Robin Hall: Program Coordinator for the Certificate Program in Paralegal Studies at California State University, Los Angeles
By Devon Pryor
On the morning of November 7, 2006, I sat down for a phone interview with Robin Hall, Program Coordinator for the Certificate Program in Paralegal Studies offered by California State University, Los Angeles,' Extended Education department. Hall had much to say about the program and about her role as Program Coordinator, but first I wanted to know a little about her background. Hall earned a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, and a master's degree in higher education counseling from Cal State L.A., her ''home university.'' She has worked in the paralegal certification program for eight years and, before coming to the paralegal program, spent 10 years working in other areas of Cal State L.A.'s Extended Education department.
When I asked Hall what her responsibilities were as Program Coordinator, she listed a myriad of tasks and then said, "Um…that's kind of a nutshell of what I do." It was a huge nutshell! Hall handles almost everything in the program. She is a gatekeeper of sorts, overseeing the recruitment of prospective students and evaluating students' applications and transcripts to make sure their qualifications meet the program requirements, which, Hall said, are preset for it because it is "an ABA (American Bar Association)-approved program." Hall always remains up-to-date regarding the approval requirements of the ABA, as she writes the reports that keep Cal State L.A.'s program approved herself. She also handles what she called "the logistics of the program," including writing promotional copy for catalogs and brochures, web material, radio and print advertisements, and other promotional marketing materials.
Hall writes the course schedule and chairs the instructor meetings held by the program, providing instructors with content and professional development advice, which she gathers by attending various professional association conferences and meetings. When she told me that she also leads the advisory committee meetings, I marveled that she has time for anything besides meetings. But she does; she solicits and posts job listings and internship opportunities for students and graduates, she maintains all of the program records, she arranges placement workshops, and she conducts and analyzes surveys of employers in the legal field, students, and graduates. Hall even finds time to provide some one-on-one resume help to both current students and alumni.
In spite of the huge amount of work on her plate, Hall said that if there is anything she doesn't like about her job, it is that she doesn't have time to do everything she'd like to! People are what Hall likes most about her job, and she described herself as "a pretty outgoing person." Hall also said that she enjoys ensuring that the paralegal program works smoothly and helping it grow, admitting that "when there are bumps in the road for students or faculty, or various things to do with the program, then I'm pretty good at figuring out ways to make things better."
Hall said that one obvious difference between Cal State L.A.'s program and those of other schools is that most paralegal programs are directed by attorneys or paralegals. Although she admitted that this has some advantages, she said that her background in higher education counseling allows her to "bring a little different flavor to the administration of the program" by providing students with valuable counseling to which they might otherwise lack access. However, to ensure legal expertise enters into the equation, as well, Hall has Kathleen Leroy, a paralegal who LawCrossing previously featured in a profile, on her team to play the role of External Coordinator for the program. As a team, Hall said, the two can "cover more ground."
Hall explained that, to be an effective career services counselor—or program coordinator—one has to love to learn about the field in which he or she is advising. She said "there are a lot of different areas for paralegals, so you need to be really looking at all the different industries and professions" and that "you need to understand the techniques and methods of placement" in order to be able to assist students effectively. Hall listed flexibility, mentorship, openness to new ideas, good networking skills, creativity, and an understanding of student psychology as other necessary skills.
Hall was adamant about the benefits of taking advantage of career services and counseling opportunities, bemoaning the fact that, by her estimation, roughly half of the students in her program do not "make near enough use of the resources they have available to them through their career centers." Hall is aware that many students are simply uninformed about what is available to them, a situation she is constantly working to remedy by employing various tactics based on what she calls an "in-your-face way of helping make them aware of things." She likened a student's choice to work on his or her own to "reinventing the wheel," saying that "career services departments can usually tap into what the individual student may not be as able to do on their own" and asserting that it is always better to get input from others who can enlighten students about new avenues that they may not otherwise explore. Considering Hall's dedication to her program and to its students, there is no doubt that having Hall in one's court is, in itself, a resource to be tapped into.
I got a bunch of interviews through LawCrossing. It is truly a wonderful site and I enjoyed using it for my job hunt. David
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