Roosevelt University - Paralegal Studies Program

Career Development
Paralegal Studies Program

The Career Development Department of the Paralegal Studies Program serves to provide students and graduates with an invaluable resource in conducting an effective job search. There are many professional opportunities for current students and graduates. All students can meet individually with the Associate Director and receive advising in career-related matters including, but not limited to, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing techniques, and job search plans. Career Workshops are held in the spring and fall semesters, and all students are encouraged to attend one as they approach completion of the Program. These workshops feature experienced paralegals who are graduates of the program discussing what it is like to work in different areas of the law.

INTERNSHIPS

In addition to classroom training, internships offer a tremendous opportunity for students to learn and perhaps even secure a full-time position. The program works with many law firms (large and small), corporations and governmental agencies throughout the Chicago metropolitan area to offer students a variety of internship opportunities. If selected for an internship, the student registers for this as their final course in the program, taking the place of their elective. An internship is not required in order to graduate, but it is highly recommended for students seeking to gain practical work experience in a legal environment.

Students must apply for and be selected by an intern sponsor that the program has made arrangements with in order to enroll in this course. It may also be possible for a student to secure an internship on their own and have it count for credit toward their elective course. This must be approved by the program in advance of the internship start date.

Recent internship sponsors include the Illinois Department of Corrections, Mallon & Johnson, Cook County State's Attorneys Office, Mintel International Group, Chicago Transit Authority, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Clausen Miller, Catholic Charities and Ice Miller. If you are interested in sponsoring a paralegal intern, please contact Chanita Dean (Assistant Director) for more information at 312-281-3185.

JOB PLACEMENT

Due to its excellent reputation, Paralegal Studies Program graduates enjoy great success in securing employment. On a daily basis, paralegal employers make requests for our graduates.

Employers seeking to post a job opportunity or view resumes of students and alumni of the Paralegal Studies Program should go to the 'Employer Resources' section of this website.

Students and alumni of the Paralegal Studies Program who wish to view available job opportunities or post their resume for employers to see should go to the 'Student/Alumni Resources' section of this website.

Attention Students & Alumni - Be sure to read the following document,
10 Ways to Promote the Paralegal Studies Program Name Change that explains how you can help us make sure our new name is communicated clearly and prominently throughout the legal community.

SALARIES

The average starting salary for graduates of the Paralegal Studies Program is currently $35,000 per year. Recent statistics show the starting salary range for our graduates at $28,000 to $49,000 per year.

According to the Illinois Paralegal Association's 2007 Survey of Salaries and Benefits, 73% of the respondents have salaries exceeding $50,000 per year, and the high reported annual salary was $102,000.

CAREER DAYS

The program holds an annual Career Day during the fall at the 18 South Michigan Avenue campus, open to current students and graduates of the program. In addition to inviting paralegal employers to campus in order to recruit our students and alumni, a variety of workshops are held covering a wide array of topics related to career development. Speakers at these workshops are legal professionals from throughout the Chicagoland legal community, including lawyers, paralegal managers and legal recruiters. The career days held by the Paralegal Studies Program are the largest of their kind and many students and graduates find excellent positions as a result of participating. If you are an employer interested in attending our Career Day, please contact Chanita Dean (Assistant Director) for more information at

312-281-3185.

GRADUATE SURVEYS

The program enjoys hearing from its graduates as their careers progress. We send surveys to our graduates often in order to measure their successes. If you are a recent graduate or an experienced alum and have not had a chance to share your employment information with us, please take a moment to download and print the appropriate survey found below. We would appreciate it if you could complete the survey and send it to us by mail or fax, whichever is more convenient. Any information you provide to the program in these surveys will remain strictly confidential, only to be used for reporting purposes with the American Bar Association in compliance with our ABA-approval.

Recent Graduate Survey

Experienced Alumni Survey

TRANSCRIPTS

To obtain an official transcript verifying your completion of the program, send a written request and a $5.00 fee per copy (made payable to Roosevelt University) to:

Roosevelt University
Paralegal Studies Program
Attention: Kay LeVoy
430 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60605

Include the following information with your request: your name as it was when you attended the program, social security number, dates of attendance, campus location, specialty or generalist program and where the transcript(s) should be sent. Please allow 7-10 business days for transcripts to be mailed.

Paralegal Studies Program