San Francisco State University Paralegal Studies

First semester here. So far, so good when compared to the regular SFSU campus. Clean classrooms, facilities and good connection wifi plus get to roam around the fancy westfield mall.
The head of the program drops by a few times and checks up on students to make announcements [Never had that type of communication ever at the regular campus]. Although this program is pricier, you do get to reap the benefits of the only ABA approved program in San Francisco.
To be continued…

I do not have enough positive things to say about this program. First off, every student needs to have a college degree or college courses to enter. Every student is a different learning level and just like the real world you will run into people you don’t like. With the exception of one professor they were all fantastic and as to the textbooks, I was able to re-​sell mine before I switched to renting at
.
Most importantly, 30 days after gradation I had a job. Yes I worked hard to get it but the program and certificate helped greatly.

I figured for my big 400^th review, it should be something significant.
Getting my paralegal certificate is pretty significant, right?
Two years ago I decided that since I’ve been on the legal assistant track for some time now that it would make sense to get my certification, my employer would pay for it too, that obviously didn’t hurt.
The SFSU downtown campus couldn’t be more conveniently located, right on the BART line in the freaking MALL. It’s a nice facility, though one could argue the air conditioning works a little too well. Overall, I enjoyed my teachers here with a few notable exceptions that I will not name here :) Nearly every course was offered at night so us full time jobbers could still work and take classes and even though I wasn’t paying for it, I think the course prices were incredibly reasonable.
My biggest complaint about the program is it’s terrible website and it’s lack of communication to it’s students. The website is hard to navigate through and more often than not, you can’t find the information you’re looking for quickly, if at all. The only phone numbers provided are for the Program Director and the Program Coordinator, two people who are way too busy to ever answer their phone/​email. I didn’t discover there was a Program Assistant until my last semester b/​c there is no mention of one anywhere on the web. When it came time for applying for graduation, it was difficult to get any information on how to actually do it, I relied heavily on other students for this information.
All in all, this is a great program that I would definitely recommend to anyone thinking about becoming a paralegal.

2 ½ stars.
Prior to entering and while attending SFSU’s American Bar Associated-​approved paralegal program 2005 – 2007, I spoke with a number of working, certificated paralegals. In varying ways, each paralegal gave me the same warning: inevitably, at some point, you are going to be taking classes during which you will wonder how the hell certain students got accepted into the program. Unfortunately, this warning panned out, but remember: this is not law school. There is no LSAT or personal interview. Amongst others, a screaming mental incompetent, a borderline illiterate, and a sociopath can sneak in. Be aware but keep –your– focus.
Regarding the program director, a former working paralegal, each graduate found the «dual personality» moniker applied. «One day she’s totally on your side, the next she’s after your head,» one graduate summed it up – and shrugged. Be prepared.
Before attending a Masters program, I did a walk-​through of potential schools. Wish I had done so with SFSU. There is no argument that the Westfield Mall location is sleek, attractive, and convenient (the food court is incredible!). However, I and other students found the incomplete computer lab (no printers) and having to trek out to the main campus to purchase books frustrating and a pain.
Speaking of books, another consensus: it is a –total– rip-​off when a school text costs $ 150.00, and after the course is finished, the book cannot be sold back.
Finally, most of this paralegal program’s instructors are practicing lawyers. During my study, they were energetic and enthusiastic about their subjects and highly informative. The coursework was challenging and occasionally intellectually stimulating. Weekend seminars conducted by both lawyers and working paralegals provided updates in emerging areas of law and supplemented traditional classwork.
I do not regret the $ 10,000 out-​of-​pocket spent obtaining a paralegal certificate from SFSU, but man, I could use that cash right now…

There needs to be some clarification from the eloquent comments of the prior blogger regarding the SFSU Paralegal Studies Program.
SFSU paralegal program is a great launch into a second career, or to firm up practical marketable skills lacking from loftier undergraduate pursuits (what was I thinking… political science?) And, this is a worthwhile venue to scope out whether one wishes to endeavor law school.
The education I have received from SFSU has translated into 3 raises from my current employer, now that I am a more knowledgeable commodity. The industry contacts I have made through the program with instructors, who are experts in their fields, is invaluable, and the friends I have made throughout my classes are priceless.
The SF legal market is very fertile for a lucrative and rewarding career (trust me… I come from the wasteland known as the Midwest.) The paralegal program at SFSU has been a perfect springboard toward my success.

Night school, bitches!
You know what a four year degree at UC Berkeley will get you? The clap, dudes. Or, if you’re lucky, a drinking problem and a round-​trip ticket to Wisconsin to visit your boyfriend in jail.
ANYWAY
Last year I decided I had to stop working in photo labs because in five years they won’t exist anymore (BTW, all you digi-​cam geeks out there… thanks for killing my dream) and office jobs give chill benefits.
I enrolled in the San Francisco State University College of Extended Learning Paralegal Certification Program (phew. mouthful.) so that I could get a chill law firm job, decide whether or not I liked having a chill law firm job, and also learn the basics about lots o’ different types of law. Turns out having a law firm job really blows. BUT I still like paralegal school.
Do you know what a riparian right is? How about the application procedure for an EB-​1 Immigrant Visa? No? Well I do, and I only had to pay $ 5,000 to get the answer.
So I probably didn’t need this school, but I’m there. The school is in the new mall. Its pretty state-​of-​the-​art for a night school. The teachers are, for the most part, all lawyers. They’re nice. The students range from smart to dumb as a fucking door knob, but that’s really the same game anywhere. The funniest, though, is when I have other Cal Alums in my class (I always do) and they act all snooty and righteous as if they weren’t also taking classes ABOVE A FUCKING MALL FOOD COURT!
Check this school out if you need a new job. The program director will find you one. You’ll learn something, and you’ll get to booze it in the mall after class.