WELCOME TO MY PORTFOLIO
WELCOME TO MY PORTFOLIO
INTRODUCTION
At the age of 40, I decided to go back to school to pursue law. At the time, I didn't necessarily want to become a lawyer. my goal, simply, was to "help people represent themselves." Not knowing the level of schooling this would entail, I enrolled at SAN DIEGO MIRAMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE in their Paralegal Studies program. I soon learned it would mean a bit more schooling to attain my goal. In 2 years, after completing my Associate Degree in Administration of Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies, I found the only college in the U.S. to offer a bachelor degree in Law. I enrolled at the UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA where I earned my bachelor degree in Law and am finishing up with my master degree in Legal studies.
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This is, what I feel, a well rounded collection of legal documents I have drafted over the last several years. Most are classroom assignments (case briefs, legal memos, etc.,), there are a few term papers on the subject as well as documents filed pro per
Associate Degrees
PARALEGAL STUDIES &
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
The Paralegal Department at Miramar College was an excellent launching pad for my studies. The choice of curriculum and instructors showcased their priority to get students "work ready". Most, if not all, of the instructors in the Paralegal Department were actively employed in the legal profession. Their experience was handed down to their students in terms of what skills employers were looking for and applying what he had learned to a real life daily work environment.
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The Administration of Justice Department gave me the chance to study with and under Law Enforcement officials who had been working locally and federally for most of their careers. The education I received from this department enabled me to understand aspects of the legal procedure that occur before they end up on an attorney's desk.
PARA210 Immigration Law
IRAMAR
AN DIEGO
OLLEGE
S
M
C
PARA140 Law Office Management &
Legal Technology
PARA110 Legal Writing &
Analysis
PARA115 Civil Litigation
PARA220 Intellectual Property Law
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
James E. Rogers
College of Law
LAW402B American Common Law II
LAW402A American Common Law I
LAW507 Legal Analysis &
Writing
LAW504 American
Public Law
LAW507 Legal Analysis &
Writing
POL469 Law & Social Change
Bachelor's Degree (spring 2022)
LAW
As the only college in the U.S. to offer an ABA-certified bachelor's program in Law, the University of Arizona provided the opportunity I desired to both focus on what my intention for school was, and to solidify my my aspirations in becoming an attorney. Courses like American Common Law and Constitutional Law gave me that solid foundation to understand the basics of American legal system while courses like Alternate Dispute Resolution, Law and Social Change brought the application of law into a more humanitarian light.
Master's Degree (spring 2023)
LEGAL STUDIES
During my first semester at the University of Arizona, I was approached by the Dean of the MLS program inquiring to see if I had interest in their Accelerated BA Law/MLS Legal Studies program. I enrolled in the program which allows me to take graduate level courses while an undergraduate earning credits for both degrees. This enables me to earn my Master's im Legal Studies in an additional semester. Legal Analysis & Writing and Legal Procedures have proven to be some of the intense and delightfully challenging courses I have had to date.
Juris Doctorate Degree (spring 2026)
My mother has this joke ... "How do you make God laugh?" Tell Him what your plans are. She's a wise one, that Robin.
DIALOGIC ARGUMENTATION AND ITS ROLE IN THE MODERN JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Coming Soon...
Not only its role in the judicial system, but also how to implement it. Tackling this project required synching it up with my A.I.M. 4 Law classes. No easy feat since classes were only once a month and two had passed before getting the green light for my honors project. That being said, opportunities existed to interview those in all stages and aspects of their legal career. From the world of academia I could gain insights from law students and professors whereas the professional world would yield insights from attorneys and judges. The most daunting task, however, is coming up with a series of questions to ask that would lead me to form a conclusion and implementation plan of my own.
THE INTERVIEWS
How do those in the legal profession view the applicability of dialogical argumentation?
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How aware are they of this method?
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These interviews are conducted with various people whose positions run the spectrum of the legal profession.
From students to professors; attorneys to judges;
mediators to victims advocates.
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All to get to the central question:
Would a change in approach to legal issues make a difference?
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice"
Martin Luther King, Jr.
