DuPage County Bar Association Committee to Help Paralegals and Students
Students in both the Paralegal Studies program and Paralegal Club at College of DuPage can take advantage of the benefits offered through a new DuPage County Bar Association organization.
The Ad Hoc Paralegal Committee offers a variety of services that will benefit paralegals in the DuPage County area. Sharon Knobbe, president-elect of the DCBA and an adjunct faculty member at COD, said the association previously had no services directed toward paralegals.
“I felt like this was a huge, untapped market for the Bar Association,” she said. “Creating this committee will help spread the word to additional industry professionals about the member benefits we provide.”
Knobbe contacted Sally N. Fairbank, coordinator of the Paralegal Studies program at COD, who enthusiastically supported the idea. Fairbank then involved Linda Jenkins, the College of DuPage Paralegal Club adviser.
“Since one of the club's main purposes is to help members network with each other and with our outside speakers, this association with the DCBA is core to our mission,” Jenkins said. “The more active our members become in the Paralegal Ad Hoc Committee, the more likely they will meet a potential employer, find a mentor or just make a friend in the legal community. The opportunity for CDPC members to interact with DuPage County judges, attorneys, paralegals and other legal professionals gives our students a huge advantage in job hunting.”
Maria Mack, adjunct faculty member at COD and chair of the new Ad Hoc Paralegal Committee, said Paralegal Studies students and CDPC members can join the DCBA for free as associate members. Non-DCBA members can attend one meeting to find out more information.
“The club gives students and working paralegals a chance to interact with each other, which is crucial for developing the ‘paralegal voice' in the DuPage legal community,” she said. “One of our goals is exchanging ideas to open a dialogue in the community about how paralegals can best be utilized.
“At each meeting, our intent is to offer a program that promotes a paralegal's professional development, whether it's a refresher on discovery management techniques or training regarding a new feature at the courthouse like e-filing. Committee meetings will keep members current with the latest developments in our courthouse and the practice of law.”
The first meeting, held this past spring, attracted more than 60 people. Jenkins believes everyone can build on this success.
“I hope the relationship between COD and the DuPage County Bar Association will grow and prosper in the years ahead,” she said. “If our students and graduates find jobs because of this connection, or if they can give back to others in the legal community, it will be a wonderful thing!”
For more information about the Paralegal Studies program, call (630) 942-2955 or e-mail fairbank@cod.edu.