - so I originally applied to both. Apparently the Graduate School here does not allow you to apply to two programs, so when I found out that my MBA application had not gone through, I realized that it was the degree I actually want. So here I sit today on the brink of a new learning adventure ripe with possibilities and knowledge.
The boyfriend and I moved out of our ritzy downtown apartment to a more sensible place in midtown. I never understood all the car decals and other signs I used to see that said "Midtown IS Memphis," but now I do. I thought downtown was edgier, truer to the gritty, grindy Memphis we've all heard about. But as it turns out, downtown is rich and pretty safe. Midtown has edginess. We have had something stolen from one of our vehicles and found someone digging in our trash, all within two weeks of moving in. And we live on a good street.
Even with all that, Memphis is infectious. It has personality. It has swagger. Memphis is strong and proud and undeniably blue collar. Down to earth. Possibly too down to earth. It is heart and soul and blues, even in 2011.
Which brings me to my next topic: the Memphis Grizzlies. We went in with some friends on season tickets this year and went to fifteen home games of the Grizzlies. Before this season I did not watch sports. Somewhere during the season I became a Grizzlies fan, then a basketball fan, and finally a Memphis-the-city-itself fan. It is amazing what a winning team in the national spotlight can do to a city.
Finally, I am still with the firm I moved here to work for. At times I have questioned whether I fit in there, with my insatiable desire for CLEs and substantive work. But the attorneys and staff I work with have kept me going. I have continued, and will continue, to softly and slowly push my way upstream because that it just who I am. I will tell anyone who will listen that I and the other paralegals can do substantive work. Because my worry is not that we are not given substantive work, but rather that some of the attorneys do not know that they could give us such work. I would rather my attorney know he could use me on a project and choose not to for his own reasons than not know I could be used and continue to work inefficiently for no reason.
Because when it comes down to it, I feel that the paralegal's truest purpose is efficiency. We are here to save attorneys time and clients money. Little by little, I see various attorneys at my office thinking in those terms. And I like it.
So this is my all-too-short recap of the last few months. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I expect there is more to come.
First, I was admitted to the MBA program at University of Memphis recently. It will be an online degree, giving me time to work full-time and maintain somewhat of an extracurricular life (I hope). I was completely undecided about which degree to pursue - an MBA or Communications - so I originally applied to both. Apparently the Graduate School here does not allow you to apply to two programs, so when I found out that my MBA application had not gone through, I realized that it was the degree I actually want. So here I sit today on the brink of a new learning adventure ripe with possibilities and knowledge.
The boyfriend and I moved out of our ritzy downtown apartment to a more sensible place in midtown. I never understood all the car decals and other signs I used to see that said "Midtown IS Memphis," but now I do. I thought downtown was edgier, truer to the gritty, grindy Memphis we've all heard about. But as it turns out, downtown is rich and pretty safe. Midtown has edginess. We have had something stolen from one of our vehicles and found someone digging in our trash, all within two weeks of moving in. And we live on a good street.
Even with all that, Memphis is infectious. It has personality. It has swagger. Memphis is strong and proud and undeniably blue collar. Down to earth. Possibly too down to earth. It is heart and soul and blues, even in 2011.
Which brings me to my next topic: the Memphis Grizzlies. We went in with some friends on season tickets this year and went to fifteen home games of the Grizzlies. Before this season I did not watch sports. Somewhere during the season I became a Grizzlies fan, then a basketball fan, and finally a Memphis-the-city-itself fan. It is amazing what a winning team in the national spotlight can do to a city.
Finally, I am still with the firm I moved here to work for. At times I have questioned whether I fit in there, with my insatiable desire for CLEs and substantive work. But the attorneys and staff I work with have kept me going. I have continued, and will continue, to softly and slowly push my way upstream because that it just who I am. I will tell anyone who will listen that I and the other paralegals can do substantive work. Because my worry is not that we are not given substantive work, but rather that some of the attorneys do not know that they could give us such work. I would rather my attorney know he could use me on a project and choose not to for his own reasons than not know I could be used and continue to work inefficiently for no reason.
Because when it comes down to it, I feel that the paralegal's truest purpose is efficiency. We are here to save attorneys time and clients money. Little by little, I see various attorneys at my office thinking in those terms. And I like it.
So this is my all-too-short recap of the last few months. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I expect there is more to come.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Sharia Law and Civil Law in the UK
Have you ever heard someone state that law is boring, technical, not a diverse career field? I have to admit that a few of my non-legal friends think so. I don't hold it against them. Listening to legal professionals talk about work life is about as much fun as holding your head under water for ninety seconds. At first it isn't so bad, then suddenly you find yourself struggling to breath. By the end of the conversation, you feel like you will either explode or pass out.
Still, not all law falls into a shade of grey. At least in the UK, solicitors are finding interesting niches in which to practice. For instance, Asian Image reports that trainee solicitor Farah Razaq and paralegal Sidra Ghani will be offering family law services in conjunction with Sharia law advice to clients.
Says Razaq,“The new service will focus upon divorce in accordance with Sharia Law. Any male or female Muslim who needs a divorce in accordance to Sharia law can come to us and we’re here to provide services for them."
Talk about niche practice. I know very little about UK demographics, but it seems that a relevant percentage of its residents practice Islam to one extent or another. I'm sure followers of Sharia law in the UK will welcome a firm that is willing to provide civil law services while remaining ever mindful of religious implications.
Still, not all law falls into a shade of grey. At least in the UK, solicitors are finding interesting niches in which to practice. For instance, Asian Image reports that trainee solicitor Farah Razaq and paralegal Sidra Ghani will be offering family law services in conjunction with Sharia law advice to clients.
Says Razaq,“The new service will focus upon divorce in accordance with Sharia Law. Any male or female Muslim who needs a divorce in accordance to Sharia law can come to us and we’re here to provide services for them."
Talk about niche practice. I know very little about UK demographics, but it seems that a relevant percentage of its residents practice Islam to one extent or another. I'm sure followers of Sharia law in the UK will welcome a firm that is willing to provide civil law services while remaining ever mindful of religious implications.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Paralegal... Still a Top Job
The ABA Journal online is reporting that the paralegal career is #13 in a list of 200 jobs by CareerCast.com. This ranking beats lawyers at #82 and judges at #53. CareerCast based their ratings on physical demands of the job, work environment, income, outlook and stress.
Even though my days are spent developing paper cuts from overexposure to file documents, and legally substantive work is scarce in my med mal defense firm, I have to agree with CareerCast's assessment, at least in its comparison of the paralegal career versus the lawyer career. The investment/benefits ratio seems pretty darn good for paralegals these days.
When I worked for the Boss back in Alabama, I loved to declare how being a paralegal encompassed all of the fun things about being a lawyer without all of the responsibility and stress. Of course, in a small law office, there was still a considerable amount of stress. I worried about file management, due dates, whether clients were paying, whether we were being efficient, etc. These days, the stress level is much lower, but there are noticeably fewer fun things to do.
Even so, a few associates toss me interesting and substantive work when they can, and unless I'm prepping a file for trial or running some emergency errand, I leave the office and my work worries behind me at 5 o'clock. As long as I meet my billable hours and perform my work competently, I fret not. I do not have to worry about meeting monetary goals to make bonus, when I work over 40 hours a week I am well-compensated, I have a great benefits package, paid time off, and decent co-workers.
Associates, on the other hand, do have to worry about monetary goals in order to meet bonus, constantly compete with each other on the road to partnership, spend countless hours over 40 working for no extra compensation, and must make work first in the list of adult priorities if for no other reason than to pay off massive student loans. Of course, the rewards are a much higher salary, flexible hours, and the ability to climb the ladder, become the boss, be the person other people work for. And for many if not most of them, the end is totally worth the means. To me, it all sounds great in theory. But when I see it in action on a day to day basis, I realize how much I enjoy the freedom of having a solid job I don't mind doing with enough time left over at the end of the day to maintain the kind of personal life I want.
I'm not sure why CareerCast listed judges so far down the list, though. I'm not so sure my job can compete with the hours, compensation, and other benefits of being a judge.
What do you think?
Even though my days are spent developing paper cuts from overexposure to file documents, and legally substantive work is scarce in my med mal defense firm, I have to agree with CareerCast's assessment, at least in its comparison of the paralegal career versus the lawyer career. The investment/benefits ratio seems pretty darn good for paralegals these days.
When I worked for the Boss back in Alabama, I loved to declare how being a paralegal encompassed all of the fun things about being a lawyer without all of the responsibility and stress. Of course, in a small law office, there was still a considerable amount of stress. I worried about file management, due dates, whether clients were paying, whether we were being efficient, etc. These days, the stress level is much lower, but there are noticeably fewer fun things to do.
Even so, a few associates toss me interesting and substantive work when they can, and unless I'm prepping a file for trial or running some emergency errand, I leave the office and my work worries behind me at 5 o'clock. As long as I meet my billable hours and perform my work competently, I fret not. I do not have to worry about meeting monetary goals to make bonus, when I work over 40 hours a week I am well-compensated, I have a great benefits package, paid time off, and decent co-workers.
Associates, on the other hand, do have to worry about monetary goals in order to meet bonus, constantly compete with each other on the road to partnership, spend countless hours over 40 working for no extra compensation, and must make work first in the list of adult priorities if for no other reason than to pay off massive student loans. Of course, the rewards are a much higher salary, flexible hours, and the ability to climb the ladder, become the boss, be the person other people work for. And for many if not most of them, the end is totally worth the means. To me, it all sounds great in theory. But when I see it in action on a day to day basis, I realize how much I enjoy the freedom of having a solid job I don't mind doing with enough time left over at the end of the day to maintain the kind of personal life I want.
I'm not sure why CareerCast listed judges so far down the list, though. I'm not so sure my job can compete with the hours, compensation, and other benefits of being a judge.
What do you think?
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Holiday Spirit
The holidays are upon us, and with that come all of the questions regarding office ettiquette for gift-giving, party-throwing, and the like.
When I worked with the Boss, I enjoyed giving a small token of holiday cheer. Because we only had two workers at our office, we did not have much of an office party. However, when the annual Christmas parade came through, he set up an open house with hot chocolate and cookies for parade-goers and his dad's chili in the kitchen for those special family and friends.
This year the rules are much different. I have twelve attorneys on my list, and I do not know many of them very well. We work in the same office, but there is not much opportunity to get to know them. I thought briefly about doing small gifts for all of them, but when I tallied it up, small gifts for all of them would still exceed my budget. I thought about doing something for the few of them that I know better than the others, but that did not seem wise either. I finally settled on nothing... at least not this year. I'll have to wait and feel out how the office handles the season before I feel comfortable putting myself out there in such a way.
Cakes, popcorn, gift buckets of goodies, I've seen my fair share of those this year. It appears that there is more to come. And those are just treats from clients and vendors. Almost every day one of the attorneys or staff will bring cookies or a spice cake for us to munch on during the day.
And then there are the parties. The staff had a "staff-only" ornament party last week complete with gifts and goodies. This was done during the work day and lasted about half an hour. The ornament exchange was fun, and the food was good, but I could not wait to get back to my desk to start billing. I suppose that is why it was a short party. Everyone had things to do, and the attorneys were waiting for us to do them.
The week before Christmas, the whole firm will have a party one afternoon. There should be plenty of food... the one thing I've learned at my firm is that we always have plenty of food. At some point, the attorneys will gather at a partner's house with clients and enjoy a party sans staff. I wonder if the staff has ever thought of doing the same at someone's house. But goodness, I would be all partied out by the time that happened.
I can't help but think that it must be a little off-putting, all this Christmas-y stuff, for my fellow office members who do not celebrate Christmas. Call it a holiday party all you want... when you have a tree and a Santa and you exchange gifts, you are celebrating traditional Christmas. At the same time, I believe whole-heartedly in the office party because, well, we've spent a whole year in the trenches together, and we should celebrate a little at the end of it all!
I've read posts and stories about the pros and cons of exchanging gifts at the office and of having parties, but I think every situation calls for its own unique approach.
When I worked with the Boss, I enjoyed giving a small token of holiday cheer. Because we only had two workers at our office, we did not have much of an office party. However, when the annual Christmas parade came through, he set up an open house with hot chocolate and cookies for parade-goers and his dad's chili in the kitchen for those special family and friends.
This year the rules are much different. I have twelve attorneys on my list, and I do not know many of them very well. We work in the same office, but there is not much opportunity to get to know them. I thought briefly about doing small gifts for all of them, but when I tallied it up, small gifts for all of them would still exceed my budget. I thought about doing something for the few of them that I know better than the others, but that did not seem wise either. I finally settled on nothing... at least not this year. I'll have to wait and feel out how the office handles the season before I feel comfortable putting myself out there in such a way.
Cakes, popcorn, gift buckets of goodies, I've seen my fair share of those this year. It appears that there is more to come. And those are just treats from clients and vendors. Almost every day one of the attorneys or staff will bring cookies or a spice cake for us to munch on during the day.
And then there are the parties. The staff had a "staff-only" ornament party last week complete with gifts and goodies. This was done during the work day and lasted about half an hour. The ornament exchange was fun, and the food was good, but I could not wait to get back to my desk to start billing. I suppose that is why it was a short party. Everyone had things to do, and the attorneys were waiting for us to do them.
The week before Christmas, the whole firm will have a party one afternoon. There should be plenty of food... the one thing I've learned at my firm is that we always have plenty of food. At some point, the attorneys will gather at a partner's house with clients and enjoy a party sans staff. I wonder if the staff has ever thought of doing the same at someone's house. But goodness, I would be all partied out by the time that happened.
I can't help but think that it must be a little off-putting, all this Christmas-y stuff, for my fellow office members who do not celebrate Christmas. Call it a holiday party all you want... when you have a tree and a Santa and you exchange gifts, you are celebrating traditional Christmas. At the same time, I believe whole-heartedly in the office party because, well, we've spent a whole year in the trenches together, and we should celebrate a little at the end of it all!
I've read posts and stories about the pros and cons of exchanging gifts at the office and of having parties, but I think every situation calls for its own unique approach.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The People at the Office
I have some of the best co-workers a gal could ask for. No matter what other ups and downs my job holds, it has provided me with fun, interesting, and experienced people who are always willing to help or advise me when I need it.
We all come from different backgrounds, but I am definitely the youngest and least experienced. I work with a paralegal who has been involved in the law since she graduated high school, an IT paralegal with a military background, a nurse paralegal, a former plaintiff's paralegal, and a paralegal who knows just about everything about the firm because she has been there longer than any of the rest of us.
When someone's workload gets too heavy we are usually able to count on each other for a little help. When I had the huge trial to prep a few months ago, my office neighbor was constantly reminding me that she was available if I needed her.
I ended up working on that case with my most experienced co-worker, (we'll call her A) so I followed her lead, took some pointers, and made it a point to be available when she needed me. By the end of the trial, we were teammates. I did not necessarily feel like a part of the entire legal team, but I felt like a part of A's team, and that was enough.
I also cannot fail to give a shout out to some of the great attorneys I work with who use their knowledge of the firm to give me helpful work advice and who try to give me interesting assignments when they are available. They seem to understand and empathize with my never-ending hunger for substantive work when I am surrounded by assignments to organize files.
I work with some great people. They keep my work environment interesting, and a few of them are becoming pretty neat friends.
We all come from different backgrounds, but I am definitely the youngest and least experienced. I work with a paralegal who has been involved in the law since she graduated high school, an IT paralegal with a military background, a nurse paralegal, a former plaintiff's paralegal, and a paralegal who knows just about everything about the firm because she has been there longer than any of the rest of us.
When someone's workload gets too heavy we are usually able to count on each other for a little help. When I had the huge trial to prep a few months ago, my office neighbor was constantly reminding me that she was available if I needed her.
I ended up working on that case with my most experienced co-worker, (we'll call her A) so I followed her lead, took some pointers, and made it a point to be available when she needed me. By the end of the trial, we were teammates. I did not necessarily feel like a part of the entire legal team, but I felt like a part of A's team, and that was enough.
I also cannot fail to give a shout out to some of the great attorneys I work with who use their knowledge of the firm to give me helpful work advice and who try to give me interesting assignments when they are available. They seem to understand and empathize with my never-ending hunger for substantive work when I am surrounded by assignments to organize files.
I work with some great people. They keep my work environment interesting, and a few of them are becoming pretty neat friends.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sometimes
Sometimes I get all legaled out. I work at a law firm. I live with a lawyer. I have several friends who are either lawyers or paralegals. I eat, sleep and breathe legal. Every. Single. Day.
Today, the boyfriend and I had a riveting discussion about our views regarding the federal government's authority to control the nutritional value of public school lunches. For most people, this would be b-o-r-i-n-g. And sometimes, when I hear myself, and the people around me, I feel like most people.
Don't get me wrong. I love my career, and I enjoy the law. It has been good to me so far. But every once in awhile, my life feels overwhelmed by law and legalese and lawyers.
Take, for instance, those times I walk into my office on Monday mornings to find it strewn with papers because someone was looking for something over the weekend and did not have time to put anything back in its place. Or I get stuck working overtime on Friday, the weekend I was supposed to go out of town. Those are the days that make me shake my fist at the sky, or turn my face red with frustration.
But most days... I love my career choice. The work itself - the paralegaling - fits me well. I hope this Monday is one of those days.
Today, the boyfriend and I had a riveting discussion about our views regarding the federal government's authority to control the nutritional value of public school lunches. For most people, this would be b-o-r-i-n-g. And sometimes, when I hear myself, and the people around me, I feel like most people.
Don't get me wrong. I love my career, and I enjoy the law. It has been good to me so far. But every once in awhile, my life feels overwhelmed by law and legalese and lawyers.
Take, for instance, those times I walk into my office on Monday mornings to find it strewn with papers because someone was looking for something over the weekend and did not have time to put anything back in its place. Or I get stuck working overtime on Friday, the weekend I was supposed to go out of town. Those are the days that make me shake my fist at the sky, or turn my face red with frustration.
But most days... I love my career choice. The work itself - the paralegaling - fits me well. I hope this Monday is one of those days.
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