Welcome to Spring 2015

Welcome everyone to the Spring 2015 semester. Let me introduce myself, I am the Director of the Paralegal Program.  It is exciting that we are all starting a new semester together. Welcome to those who are just starting our program or taking a law class. How exciting to embark on this adventure! A hearty welcome back to our ongoing paralegal student family.

I love the start of a new semester,  such wonderful energy. I have been reading the class introductions in my classes, and I am always impressed with what great students we have, who work so hard, have so many responsibilities and have such passion for learning, education, their careers and their families. 

If you know me, you already are aware that I provide a lot of information. Take a few minutes to review the following.  There is helpful information to make the semester easier as well as some opportunities to get involved in your growth as a law student and member of the community.

A few notes of interest

1.  Etudes - If you are new to etudes, and confused how to do it, please feel free to contact me on my cell phone at 818-415-2015. I am more than happy to walk you through how to use it. I have trained dozen of faculty members since I am the etudes guru and DE Coordinator for Mission, and I find a few minutes on the phone can clear the "clouds of confusion" So please do call me., or email me at mailto:abogado@pacbell.net or mailto:greatlawteacher@gmail.com, also feel free to text me at the above phone. Please watch the video tutorial on etudes at http://etudes.pbworks.com and bookmark the student help desk at etudes which is very useful in clearing up confusions - see http://etudes.org/help/students

Make sure you stay in touch with your instructor about any questions about your law class. You can email them directly (see http://lamission.org) or better yet send them a PM (private message) - click on discussion on left, and then at top click on "Private Message", locate your instructor's name and send a message. 

2. Configure your Etudes Account - When your instructor sends out an announcement in etudes, do you know that it goes to your email at laccd.edu and not your home email - You can change that by clicking on account once you are logged into etudes - and change the email preference - here are instructions - watch this short 6 minute video from Vivie Sinou the director of Etudes (and a good friend) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig-1eLlBokU

3. LACCD student email account - Mission sends out important announcements to students, and you can also reconfigure your LACCD email account so that you get the school messages sent to your home email. Here is how you do that -

Login to your laccd.edu email –EMAIL TIPS: Instructions to forward all your LACCD emails to your private email account:

Step 1: Go to lamission.edu, at the top is Register for Classes, type in your student id, and then MMDD to login – this opens up your student information system (same place you use to add or register for classes)

Step 2 – click o continue, and then click on the link that shows your laccd student email 

For example: STUDENT6153@STUDENT.LACCD.EDU

Step 2: When you click on it it will go to another link - https://student.laccd.edu/sso/  - LOGIN: use student id # 88… PASSWORD: first 4 digits of your birthday January 15 =0115

Step 3: then look at upper right corner and you will find a wheel, that is setting, click on that, go to OPTIONS, and click on 4^th choice  “Forward your email” -     Bottom right lets you input the email address under “forward” -    Then Click on Green Checkmark on corner right and you are done. – here are the instructions in a pdf format

http://lamission.edu/it/docs/StudentFAQ.pdf

Here is more information on how to set up and access your LACCD email account - http://www.lamission.edu/students/studentemail.aspx

4.  A good link to bookmark is http://lamission.org

This has syllabus bio of your instructors, textbook information, activities, etc.

A great link to answer your etudes questions is the Etudes Student Help resources at http://etudes.org/help/students

5. Posting to forums – this is not required for our on campus students, just for our online students. To post to the forums, click on reply, bottom left of the posting question, and then to comment on other students’ postings, click on their post, then on quote in upper right corner of their post, and post your comment there.

6. Pathways to Law School - LAMC and our paralegal program was selected to participate in the Pathways to Law School. Look at the press release at

http://lawschoolpathways.pbworks.com - and watch the video from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on this new program - https://sites.google.com/site/calbardream

7. Law Club – We have a Law Club on campus. Come and join us on every other Monday, at 1:00 pm – see schedule and information at  http://missionprelaw.pbworks.com 

Please review some of the anticipated benefits to joining the Pre-Law Club. This new (in its formation now as we speak), has great potential to grow into a important and rewarding opportunity to make a difference. Join us as a founding member to help us build something we can all take pride in

Purpose of the Club

• the purpose of Mission College Law and Social Justice Club is to provide a resource for students who are pursuing a career in the field of law, criminal or social justice fields.
• assist students with getting into and attending law school (through new Pathways Program)
• participate in mock trials and debate competitions (see Street Law.org)
• participate with internships/externships and community activities which promote social justice
• assist with mock interviews, and resume drafting for jobs in the legal, criminal and social justice fields
• opportunity to gain insight from various law school admissions directors, professors, law students, legal experts
• LSAT Prep Course assistance and scholarships (in the future)
• opportunity to participate in UWLA Law School Boot Camp (summer and winter)  
• opportunity to pre-law resource library
• opportunity to visit law schools and meet with law school admissions directors

8. UWLA Law School Boot Camp - Over the summer, 23 of our students participated in a Law School Boot Camp with the Univ. of West Los Angeles Law School. The Boot Camp is over two evenings., and gives participants the real “touch and feel “ of how it is to attend law school. You will participate in a real live law school class and have to read and be prepared to discuss cases and legal principles in class. We will have another boot camp at UWLA Law School at their Chatsworth campus in a few weeks. .

9. Diversity in the Legal Profession - Prof J. had an article published in the Valley Journal, a publication of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association in May, entitled  “Advancing the case for a more diverse legal profession“   “ – see the article at http://lamission.edu/law/diversity.pdf  

10. Federico Efron – Fullbright Scholar and Argentinian Human Rights Lawyer will speak to our law students on March 17^th, Tuesday at 12 noon. More details to follow

11. USC Law School Visit – We will visit USC Law School on Friday, April 17^th at noon to get a tour of the law school, and talk to Niles Pierson, a community college graduate who is featured in the Calbar Dream video above.

12. Pathways Resource Center – LRC 217 - Tutoring, Mentoring, and Study Groups – We will be launching the Pathways Resource Center Tutoring, Mentoring, and Study Groups on March 2, 2015. You are invited to participate in this activity. More details to follow.

13. Teen Court – You are invited to attend the Teen Court at Roosevelt High School on 2/26, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, and 4/22 – Case #1 is 2-3 pm, and Case #2 is 3:20 – 4:20 pm. See http://www.rossevelthslaw.net and the flyer is located at http://abogado.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/92589066/Roosevelt%20Teen%20Court%20Schedule%20Flyer%20_281_29%20%281%29.pdf

Roosevelt High School is located at 456 W. Mathews St., Los Angeles, CA. 90033

13. LA County Law Library  -
Saturday, February 14 10:00-11:30am Legal Research: Introduction to Print Resources at Main Library This class provides students the opportunity to learn fundamental legal research concepts by focusing on the elements and features of legal research materials in print format and the tools by which to locate them. 
egal Research: Introduction to Print Resources
 Location: LA Law Library - Main Downtown Library

If you have any questions about the paralegal program, order of classes you should take, getting your AA degree in Legal Assisting/Paralegal, paralegal jobs, or other concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Wishing you a fantastic journey in your legal studies, and please contact me or your instructor if you have any questions during the semester.

Your Mission Paralegal Studies   Director and Professor,

Prof J.