College to Expand Paralegal Program

Last April, when Merit College abruptly closed its doors, stranding 900 students, Valley College moved quickly to fill the void, creating an extension program for more than 20 abandoned paralegal students just a quarter away from graduation.

One year later, the Professional Paralegal Academy at Valley College is thriving, and the community college will expand the extension program in September to include private investigation, human resources and emergency medical technician programs.

The most recent paralegal valedictorian, Mary Donohue of Sherman Oaks, had high praise for the paralegal program.

“It was a very diverse program. There were 25 different areas of law that we went into,” she said.

“Of course, living here, I liked entertainment law a lot.”

While Donohue interviews for paralegal positions, she said she is also thinking about taking the private investigator classes.

“I definitely think the extension program will gain more interest as more and more people find out about it,” she said.

Hariann Goldman, director of the paralegal and human resources programs, credits the extension program’s early success to the “traditional, low-cost, stable” nature of Valley College.

With Merit College still in bankruptcy protection, “people are really tired of private institutions folding,” she said. “They’re looking more toward public institutions.”

Recent paralegal graduates are serving as clerks for judges, working at local law firms, freelancing and applying to law school, she added.

Extension classes offer a certificate, but not credit toward a degree.

For information, call (818) 781-1200, Ext. 424.