ten steps to getting a good raise

The Legal Decree
A Publication of the American
Institute for Paralegal Studies’
Alumni Association
Winter 2006 Edition
Volume 5, Issue 1
Renee R. Sova, Editor
renee.sova@americanparalegal.edu
I NSIDE T HIS I SSUE
Editor’s Note
1
Ten Steps to Getting
1
a Good Raise
A Day in the Life
3
of a Paralegal Student
Current News!
3
2006 Salary Forecast
4
Certificates? Certication? Certainly!
6
Laughing Corner
6
TEN STEPS TO GETTING A GOOD RAISE by Chere Estrin
AAh, raises. Can't live with
them, can't live without
them. In this up-and-down
roller-coaster economy,
about the only thing that
we can count on these
days is a cost-of-living
adjustment, if anything.
One, you may get the
extra dollars. Two, you
may find out you are not
nearly as valuable as you
thought you were. Or
three, you could lose your
job when you cause the
boss to focus on your
performance in terms of
hard cash.
budget from which to buy
answers to a number of
highly competitive needs.
Here are a few
suggestions as to how you
might go about presenting
"your case".
1. Timing is everything.
Your firm just lost a multi
Gone,
gone,
gone
are
the
Friends and Family 9
million case; the client
days of "be a good
Calling all Alumni 9
pulled out; and your
employee and your
Be prepared: be sure of
supervising attorney just
employer will take good
your facts. According to a
got passed over for
care of you". This
recent article in Fortune
arrangement last saw high
magazine, most raises are partnership. Not a pretty
Welcome to the Winter visibility in the workforce
about 3.6% of your current picture. Choose the time
issue of The Legal
and place when your firm
lives of our parents. And
salary.
Decree. As always, we for some of us, that was a
is apt to give you a fair
include a great article
very long time ago.
Remember, you are making hearing. You can bolster
from Chere Estrin, our
your case by making your
a sales presentation for a
contributing author, who Before you rush in and ask
move when internal
product (your services to
provides us with an awe- for a raise, you should
factors are favorable.
the firm) to a buyer (your
some article on raises. understand that one of
Emotions run high when
boss) who has a limited
(Continued on page 2)
As we know, raises are three things could happen.
getting smaller and smaller these days unless you, as an employee, can go above and beyond the norm. As Chere points
out, it is no longer enough to have the attitude that you can just be a good employee and the reward will come. Check out
Chere’s 10 tips to ask for and get a good raise! The good news is that Legal Assistant Today is reporting higher salaries for
paralegals, and so is Robert Half Legal Company. Be sure to check out their predictions and findings!
Laura Caruso, our on line paralegal student, tells us all about her Employment Law and her Alternative Dispute
Resolution ( ADR) classes she recently completed. See which one she liked best.
Pamela Crosby, a graduate from 2003, writes an incredible article on the importance of continuing your legal
education ( CLE) and looks at the issue from an original, substantive point of view. She even includes and cites cases to back
up her argument. You won’t want to miss reading this article. Well done Pamela!!
And, last but not least, we include our annual Darwin awards for 2005. I don’t think they are as good, or should I say
“as stupid ” as last year, but I will let you be the judge!
Try to keep warm this Winter and keep your focus on Spring, especially if you aren’t into cold
. up
weather. Spring is just around the corner. We will be offering several litigation CLE seminars coming
in April! Watch for information in your bi-monthly Alumni News.
The Darwin Awards 6
Editor’s Note:
Enjoy!
Volume 5, Issue 1 P a g e 2
(Continued from page 1)
TEN STEPS TO GETTING A GOOD RAISE
when employers are
faced with higher salaries - especially when it's not
for them.
2. Get a reading on how your fellow employees
and boss rate your performance.
There's nothing more humiliating than to march in,
demand a raise and find out the firm had been
considering placing you on probation. I just hate
when that happens. Obviously, you had better get a
reasonably good report before you ask for more
compensation. After taking a hard look at your
performance, you may even decide you haven't
actually earned a raise.
3. Present hard data to prove you are not paid up
to scale when compared to similar jobs.
While it may be impossible to find out what other
employees make (and frankly, it's none of your
business), you need to arm yourself with surveys of
what other legal professionals make and where they
make it. It'll give you a leg up in negotiations.
4. Demonstrate value not need.
If you are just coming off a big achievement, you can
use this to reinforce your value to the firm. A firm
that recently won a huge case (where you assisted)
or a company that just posted big profits may be
more receptive to your request. Asking for a raise
because you "need" one - i.e., your credit cards are
maxed - is most likely to get you nothing.
8. You have to ask for the
raise.
A lot of people just wait around, hoping their true
worth will finally be acknowledged in next year's
review and raise. Doesn't happen. You have to satisfy
certain conditions such as:
* The firm has to have the money.
* They have to think you're worth it.
* You bring something to the table that others cannot.
* They have to think you can and would go elsewhere and they don't want you to.
* You have to be willing and able to go elsewhere and
get it. If you're not willing to leave your current job
or able to command more at a different firm, you're
not going to be very convincing no matter how well
you act. Get out and interview. If you can't really
get any better offers, you need to figure out why.
9. Anchor well.
If you're asking for a range, make sure the bottom is
the top of what you really want. Support your
request with factual justifications about skills, past
successes, abilities and awards. It's best to come in
with a percentage rather than a hard dollar number.
10. Don't hit and run.
Negotiation involves
a "back and forth" exchange, so ask, listen
and understand the
firm's concerns. If
you don't get the
raise you want, you
can ask to be re5. Understand your boss's personality.
reviewed in another
A "nice guy" boss may not respond well to a
six-months. Be sure
"gangbuster" approach. A hard-sell presentation
and ask what it would
may turn-off a seasoned litigator who feels that his
only defense to your request is an offense. Trust me. take to get the inThey will out negotiate you. That's why they went to crease you deserve.
law school.
6. Don't expect anyone to remember your
accomplishments.
Keep kudos letters, copies of reviews, appreciation
notes, billable hour records, overtime hours, speaking engagements, published articles, pro bono work,
and anything that shows an upward path to success.
Be ready to review your contributions. Remember,
you're dealing with lawyers - they want proof.
7. Decide what you want.
Decide exactly what you're going after, when you're
going to get it and how. Write it down. This doesn't
guarantee you'll get it but gives you an important
direction, which is crucial. If you're serious about getting a raise, you need to be able to formulate
specific, concrete details and plans.
1. Timing is everything.
2. Get a reading on how
your fellow employees
and boss rate your performance.
3. Present hard data to
prove you are not paid up
to scale when compared to
similar jobs.
4. Demonstrate value not
need.
5. Understand your boss's
Chere B. Estrin, Ph.D., personality.
is the CEO of the Los
6. Don't expect anyone to
Angeles based Estrin
remember your
Professional Careers
specializing in paralegal accomplishments.
7. Decide what you want.
conferences and inhouse training. An
8. You have to ask for the
author of eight books
raise.
including The Paralegal
9. Anchor well.
Career Guide 3rd Ed.,
(Prentice-Hall) and The 10. Don't hit and run.
Successful Paralegal’s Job Search Guide (Thomson-West),
she has been interviewed by Newsweek, The Los Angeles
Times, BusinessWeek.com, The Chicago Tribune and many
more publications. She is a national seminar speaker and
founder of the Paralegal SuperConferences. She is a
regular contributing author to The Legal Decree. She can
be found at www.CareerCoachesInternational.com
or EstrinLegalEd@aol.com.
Volume 5, Issue 1 P a g e 3
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PARALEGAL STUDENT
by: Laura Caruso
Hi, my name is Laura Caruso and
I come to you from Kennesaw,
Georgia. I am 32 years old and
returning back to school. I started
with AIPS in June of 2005 and I
have been flying through the
program! I do not have any legal
work experience, but did take law
classes in my undergraduate
career. Law has always been sort
of a passion of mine and as life
sometimes takes control, I simply
got away from that desire. So,
when I decided on a paralegal
career, I knew I had very little
spare time for studies. I could
have taken classes at the local college, but decided I didn't want to
be restricted by the classroom.
Going to school via distance learning has been a challenge, however
I feel that I am learning more
because the responsibility is all
mine to complete the course work.
With AIPS, I am able to balance
my school and work quite nicely,
and it fits into the time I have
available. I am looking forward to
the challenges ahead and finding
out what area of law I will want to
make my speciality.
Laura will be providing us with her diary
entries as she finishes each course
module at AIPS. We are happy she has
offered to do this, in order to give you
insight into the life of an on line student.
We have a couple more entries this
issue.
Enjoy!
Dear Diary,
Well, I'm a little late at writing to
you this month. Even though I had
a week off between my classes,
Alternative Dispute Resolution
(ADR) and Employment law - life
has taken its toll.
So, ADR - wow! I loved it. I didn't
really know what ADR was when I
began the class, but after the beginning of our first discussion I was
energized, informed, and hooked!
Mediation - what a wonderful thing! I
have always had a knack for diffusing
disputes and considered myself a
natural diplomat. Therefore, my ADR
class with Gina Madden was just the
thing to enhance my knowledge and
hone my skills. I can't say enough
good things about it. I learned how essential ADR is to the legal world today
and how it can help speed up the
decision process and bring closure to
the parties involved. One thing I know
for sure is that I wish it was a longer
class! Now, I am traveling down a different road to Employment Law which
I also have a special interest in - can't
wait to see what is in store for me in
November! As Gina says, "thanks for
listening!"
Dear Diary,
came to this class with very little knowledge of what exactly the course encompassed, I was excited to learn. The
biggest coincidence involved a change
in my current job responsibilities. I am
now taking on more of a role in Human
Resources (HR) at work, so this class
was perfect timing and probably one of
my favorites so far. I learned about
employee contracts, writing handbooks,
privacy (or lack thereof) in the workplace.
I learned about unions and how they
came to be. We had a great discussion
on whether or not unions are obsolete in
today's world. There were many amazing discussions that really made you
think. The course covered such a broad
scope, and even if you aren't going to
focus on Employment
law, it is worth the
,
.
lesson.
,
I learned so much about my rights as an
employee, what my employer can legally
do and what they can't, and we just scratched the surface. Wow, what an awesome class! I have been thinking about
the role I could play with HR and Employment Law down the line and I think that it
could really be in my future. I have such a
natural interest in people and I have enjoyed my new role at work. I am taking an
active part in making it a better place to
work for everyone based on what I want,
what the employees want, and what is
legal and good for us as a company.
Thanks to everyone that participated in the
great discussions, and thanks to Janet
Russeth for facilitating a GREAT class.
Well, I was so busy with the
Thanksgiving holiday and finishing up the class, taking my final exam,
See you next month!
and gearing up for the month of December off, that I nearly forgot about my
~ Laura Caruso
dear friend "Diary".
In November, I embarked on a journey
through Employment Law. Although I
CURRENT NEWS
Legal Assistant Today Reports Salary Earning for Paralegals
In its 13th Annual Salary Survey, Legal Assistant Today magazine reports that the highest full-time salary reported was
$112,000. The highest bonus was $12,000 and the highest raise was $26,700. Approximately 60% of respondents received some type of bonus.
The average salary for major law firms with 101+ attorneys was $57,784.00.
The Legal Decree
"2006 Salary Forecast: Larger Paychecks"
"Good health and increasing wealth for the private sector of
the U.S. law industry are predicted for 2006” in a newly released annual salary forecast from Robert Half Legal.
"Nationwide, average starting pay for legal professionals -attorneys, law firm administrators, paralegals, librarians and
clerks -- is expected to rise 6.1 percent across the board this
year, according to the report. This year's estimation is almost double the 3.4 percent rise for 2005, a year in which
salaries rose as modestly as during the previous two years,”
according to Maura Winson Mann, a northeast regional
manager for Robert Half Legal.
“Paralegal managers and specialists clearly hold increasingly
important positions in law firms and law departments,”
notes Altman Weil Principal of Altman Weil Publications, Inc.
“As legal organizastions become more sophisticated, this is
just one more area in which greater specialization is required and must be adequately compensated.”
Certificates? Certification? Certainly!
By Pamela L Crosby
AIPS Graduate, Dec. 2003
During 2005, I accomplished two of my annual goals when
I earned specialist certificates from AIPS in Advanced Corporate, Bankruptcy, and Intellectual Property Law and
Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. (Required
coursework described at www.americanparalegal.edu/
Advanced_and_Specialty_Courses.html)
These certificates, along with several others, now proudly
flank my AIPS paralegal certificate; during 2006 I hope to
add others. Why the emphasis on certificates and
certifications? Allow me to explain.
Volume 5, Issue 1
Page 4
First, the desire to enhance or improve one’s skills is a trait
most employers seek in new employees. The School of
Business Administration at The University of Vermont has
stated that “[c]ontinual education for employees is one of
the most vital organizational strategic goals. When the
right people are hired and their skills are developed on an
on-going basis, the human resource manager is insuring
the staffing needs for future projects and goals. It only
makes sense to keep good quality people and develop
their skills to be exactly what you need. Their ability to
adapt and change for newer projects will be a reflection of
the development preparation that they have received.”
See “Strategy,” Employee Development,
http://lenny.uvm.edu/Research/inProgress/Resources/
HRMGuide/Employee/Dev/EmplDevel.htm, (accessed
January 18, 2006). Continued development of professional skills and knowledge is confirmation that an
employee (a) is not content to rest on his or her laurels
and (b) has self-improvement as one of his or her goals.
This is a positive career objective that is demonstrable
through attainment of specialist certificates, certification,
and Continuing Legal Education ( CLE).
Second, demonstrable improvement of your skills or acquisition of special expertise protects your employer’s
ability to bill or recover for your services. Whether a paralegal’s work is billable may become an issue before the
court. In Auto Alliance Int'l, Inc. v. United States Customs
Serv., 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 26092 (6th Cir. 2005)
(citation limited to specific situations) the appellate court
held that “the district court did not abuse its discretion in
refusing to award paralegal fees.” It went on to state that
“[t]he billing records reflect that the vast majority of the
paralegal work consisted of picking up and indexing documents. This is non-recoverable clerical work, as contrasted
with paralegal work that would be otherwise have to be
done [sic] by an attorney.” Many courts have disallowed
recovery of paralegal fees or a portion thereof when fees
were based on tasks the court defined as clerical. See
Consolo v. George, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 10196 (1st Cir.
Mass. May 3, 1996) (citing Missouri v. Jenkins, 491 U.S. 274,
285, 109 S. Ct. 2463, 105 L. Ed. 2d 229 (1989)).
Establishing good billing practices, i.e., detailed time
entries describing the tasks and time spent on each task,
will assist your firm in any claim for recovery of fees for the
time you have expended or billed in a matter. Id. (This
practice is an excellent habit to establish, even for contingent fee cases, especially when recoupment of
attorney’s fees on disputed discovery motions becomes
an issue.)
If a paralegal’s tasks are established as substantive and
therefore billable, the next issue is whether the rate requested is reasonable. In American Petroleum Inst. v.
Continued on Page 5.
Certificates? Certification? Certainly!
Continued from page 4.
United States EPA, 72 F.3d 907 (D.C. Cir. 1996), the court
conducted its review of petitioners' fee request noting
that “petitioners bear the burden of demonstrating the
reasonableness of each element of their fee request.” The
court agreed with the reasonableness of the fees requested,
including the hourly rate requested for the paralegals’ work,
because the petitioners had “provided support for the
of rates,” holding that the “rates… [were] reasonable.”
rely upon to determine that the rates requested were
reasonable? Historically, determination of the reasonableness of an attorneys’ fee request is based on “a variety of
the skill required to handle the issues; the time and labor required; the experience, ability, and reputation of the
attorney; the customary fee charged by attorneys for similar
services; the burdensomeness of the fees; the fairness to the
parties; and the amount involved.” Citicorp U.S.A., Inc. v.
Edwards, 118 Fed. Appx. 698, 699, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS
26356 (4th Cir. 2004) (citing McGuire v. Russell Miller, Inc., 1
F.3d 1306, 1315 (2nd Cir. 1993) and F.H. Krear & Co. v. Nineteen Named Trustees, 810 F.2d 1250, 1263 (2nd Cir. 1987)).
legal issues involved, the skill required to handle the issues,
and so on. The National Federation of Paralegal Associaapplication for fees. One method of accomplishing this is
to supply a copy of the paralegal's resume detailing the
paralegal's level of education and continuing education,
Paralegal status.” See Recovery of Paralegal Fees, National
Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc., © June1998,
http://www.paralegals.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&sub
articlenbr;=368
(accessed January 19, 2006).
A successful request to the court for an award of paralegal
fees, then, should follow Citicorp and the NFPA’s recomCosts for paralegal time expended should be prepared to
P a g e 5 , Volume 5, Issue 1
Practice specialties and many years’ experience could also
become a factor in determining whether an increase or decrease may be merited. Blum, n. 15.
A March 2005 decision by the GAO in the Matter of CourtSmart Digital Systems, Inc.—Costs, File No. B-292995.7
(http://www.gao.gov/decisions/bidpro/2929957.htm, accessed December 2, 2005) would seem to support the court’s
footnote in Blum.
Although the CourtSmart decision reduced an award of fees
for a legal assistant’s hourly billing rate from $38,970 (at
$100 to $200/hr) to $19,200 ($80/hr), it stated that, while it
would “have preferred production of recent billing rate
surveys in support of this claim” it would take as relevant to
with expertise in a certain area of law. Here the court
award have been greater if the paralegal had been able to
personally demonstrate a special expertise or education?
The answer, while not yet addressed by any court, should
logically be “yes.”
Third, in a competitive market, employers prefer applicants
with additional education, expertise, or experience. Currently, in most jurisdictions employment as a paralegal does not
licensing. As the profession continues to evolve, however,
forces outside the membership may prove to be as strong an
those forces are cases such as Niehus v. Liberio, 1991 U.S.
Dist. LEXIS 16808 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 12, 1991), where the court rethat it stated were not “paralegal[s] or … law clerk[s] by
training or licensure.” It did, however, award paralegal fees
paralegal. While the court did not state how it determined
the status of each of these three employees, it is fairly safe to
type of documentation evidencing training as a paralegal
would have established the two non-paralegal employees’
least a portion of their time.
copy of the paralegal’s current resume attached. American
Petroleum, at 912. Depending on the paralegal’s level of
establish the core rate for the paralegal’s lodestar at the rate
requested or at least at a rate higher than the market rate.
Further, “special circumstances” can merit an increase or
decrease in the core rate. Consolo, at 7. See also Lipsett v.
Blanco, 975 F.2d 934, 937 (1st Cir. 1992) (citing Blum v.
Stenson, 465 U.S. 886, 897, 104 S. Ct. 1541, 79 L. Ed. 2d 891
[1984]). Special circumstances considered may include an
admirable record as a scholar or other valuable experiences.
(Continued on page 7)
Volume 5, Issue 1
Laughing Corner
Lawyers should never ask a
Southern grandma a question if
they aren't prepared for the
answer.
In a trial, a Southern small-town
prosecuting attorney called his first
witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman,
to the stand.
He approached her and asked, "Mrs.
Jones, do you know me?"
She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you,
Mr. Williams I've known you since you
were a young boy, and frankly, you've
been a big disappointment to me. You lie,
you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate
people and talk about them behind their
backs. You think you're a big shot when
you haven't the brains to realize you never
will amount to anything more than a twobit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."
The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what
else to do, he pointed across the room and
asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the
defense attorney?"
She again replied, "Why, yes, I do. I've
known Mr. Bradley since he was a
youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he
has a drinking problem. He can't build a
normal relationship with anyone and his law
practice is one of the worst in the entire
state. Not to mention he cheated on his
wife with three different women. One of
them was your wife. Yes, I know
him."
The defense attorney almost died. The
judge asked both counselors to approach
the bench, and in a very quiet voice, said,
"If either of you jerks asks her if she
knows me, I'll throw you in jail for
contempt!”
Page 6
THE DARWIN AWARDS
Yes, it's that magical time of the year again
when the Darwin Awards are bestowed,
honoring the least evolved among us. Here
then, are the glorious winners:
1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire
at his intended victim during a hold-up in
Long Beach, California, would-be robber
James Elliot did something that can only
inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel
and tried the trigger again. This time it
worked.....
And now, the honorable mentions:
2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger
in a meat-cutting machine and, after a little
shopping around, submitted a claim to his
insurance company. The company, expecting
negligence, sent out one of its men to have a
look for himself. He tried the machine and he
also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.
3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear
a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago
returned with his vehicle to find a woman had
taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.
4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a
Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental
patients he was supposed to be transporting
from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to
a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting
there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that
the patients were very excitable and prone to
bizarre fantasies The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.
Continued on page 7
Volume 5, Issue 1
THE DARWIN AWARDS
(Continued from page 6)
5. An American teenager was in the hospital
recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how
he received the injuries, the lad told police
that he was simply trying to see how close he
could get his head to a moving train before
he was hit.
6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put
a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for
change. When the clerk opened the cash
drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for
all the cash in the register, which the clerk
promptly provided. The man took the cash
from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill
on the counter. The total amount of cash
he got from the drawer...$15. (If someone
points a gun at you and gives you money,
page 7
is a crime committed?)
7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some
beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd
just throw a cinder block through a liquor
store window, grab some booze, and run.
So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it
over his head at the window. The cinder
block bounced back and hit the would-be
thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made
of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught
on videotape.
8. As a female shopper exited a New York
convenience store, a man grabbed her
purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to
give them a detailed description of the
snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in
(Continued on page 8)
Certificates? Certification? Certainly!
(Continued from page 5)
Finally, consistent with Rule 1.1 of the ABA’s Model Rules of
Professional Conduct for competent representation of
clients, my personal commitment to continued, specialized
education supports my firm’s commitment to excellence in
its delivery of legal services to our clients, and it is only
through continued education and the acquisition of knowledge that such excellence can be achieved.
In conclusion, although each year I mark other “annual goals”
as “completed” (such as my graduation from AIPS or my employment as a litigation/trial paralegal), the one goal I re-establish
each year is the “[ ] Certificates / Certifications” line on my list.
Each year I challenge myself to locate course work that will add to
my accomplishments and improve my skills, thereby broadening
the range of duties I can assume. With the evolution of e-discovery,
the growing need for litigation support skills (e.g., expertise with
litigation database software programs such as Summation and
Visionary), and clients’ demand for delivery of cost-effective legal
services, specialist certificates, software certifications, and CLA
initiatives continue to dominate my list. I challenge you to do the
same. Are you ready to make yourself more valuable to your firm?
Pamela’s wall of certificates
Volume 5, Issue 1
THE DARWIN AWARDS
page 8
*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER*
10. When a man attempted to siphon
the car and drove back to the store. The thief gasoline from a motor home parked on a
Seattle street, he got much more than he
was then taken out of the car and told to
stand there for a positive ID. To which he repl- bargained for. Police arrived at the scene
to find a very sick man curled up next to a
ied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I
motor home near spilled sewage. A
stole the purse from."
police spokesman said that the man
9. The Ann Arbor News crime column report- admitted to trying to steal gasoline and
plugged his siphon hose into the motor
ed that a man walked into a Burger King in
home's sewage tank by mistake. The
Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun,
owner of the vehicle declined to press
and demanded cash. The clerk turned him
charges, saying that it was the best laugh
down because he said he couldn't open the
cash register without a food order. When the he'd ever had.
man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they In the interest of bettering human kind please share
these with your friends and family ... unless of course
weren't available for breakfast. The man,
one of these 10 individuals by chance is a distant
frustrated, walked away.
relative or long lost friend. In that case be glad
(Continued from page 7)
they are distant and hope they remain lost.
We hope you enjoyed this issue of the Legal Degree!
Volume 5, Issue 1
A publication of the American
Institute for Paralegal Studies’
Alumni Association
We’re On the Web!
http://www.americanparalegal.edu
1-800-553-2420
A Leader in Paralegal Education since 1978
page 9
Calling all Alumni!
We are looking for alumni to submit
articles to the editor for publication in
The Legal Decree. The article is subject to
approval by the editor. By submitting your
article you are giving AIPS permission to reprint it. If you are selected, AIPS will publish
the article and submit a framed copy of the
article to you for a keepsake. Please send all
entries in Word or WordPerfect to
renee.sova@americanparalegal.edu
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Institute and its programs, contact Dorene Fink in Admissions,
at 800-553-2420, ext. 202. You can also e-mail Dorene at dorene.fink@americanparalegal.edu
The searchable archive of all AIPS Publications is available from our web site at:
www.americanparalegal.edu/AIPS_Paralegal_Publications.html
The Institute is licensed by the states of Michigan and Illinois, and accredited by the Accrediting
Council for Continuing Education and Training CCET) (see http://www.accet.org ).
ACCET is a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (see
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg6.html#conted).
Copyright 2006 American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Inc.
Don’t forget about Friends and Family discounts! These are discount certificates which are available to your colleagues, associates,
or family members interested in taking the AIPS program. If you are interested, cut out the attached certificate and complete the name
of the person you are referring to AIPS. Then fill in your name and address as well. Then mail to the address listed on the certificate. We
will take care of the rest! After your friend or colleague completes their first month with AIPS, we would like to thank you by sending
you a $100.00 gift certificate from borders.com. We give it to you with our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. As you know, our
success in obtaining future students hinges on our success in educating and preparing our current students. When you refer a colleague
to us, we want to have a way of thanking you for placing your trust in us, once again, by referring a friend or colleague. Please accept
our sincerest thanks!
By the way, we are celebrating our 28th year of delivering superior academic quality paralegal courses! 1978 - 2006!
renee.sova@americanparalegal.edu