Despite busy schedules, many San Diego attorneys take time out to teach in paralegal programs and they feel well-rewarded for their efforts.

Joseph Samo, a real estate attorney and paralegal teacher, and Julia Dunlap, Director of Legal education at UCSD Extension.

At the ABA-approved Paralegal Program at UCSD Extension, all but one of the 17 current instructors are practicing attorneys. One of the busiest is Erik Lund, who teaches 9 to 12 hours per week at Extension in addition to running his own general practice law firm. He says, “Teaching is refreshing and reminds me of the fundamentals behind the law and why I love the profession.”

In his classes, including Business and Corporate Law and Intellectual Property, Lund finds that he is exposed to new outlooks and interests. “Ultimately,” he says, “I learn from my students as much as they learn from me and that’s my objective.”

Joseph Samo, a real estate attorney, echoes this sentiment. Samo teaches about 10 hours a week and he finds that, although it’s sometimes challenging to balance teaching and a law practice, it is definitely worth the effort. “I just really enjoy it,” he says. “It’s important to have good lawyers and paralegals in the community and I want to contribute to their professional development.”

Julia Dunlap, Director of Legal Education at UCSD Extension, receives resumes nearly every week from attorneys interested in teaching in the Paralegal Program. Nearly all of these applicants express a desire to give back to their profession and help newcomers in the field but, beyond that, many are motivated to provide better quality instruction than they received. While the Socratic method is still favored by traditional law schools, many of today’s attorneys believe that teaching method is outdated. Dunlap says, “They want to do it better...that is, teach better than they were taught in law school. Why just question and intimidate when you can inform and educate?”

Of Dunlap’s students, about 10 percent go on to law school immediately after their paralegal training and, for many, it provides a competitive edge. One UCSD Extension alumnae, Christina Kapelczak, is working as a paralegal while she attends the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. She says the concepts and practices she learned gave her a useful foundation for law school and a readily marketable set of skills: “The real world experience that these instructors bring to the classroom is invaluable and the experience I acquired in Julia Dunlap’s Legal Research class on using a law library and conducting research is critical to my career today.”

Luciana Case, a certified paralegal at Butz Dunn Desantis & Bingham, agrees; she says, “In paralegal programs students learn not just what a subpoena is, but how to prepare one. That’s the fundamental difference. And because the majority of instructors are practicing attorneys, they possess all the hands-on experience.”

Indeed, because they are practicing attorneys, these instructors are well aware that the demand for paralegals is growing. Case explains that well-trained paralegals can give law firms a significant advantage; she says, “Paralegals can perform many tasks often assigned to newer attorneys, such as legal research and drafting simple motions.”

That’s why there will also continue to be opportunities for attorneys who truly have a passion for teaching. Dunlap says, “Teaching requires not only flexibility but a genuine commitment to education. For busy lawyers to take time out of their schedules during the day or come in at night for 3 to 4 hours shows true dedication to teaching and to the legal field.” It is no doubt that the success of UCSD Extension’s Paralegal Program is directly related to these devoted instructors.

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About UCSD Extension’s Paralegal Program

• Accelerated and part-time formats available — The Accelerated Program runs for 12 weeks, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — The Part-time Program can be completed in 1 to 2 years, with mostly evening classes • Several MCLE electives are offered, such as Immigration Law and Administrative Law • Career placement coordinators provide job anncouncements to students and alumni • 100% of students who took the CLA prep course in 2005 and 2006 passed the CLA exam (average national pass rate is 49%) • About 15% of students use the program as a preparation for law school

Community Perspectives on Paralegals

Once paralegals have completed their program, they are able to become an integral part of a law firm. The most fulfilling part of teaching in a paralegal program is watching the paralegals’ contributions to major cases, and knowing that the skills and capabilities that they have developed have been able to aid in their success. — Jennifer Severson Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP and UCSD Extension Instructor

Teaching gives me a chance to sharpen my own legal skills and share experiences I think would be helpful to those going into law. Ultimately, I learn from my students as much as they learn from me. — Erik Lund, J.D. Sole Practitioner and UCSD Extension Instructor

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For more information, contact Julia Dunlap, Director of Legal Education at UCSD Extension at (858) 882-8008 or jdunlap@ucsd.edu, or visit extension.ucsd.edu.