University of Virginia Library

Law In Three Easy Months

graduate, two types of courses.
There are a number of
specialists courses, each dealing
with one specific area of law,
(estates and trusts, real estate,
litigation, employee benefit
plans, or corporate law). These
courses last three months.
Students pick a particular
specialty, and take the training
program. Students completing
the training program are
guaranteed job offerings in
their specialty, in the city of
their choice, or the Institute
refunds tuition fees.

The alternative to this
course offering is a General
Practice course, a four month
program, which costs $1,000.
The name is self explanatory,
and while the Institute has no
tuition refund guarantee for
graduates of this course, they
do promise to "either obtain a
job for you with a law firm, or
assist you in obtaining your
own job." Starting salaries for
paralegal professionals range
from $8,000 to $9,000,
approximately $1,000 to
$2,000 less than those of law
school graduates.

"The accent of this
program," says Mr. Strand, is
on "people who just don't want
to spend the time and money
on three years of Law School.
Some people want to get out
and work in law right away.
Before this Lawyer's Assistant
training, the only way they
could do this would be to
become a policeman, do social
work, probation work, etc.
There were only four or five
alternatives to law school."

There are other potential
benefits to this
para-professional career, for
one need not remain a lawyer's
assistant for life. Mr. Strand
pointed out that "the firm who
has an individual that begins to
work for them that is really
sharp, might make
arrangements for that
individual to attend night
school, or take a few years off
to complete law school, and
return as a full associate.

There is also the idea of
paralegal training being used by
students rejected, or unsure of
their potential for, Law
School. "What it will do, if an
individual wants to go out to
work before law school,"
continued Mr. Strand, "is to
indicate that his interest in law
in continuing. This is especially
important for a person whose
average in college was just
below or near a 3.0, who wants
to go to a Law school like
Virginia. He can take a year
off, re-take his boards, and
spend a few months attending
the Paralegal Institute The
training is aimed at a career,
but it certainly could be used
as a way-station for students
who want to enter Law
School."

A representative of the
admissions department of
The Institute will conduct
interviews at the University.
Interested fourth-year students
and graduates may see Ms.
Carol J. Brown between 10
a.m. and 4 p.m. on Feb. 21.
Interviews are to be scheduled
in advance with the Office of
Career Planning and Placement,
in Minor Hall.

A profile of Institute
admissions indicates that
admission is rather selective, in
fact in most cases they require
a "B" average or better
throughout four years of
college. If a law career is in
your heart, and not in your
record, this may be a
worthwhile program to look
into.