�޻���ֱ��

Stories of Impact: �޻���ֱ�� University's College of Professional Studies

��

When Lauren Berry arrived on �޻���ֱ��’s campus to study as part of the Fall 2023 cohort of the Paralegal Professional Certificate Program, she brought a standard five-subject notebook for class. As the program continued through the semester, covering 15 topics over just a few months, Lauren’s notebook slowly filled with all the knowledge she absorbed day after day.

Now as she continues her path in the legal field, as a paralegal hopeful to attend law school and with aspirations to reach the top of the industry, her notebook is always nearby – a resource to remind her of the foundation of knowledge she’s built for a budding legal career.

After graduating from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in just three years, Lauren set her sights on a career in law. With the time and funds she’d allotted for a fourth year of college set aside, she looked into options that could serve as her first step down that path.

�޻���ֱ��’s Paralegal Professional Certificate Program emerged as the best option for her needs. In the program’s full-time day option, she could learn about a wide range of legal topics and be prepared to work as a paralegal in just a few short months. Best of all, �޻���ֱ�� offered pathways to finding that role in the job market.

“The alumni network at �޻���ֱ�� is massive and expansive,” she said. “Also the College of Professional Studies has a lot of systems in place for finding jobs and helping you set up times with recruiters. Sometimes employers would come into our classrooms to speak with us directly.”

While learning in those classrooms, Lauren was surrounded by both peers and instructors committed to the study of law.

“Don't even get me started on the professors and my instructors!” she said. ”I've never met a group of more talented, intelligent, well-versed and respected people.”

The program allows students to work with a wide array of legal teachers, thanks to its format. In teaching 15 courses over one semester, students meet and learn from a rotating group of experts in each legal field, whether they are attorneys, law professors, or themselves experienced paralegals.

“Beyond the life that they brought to the classroom, they were also really great for networking,” Lauren added. “I keep in touch with multiple professors that I had in the program.”

She also stressed the connection made between classmates.

“It was so fantastic to be in a program with other students that were very much like myself. I actually formed a really strong bond with my cohort of students. We made a group chat and we were always helping each other and coordinating,” she explained. “�޻���ֱ�� makes it very easy to build such a strong community as a base that you can use to propel yourself forward.”

��

As she exited the program, she began to look for a job working as a paralegal, with her notebook by her side.

“I brought this notebook to my interview, and upon seeing how thorough my note taking was, it definitely showed that I was driven to learn and continue learning, which I think is one of the most important parts of being in the field of law.”

She was hired as a paralegal, working with attorneys on personal injury cases. And, course, Lauren brought her notebook.

“I remember within my first few weeks, always referring to (my notebook),” she said. ”And even my other paralegal coworkers, who were quite seasoned and very well versed, were frankly impressed with how much knowledge I was able to pack into such a short period of time, and seeing how I was able to apply that knowledge.”

Her time at �޻���ֱ�� prepared her not just by delivering the necessary knowledge of the law, but by building the skills and the mindset needed to succeed.

“(In law), you're always having to learn. You're always having to change. You're always having to adapt. So having a program where I was learning, changing and adapting all the time and then being let loose into the law field, it felt like home.”

After working in that role for nearly a year, Lauren packed her notebook and decided to look towards the next step of her legal journey – the LSAT exam and law school. She took the LSAT in January and is eager to learn her results, with her eyes on a Fall 2026 start at the right law school for her needs. She believes her background in the paralegal program and working in a law firm will benefit her at that time.

“I feel like I'm going to have a very clear advantage over my peers who are maybe just coming from college or maybe have limited experience in the law,” she said.

She’ll continue to work as a paralegal in the lead up to law school, but her long-term goal is to one day be elected as a judge, a lofty goal that she feels is attainable. ‘I'm very prepared to walk down that path,” she stated.

Maybe someday as she dons a judge’s robe, Lauren Berry will rest her gavel next to her trusty five-subject notebook. Her time learning to be a paralegal at �޻���ֱ�� may just be the first step of many towards her legal dreams.

“It was the best choice. I'm very happy that I ended up choosing �޻���ֱ��.”