Marshall, Are You Back?

[jadechow]

You can't even imagine my excitement tonight when I saw a new post from our old friend Marshall!!!

So, buddy, are you back? I know you had to put your loyal degree seeking on hold temporarily a couple of months ago. How are things? What have you been up to?

We've missed you......

[mlwilliamsiv]

Hey Jade!!!

I have missed you 2!!! To answer your question...yes I am back and I think I'm staying for awhile!

I just sent a PM to my homegirl Cookderosa!!! She missed me 2!!!(LOL)

It's good to be back again!!!

Well...I finally got my own place (THANK GOD)! Nice area and rent is not expensive. I'm close to two libraries (love to read) and McDonald's (gotta love those Big Macs and double cheeseburgers ummmmm ummmmmm!!!)

I took some real estate courses back in October and November last year and got my Ohio Real Estate Sales Associate Certificate (boy that's a mouthful!). I haven't taken the exam yet to get my real estate license because I'm not quite sure I want to go that route anymore (especially with the economy being the way it is).

I've been thinking about going into the field of law for quite some time now and it's funny because during my Real Estate Law class, my teacher (who is a judge) told me during a class break that I should seriously consider a career in law! I thought that was all the push I needed to give it a go.

So I've been looking into law schools and the LSAT. I'm not too scared of the LSAT but I am scared of those huge law school tuition bills....YIKES!!! It looks like to graduate with a J.D. from the University of Dayton here, I'd be outta over $110 grand!

So just to get my feet wet and to confirm whether or not law is for me...I decided to become a paralegal/legal assistant. They practically do everything an attorney can do except for a few things. So I've been looking at some degree programs here and my local community college offers an AAS (Associate of Applied Science) in Paralegal Studies Degree.

I'm currently working on finishing my Associate of Science degree with Excelsior College (yes I've decided to go with Excelsior instead of TESC...mainly because of the GPA issue. Don't want any problems with an MBA or law school admission if I decide to go). I have 3 exams left and 1 course to finish and plan to be done in the next 60 to 90 days. During that time I will be pursuing entry level positions at a small to midsize law firm.

This pretty much sums up what I've been up to!!! I'll chat with ya later!

From a loyal degree seeker,

Marshall

[cookderosa]

Marshall,

Wow- good update! Listen, go take your real estate test. Do it while it's in your head. You can buy/sell properties on the side to pay for law school- the economy WILL recover, it's just a matter of "when," and when the time comes the housing market will boom along with everything else. Four good sales and you can pay cash for college.

(You'll notice I already have you "accepted" to law school )

[dharmachic]

Hi Marshall,

Going the paralegal route is a great way to see if law is for you. Both my paralegal advisor and boss told me that I would do well in law, but seeing firsthand what it's like, I'm pretty sure that it just wasn't for me. Not to mention that most attorneys in my suite say they would advise anyone interested in law, "Don't do it." LOL

These were the two issues that were of greatest concern to me (with the caveat that not all attorneys or areas of law are like this, but speaking in general terms and from my own personal observations):

(1) You're paid by the hour, so if you want to make a very comfortable living, most successful attorneys put in really long hours, including weekends and holidays.

(2) You should be good at selling, because one of the most essential traits of an attorney is the ability to bring in business. This is even more important nowadays since there's more attorneys out there than work. My own law firm fired 3 attorneys not because of the quality of work, but the fact that they couldn't bring in enough clients. I'm not much of a salesperson myself, so I can't imagine handling that additional underlying stress.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from entering law, just to be aware of the practical aspects of the lifestyle and occupation. While I do know friends who dropped out of law after finding out it wasn't right for them (with school loans to boot), I do know others who love the challenge and excitement and have no regrets about their decision.

But being a paralegal will provide you firsthand experience to form your own opinions to make your decision, so that is an excellent opportunity and smart choice! Who knows, maybe you'll consider being a paralegal as your career - I know many "lifers" who are just happy with the 40-hr workweek, stable pay, interesting work, no stress of having to bring in clients, and gain "just enough" law knowledge to satisfy them, but no more.

[jadechow]

You may have been gone from the forum but ya sure weren't resting! You have been very busy my friend. Good for you!

I have to agree with Jennifer about taking your licensing test while the material is still fresh in your noggin. Is it particularly expensive or difficult to do? If not, I say go for it. The housing market can't stay in the toliet forever (can it??) and then you'll have one more thing you can do for some extra cash.

Thanks so much for the update. I can't even tell you how much your positive, sparkly (oh, yeah I said it) personality have been missed on the boards. You are just one of those people that we can count on to always find the silver lining in the cloud, the humor in the absurd, the ..... you get the idea. Soooo glad you're back.

What tests do you have coming up on your radar?

Best,
Kelly

[mlwilliamsiv]

Thanks everybody for the kind words!!! You guys are so awesome!

I could sit for the real estate exam, that's not a problem because I'm not even sweating the test ( I got all A's in the prereq courses), I'm just concerned about the fees I would have to pay to be an agent (which is just not in the budget right now).

I looked into two brokers here that I was impressed with, Coldwell Banker and Keller Williams Realty. Although I was equally impressed with both, I am leaning more towards Keller Williams. The fee/commission structure isn't bad...it's mostly just the Board of Realtors fees that are killer.

I'm only working part-time right now so maybe when my income picks up a little in the future, I may give it a thought because it is a nice suggestion!
But as far as taking the exam while it's "fresh," doesn't concern me because I don't fear a real estate exam...just Calculus!!!(LOL)

Thank you Helen for your posts...as always. Very informative.

And to answer your question Jade...I have 18 credits to go to finish my AS degree from Excelsior. Here is the list:

- English Composition 100 (Penn Foster) - 3 credits
- CLEP American Government - 3 credits
- CLEP American Literature - 6 credits
- CLEP College Mathematics (General) - 6 credits

I'm trying to hurry and finish within the next 60 days so I can start looking for an entry level position in a law firm/legal department.

Thanks again to you all for the kind words and support. I know we can always count on each other for support and positive feedback. You guys are my academic family!!!!!(LOL)

Good luck to everyone and much success on your educational journey.

Peace be unto you all.

From a loyal degree seeker,

Marshall

P.S: Thanks Cookderosa for the "PRE-LAW SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE!!!!"

[cookderosa]

Thanks everybody for the kind words!!! You guys are so awesome!

I could sit for the real estate exam, that's not a problem because I'm not even sweating the test ( I got all A's in the prereq courses), I'm just concerned about the fees I would have to pay to be an agent (which is just not in the budget right now).

I looked into two brokers here that I was impressed with, Coldwell Banker and Keller Williams Realty. Although I was equally impressed with both, I am leaning more towards Keller Williams. The fee/commission structure isn't bad...it's mostly just the Board of Realtors fees that are killer.

I'm only working part-time right now so maybe when my income picks up a little in the future, I may give it a thought because it is a nice suggestion!
But as far as taking the exam while it's "fresh," doesn't concern me because I don't fear a real estate exam...just Calculus!!!(LOL)

Thank you Helen for your posts...as always. Very informative.

And to answer your question Jade...I have 18 credits to go to finish my AS degree from Excelsior. Here is the list:

- English Composition 100 (Penn Foster) - 3 credits
- CLEP American Government - 3 credits
- CLEP American Literature - 6 credits
- CLEP College Mathematics (General) - 6 credits

I'm trying to hurry and finish within the next 60 days so I can start looking for an entry level position in a law firm/legal department.

Thanks again to you all for the kind words and support. I know we can always count on each other for support and positive feedback. You guys are my academic family!!!!!(LOL)

Good luck to everyone and much success on your educational journey.

Peace be unto you all.

From a loyal degree seeker,

Marshall

P.S: Thanks Cookderosa for the "PRE-LAW SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE!!!!"

>>

My very very good friend is a rep for Keller Williams in Washington, let me know if I can help you.

[mlwilliamsiv]

Will do Jennifer...thanks!

-Marshall

[WendyR]

Marshall!!!! Long time, no speak! How nice to have you back.

I'm happy to hear you've been so productive in your time away from us. It sounds like you have finally found the career path you were searching for - good for you. I wish you the best of luck in your pursuits of education and employment!

Wendy

[categ]

good to see a veteran back. we missed you.