Blackstone School of Law

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by bdepp, Nov 5, 2001.

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  1. bdepp

    bdepp New Member

    Can anyone provide info in Blackstone School of Law. This is a correspondence paralegal school. Is it legitimate? Any background would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. StahlCon

    StahlCon New Member

    I completed the Blackstone course back in 1994. I can say that there is a very broad education to be had with them regarding the origin of the law, and at a very modest cost(I believe the price for the course back when I enrolled in 1992 was around $500.00, about what 1 semesters tuition would cost at a small university )

    As I have come to find out over the years, they were one of the very first schools to offer a basic legal education through correspondence (established 1890)and have even run across very old versions of their text in antique stores! Although the text has been updated many times since it was first published, it still reads like a set of books from that period, as most law books do.

    The training has helped me in many ways over the years, and would indeed reccommend it to anyone as a broad introductory level education in law. However, it may be difficult to use the course for transfer credit as it is a propriatary school, although approved by the Texas State Education Association. I have heard mixed opinions on how useful it is to gain employment as a paralegal, Since requirements vary GREATLY between firms. I decided not to seek employment in this field (and after dealing with many attorneys and their assistants I am glad that I didn't).

    To sum it up, yes it is legit, good training and even very respectible from a traditional perspective. But there may be better options out there in community colleges that offer A.A.S. degrees in this field for those who strongly desire a carrer as a paralegal.

    Hope this helps!
    Mike
     
  3. bdepp

    bdepp New Member

    Thanks. The information is great. I am interested in the statement about the dealing with attorneys and glad that you didnt decide to seek employment in this area. Was this due to the broad nature of this training or just an all around dislike of working with the attorneys? Thanks again.
     
  4. David Yamada

    David Yamada New Member

    If you do a Yahoo search on "Blackstone College of Law," you won't come up with much. But you will find several folks in surprisingly high positions, including a partner at the internationally-acclaimed law firm of Coudert Brothers who has a fancy Ph.D. and specializes in high-tech, intellectual property issues.
     
  5. Peter French

    Peter French member


    They used to offer an LLB back in the 1960's/70's



    ------------------
    Peter French,
    MEd MAcc (UNE - Australia) CMA
    Melbourne, Australia
    [email protected]
     
  6. StahlCon

    StahlCon New Member

    Hi again, and glad I could help.

    Basically, I decided not to enter the field for a variety of reasons. Back in 1992 when I started at Blackstone, I was also working concurrently on a A.A. Degree in Pre-Law, which I also completed in 1994. Back then, it was still possible to enter several law schools with an A.A. and an acceptable LSAT score (and probably still is in certian places and circumstances) In addition, I also completed the PDIC Paralegal course (DETC accredited) at the same time. It makes me tired just thinking about it! But what can I say, I was only in my early 20's. I had intended to work for a lawyer for a few years before entering law school.

    Much better opourtunities opened up for me in the business sector, which was one of the reasons for abandoning my career as a lawyer. But basically what really changed my mind was talking to other paralegals, in that most were severely overworked and underpaid, and basically did the lawyer's job for a fraction of the salary. Some large firms require as much as a paralegal degree from an ABA approved school, while others that you simply are breathing and have a pulse. (and look real good if you are a woman, which did not apply in my case as I am a guy)After dealing with many attorneys in private industry, I never regretted my choice.
    Blackstone is a really good test to see if you have the basics for studying law,as a lawyer or paralegal. and for that reason alone I would recommend it. The programs are more specialized in my opinion, as in learning to write briefs, legal forms, without the theory behind them.

    Mike
     
  7. bdepp

    bdepp New Member

    Mike,
    Thanks again for the great info. I have to echo the underpaid and overworked statement but I guess most of us are in any profession. My wife has taken this course and completed and is now interested in possibly entering the workforce in the paralegal area. I am not sure where this is going but I was trying to gather info on the acceptance of this study, quality of the program, etc. You have provided a lot of insight to this. I think she should stay in the teaching profession but who am I to say. This too is another underpaid and overworked profession. Again, thanks for the info. Feel free to add any further info.
     
  8. elrich

    elrich New Member

    Hi, I don't know much about Blackstone as I got my AS in Paralegal Studies from a community college. However, I can tell you that if you really want to be a paralegal, you would enjoy it despite the fact that some of them in large law firms work long hours with no glory. But those are litigation paralegals. I worked in small lawfirms that did everything so technically I wasn't a "litigation" paralegal and I loved it. Then I ended up with a corporate paralegal job that got me involved in intellectual property law (which originally I thought was boring--but really is not) and throughout the years got my BS in business and evolved out of the corporate legal dept and into a role of high technology licensing. There are so many routes a paralegal can take that doesn't involve paralegal "mills" in a large litigation firm. After having worked in both law firms and corporate environment, I prefer the corporate business environment and would NEVER work in a law firm again. I'm in the process of looking at getting my JD thru distance learning in CA just to validate the experience I have (I have no desire to practice as an attorney). You might want to also check out www.kaplancollege.com and take a look at their paralegal program.
     
  9. Mary A

    Mary A Member

    Hi - I would offer just a few words of caution regarding using this program as an entre into the workforce. It will not likely be sufficient in most, if not all, metropolitan areas where paralegals hold Bachelor degrees along with their paralegal training. It might be sufficient to get you a clerical position in a law firm, but I wager that if you have good skills you could probably start there anyway. As I recall, a significan portion of Blackstone's students were incarcerated individuals who were using the information to assist them with appeals - which likely means the materials are sound. It just depends on what you hope to do with the training.

    Mary
     
  10. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Well, I have been thinking about taking some legal courses for some time now. I looked up Blackstone and think it would be a good course of study in which to engage. I will enroll myself. The cost is modest and away cheaper than others I have looked into.
     

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