I—The Daily Collegian Friday, Oct. 24, 1986
Job outlook attractive for paralegals
By LAURA PRAH
Collegian Staff Writer
Pre-law majors aren’t the only
students showing potential to work
within the legal system.
Any student in the College of
Liberal Arts learns the necessary
skills to become a paralegal, or
legal assistant, said an admissions
counselor at the Institute For Par
alegal Training in Philadelphia.
Legal assistants perform tasks
usually handled by a lawyer, such
as real estate closings and bank
ruptcies, researching investiga
tions, managing estates and setting
up trusts.
Paralegals do everything except
give legal advice or represent cli
ents in court, said Suzanne Brady,
the institute’s admissions counsel
or.
Students majoring in history, En
glish, and political science may
want to keep this in mind because
paralegal training is the fastest
growing profession in the United
States, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics’ Occupation Out
look Quarterly for Spring, 1986.
In 1984, the quarterly report
stated, paralegals numbered 53,000.
By the end of the next decade, that
figure is expected to double, said
Philip Bucher, assistant director
for information systems at the Ca
reer Development and Placement
Service.
Birth-control aids
aborted pending
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“Liberal Arts student graduates
have strong communication skills,
especially in reading and writing
and researching,” Brady said, add
ing that these tools are invaluable
when working in law.
They can effectively talk to peo
ple and deal with them on a person
to-person level, she said. -
careers
When someone walks away with a
degree in liberal arts, Brady said,
they are well-trained in composing
and compiling information from
statistics. With post-graduate train
ing, students can refine and direct
their skills towards a study in law,
she said.
The institute was the first to
adopt guidelines for a paralegal
training program in 1970 with the
guidance of the American Bar Asso
ciation.
The most recent figures indicate
that 85 to 90 percent of the Insti
tute’s certified students are placed
in jobs within six months of com
pleting the paralegal training pro
gram.
By becoming paralegals, stu
dents are not just bringing benefits
to a law firm, but also increasing
their own marketability, Brady
said. Skills acquired in post-grad-
lOWA CITY, lowa (AP) Plans by University
of lowa students to dispense birth-control devices
free of charge in a dormitory have been postponed
in order to work first on improving sex education.
Randal Koppes, president of the Burge Asso
ciated Student House, said condoms were to be
distributed to residents of the third floor of Burge
in a “pilot program” because of sexual activity
among college students. A box of 100 condoms was
purchased with student activity fees.
However, because of fears about being sued and
concerns of other students involved in running
residence hall programs about dispensing the
condoms without sex education information, the
Burge plan has been delayed.
uate training in law-related areas
are also desired in other businesses,
she said.
Legal assistants are now em
ployed by banks, corporations,
stock brokerage houses, accounting
firms, insurance companies, gov
ernment agencies, hospitals, and
labor unions, said Cynthia Christo
pher, the Institute’s Director of
Admissions.
The increase in the demand for
paralegals is partly due to the de
sire among lawyers or law firms to
increase their caseloads, Brady
said. Using paralegals also allows
the lawyer to charge reasonable
fees because the paralegal has a
lower salary than the lawyers, she
added.
More and more, specially trained
legal assistants are able to assume
job responsibilities beyond tradi
tional law firm environments. For
example, Brady said paralegals
may specialize in Administrative
and Public law or International
Trade Law and Business.
Employee Benefit Plans are an
area where paralegal specialization
is currently in high demand, Brady
said. Every corporation offers a
benefit plan to employees. Parale
gals learn to write, modify and
manage pension plans and benefit
packages, apply government rules
to plans, and help design packages
for employers that work well in the
company, she said.
Lynn Distler has an associate
degree in paralegal training from
the Central Pennsylvania Business
School in Summerdale, and is cur
rently working as a secretary at
James L. Jubelirer and Associates,
205 E. Beaver Ave.
Distler worked for three years as
a paralegal in El Paso, Texas and
Denver, Colo, after receiving her
degree. Of the 12 students in her
graduating class only two found
jobs in Pennsylvania.
Distler said it is difficult to find
paralegal work in small towns be
cause firms tend to be more conser
vative and hesitant to take a risk
with them. She said McQuaide,
Blasko, Schwartz, Fleming and
Faulkner Inc., 811 University
Drive, is the only firm in State
College that employs legal assis
tants.
Sarah Arosell, a paralegal at the
State College firm, received a dual
degree in English and history at
Vanderbilt University in Tennessee
before attending the Institute for
Paralegal Training in Philadelphia
It is a good way to get into a
professional position and advance
within a corporation without be
coming a mail person or secretary
first, she said.
Arosell said she became a parale
gal because she was interested in
law but did not want to make the
committment of attending law
school.
Koppes, a sophomore from Cascade, said to
prevent any discrimination, there are plans to
purchase non-prescription birth-control devices
for women, too. He said a sex education informa
tional meeting will be scheduled before the end of
the year, at which time the birth control items will
be dispensed free of charge.
George Droll, the university’s director of resi
dence services, said student dormitory govern
ments “have that kind of freedom” on use of
student activity fees, which come from a $4 assess
ment on each resident student.
Droll said university officials would not step in
to prohibit use of student funds to purchase con
doms.
SUB offers more than
food for thought
By CHRISTINE NICHOLAS
Collegian Staff Writer
While some students enjoy the Cof
feehouse, the Asylum, or on-campus
concerts, many do not realize that
these free activities are made possi
ble by the Student Union Board.
Founded in 1968, SUB “runs free
activities for students in the HUB,”
Vice' President Cheryl Woodward
said.
A SUB committee organizes the
Asylum, the University’s non-alcohol
ic nightclub, open in the HUB Cellar
from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesdays.
SUB President Leonard Farber
said the board also handles the Cof
feehouse a showcase for student
and local performers in the HUB
Cellar. Performers, chosen through
auditions, sing or play musical instru
ments at the Coffeehouse on Wednes
day nights from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Woodward said that the purpose of
the Coffeehouse is for sheer enjoy
ment.
In addition to these activities,
Farber said SUB hopes to organize
teams for this year’s College Bowl
competition a trivia contest be
tween teams of college students
which has existed for about 20 years.
College Bowl, a national contest
that began as a television game show,
consists of two rounds of competition,
said J. David Grebos, assistant direc
tor of activities. Teams gain points by
answering trivia questions on a vari
ety of subjects.
A college holds an elimination con
test to produce its best team. Then,
Grebos said, the teams compete in
one of 16 regional College Bowl com
petitions. ,
“Winners of these regional events
go on to either another regional con
test or national intercollegiate fi
nals,” Grebos explained.
The University will sponsor this
year’s regional College Bowl compe
tition for the region including Penn
sylvania, Maryland, W’est Virginia
and the District of Columbia, Grebos
added.
Colleges such as the University of
Maryland, Temple University, Kings
College, and Bloomsburg University
will attend the regional competition,
Farber added.
SUB is funded by the University
since it is a registered student organi
zation, Farber explained. He said
SUB’s activities, except movies, are
free to students because they are paid
for with money allotted from the
Student Organization Budget Com
mittee.
The charge to students for movies
is $2, Farber said, but the money is
used to supplement SUB’s budget and
to sponsor additional activities. SUB
tries to sponsor “top-run movies,” he
said.
SUB also organizes on-campus
movie premiers. The free premiers,
which are held in Eisenhower audito
rium, Farber said, allow students to
see movies that have not yet been
released in town.
In addition to movies, SUB spon
sors free concerts in the HUB Ball
room.
Farber explained that SUB con
certs occur “on a sporadic basis
because of funding.” SUB tries to
have one or two concerts a month and
to feature performers with different
styles, he added.
SUB has not decided on future
concert dates, Farber said, but they
will most likely be held this semester
or the beginning of next semester. He
said the concerts will feature bands
such as Friction, from Lewistown,
and Asylum Blue, the band that has
opened for the popular rock group
Berlin.
He said 50 to 60 students, including
four officers and numerous commit
tee heads, are members of SUB.
Interested students can join SUB, 222
HUB, any time of the year since the
organization is always looking for
new members with fresh ideas, Farb;
er said.
Foreign language:
By LORI LINCOLN
Collegian Staff Writer
Foreign language skills are in a greater
demand across the nation for individuals
pursuing careers in teaching, translation and
international business.
“Business has discovered a bilingual or
multilingual person is at more of an advan
tage than a monolingual person with equal
skills in the internationalized world,” said
Richard L. Frautschi, professor and head of
the French department.
The business world is discovering that the
growing world economy necessitates a
knowledge of a foreign language and culture,
Frautschi said.
He said not ohly is the growing need in
business, but also in education. Ten years ago
it was difficult to place graduates in foreign
language teaching positions, but now the
number of available teaching positions is
exceeding the applicants.
“There is a demand for international skills
because the American business environment
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tation
Bilingual students have the upper hand
is becoming more dependent on the foreign
trade. Therefore, students who are able to
deal with the foreign market will have better
opportunities,” said Jacob De Rooy, asso
ciate professor of managerial economics and
statistics.
No data exists to suggest that employers
are specifically demanding foreign language
proficiency. However, many employers want
students who understand international busi
ness, De Rooy said.
“I assume foreign language skills would be
attractive to employers. It would strengthen
the the job applicant’s skill in dealing with
international business relations,” De Rooy
said.
Ernest Schurer, head of the German de
partment, credits part of the significant in
crease in enrollment in the German
department because “students are becoming
aware that knowing a foreign language gives
them an advantage in the job market later
on.”
Students are continuing foreign language
studies from high school and have had the
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opportunity to visit foreign countries before
entering college, Schurer said.
Besides cultural enjoyment, students inter
ested in the foreign service and international
government jobs in Washington, D.C. need
foreign language skills, Schurer said.
Jack Rayman, director of the University’s
Career Development and Placement Center
said, however, he has not observed any rise in
job opportunities for University students who
possess a language skill and seek employ
ment in technical areas.
Based on results from interviews arranged
by the CDPC for students, Rayman said, “We
have not noticed a new surge in demand for
foreign language skills in our office based on
interview activity.”
Employers come to Penn State looking for
people in technical areas, Rayman said,
while graduates with foreign language skills
usually have to leave the campus to find their
jobs.
“There could be a change but we haven’t
seen it yet,” Rayman said.
A minor in a foreign language would add
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in the
breadth to a technical major. It is a nice plus
if you have it but not of extreme high value at
most positions, Rayman said.
From the vantage point of the University’s
Spanish department, there is clearly an in
creasing need for foreign language skills,
said Leon F. Lyday, professor of Spanish and
head of the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese
department.
job openings for translators are clearly on
the upswing, Lyday said. Demands in other
jobs areas, most obviously in teaching, have
also increased, he said.
Foreign languages have gained importance
among the national academia.
Many states have now instituted foreign
language requirements. In addition, some
areas of the nation are experiencing a short
age of foreign language teachers that is
expected to become more critical over the
next few years, Lyday said. There is an
increased demand at the university and sec
ondary level.
Job openings have more than doubled in the
University Spanish department’s placement
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The Daily Collegian Friday, Oct. 24, 198 G—5
international job market
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manual for foreign language teaching at
colleges and universities.
Subsequently, enrollment in foreign lan :
guage classes has increased. The Spanish
department experienced an increase of about
1,000 students this semester, Lyday said.
“Opportunities are much much better than
they were five years ago, obviously there was
a slump but obviously we are out of that
slump,’’ Lyday said.
More graduate assistants are needed also.
As a general rule, a good student can teach
anywhere they want and the stipends are
getting better. Colleges are competing for
students from other than just name colleges
if the students have a good record, said
Lyday.
“Clearly the light is at the end of the tunnel.
There are job opportunities out there for
foreign language students when they grad
uate," Lyday said.
American businesses are more aware of
ihe international market and the expansion of
the market and want students with a foreign
language skill, Schurer said.
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