The 15-credit, 1-year-old Legal Studies Program at BYU–Hawaii gives opportunities for recent graduates to continue education in law school, accept needed paralegal and government jobs and internships working with senators. This certificate was created to help both U.S. and international students find work and prepare for law school in their respective countries.
Rick Plehn, a 2013 BYUH graduate, was a student leader who helped create the Legal Studies Certificate. “The legal studies classes at BYU–Hawaii really helped me prepare for my first job as a paralegal,” he said.
Describing his work as a paralegal, Plehn said he had to know the mechanics of lawsuits and legal proceedings. “Law firms do not want to spend the time or resources in teaching you the law above training you for your immediate job duties.”
Plehn said learning the legal process can feel like learning a new language and added, “It can feel overwhelming, but having my legal studies training at BYUH and preparation from my legal studies coursework helped me learn quickly and do my job efficiently.”
Plehn is in his second year at BYU Law School and attributes his success to his time at BYUH. “When I started law school, I came knowing how to break down legal cases and identify critical facts, questions of law, legal reasoning and holdings, having already learned how to write case brief summaries.”
He said the certificate helped him understand, interpret and how to administer the law. “Once I got into my first legal internship at a law office, I already felt comfortable writing professional office memos because of the courses and training I received from professors at BYUH. … Where many law students are completely starting from scratch, even just figuring out what a ‘plaintiff’ is, I felt my legal preparation allowed me to hit the ground running for a career in the law.”
BYU’s Law School is the 34th ranked law school in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report.
Jennifer Kajiyama, BYUH Legal Studies director, graduated from BYU with a joint law degree and master’s in public administration. She spearheaded the BYUH program and said BYU’s Law School “loves BYU–Hawaii students.” She also said the J. Reuben Clark Law School has nine BYUH students, which is one of the largest groups of BYUH students that has ever attended.
Californian Trevor Smith, who recently graduated in finance and a certificate in the legal studies program, explained how his certificate has helped as a newly admitted student into BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School.
“During my first week at BYU Law, I’ve already briefed about 30 cases and started writing my first memo,” Smith said. Many of the law students have never briefed cases before, and it takes them quite a bit of time to get through the reading.
Smith continued, “I feel truly blessed to have been accepted into BYU Law. ... As much as I would love to say my vast intellectual prowess is what got me into law school, I know I had amazing teachers, mentors, and family who supported me every step of the way.”
According to Kajiyama, there were no legal studies classes or real pre-professional advisement at BYUH before this program.
She said there is growing national and international interest in individuals with legal training. “At BYUH we wanted to provide students this competitive edge.” She continued, “The potential for job growth in the legal field is significant.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of paralegals and legal assistants will see a 22.2% increase through 2016. It is also estimated the field will continue to increase to 28% growth through 2018. This number is in comparison to all other occupations that are averaging a 14% increase in their fields.
The Pacific has also seen a dramatic increase in the demand for legal jobs. The Australian government reports that entry-level legal positions, such as legal executives, clerks, and conveyancers, will see a 26.6% increase in employment over the next 10 years. Law clerks and legal clerks will see a 40.9% increase in job availability.
In New Zealand, according to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and the Department of Labor, the legal field is growing at a 28% increase through 2018, which is the second fastest growing bachelor’s degree in New Zealand. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. also reported in its 2006 Compensation & Benefits Study Report paralegal salaries have climbed steadily 61% since 1993. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found paralegals earn a median salary of $46,680 compared to the median salary for all other occupations at $33,840.
Kajiyama said, “The salary amount is quite significant due to the minimal requirements to become a paralegal. There is no work experience required and the general entry-level education is an associate’s or bachelor’s degree with a paralegal certificate.”
She also said the legal studies certificate is not required to get a job, however it will give applicants the edge when competing for paralegal jobs.
Greg Broberg, a senior studying political science and earning his legal studies certificate, gives credit to the new program for securing and preparing him for his current judicial internship. “Most judicial internships are not given to undergraduate students. Having a legal studies certificate gave me a competitive edge and prepared me for my internship with Judge Bode Uale,” he said. Uale is a BYUH graduate as well.
Broberg continued, “I had little idea how the legal system worked. However, that quickly changed when I began taking the legal studies certificate classes. These courses gave me the basic knowledge on how the legal process works, how to draft legal memos, which was something I felt the other interns I met had been lacking.”
Broberg credited the program for giving him real world application of the law, which included writing law briefs and also helping him find an internship. “I needed no further instruction on the matter, which seemed to impress others, but for me it was a basic skill because of the program.”
Broberg said, “The professors in our program are some of the most skilled and most helpful I have ever met. I cannot recommend them enough to all of my friends who are undecided.”
Kajiyama explained the program is for “anyone. … The law affects everyone and you need to understand the legal process.”
Kajiyama encouraged students who are graduating this upcoming spring to sign up for the Political Science 354 class in Winter Semester.
For more information on the program please contact Jennifer Kajiyama at Jennifer.kajiyama@byuh.edu.