The PACE-Setters 

PACE Ambassadors’ Report

by Co-PACE Ambassador, Lori Brandon, RP

Hello, and welcome to the November PACE-Setters column!  My name is Lori Brandon, and I am employed with the State of Minnesota Judicial Branch as a Court Operations Supervisor in Scott County Court Administration. I passed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam in December 2005. Since Co-PACE Ambassador is my first leadership role with MPA and many of you have never met me, I want to share with you some background about me and why I volunteered for the position of Co-PACE Ambassador. As you may already know from last month’s article, to qualify as a PACE candidate, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• An associates degree in paralegal studies obtained from an institutionally accredited school, and/or ABA approved paralegal education program; and six (6) years substantive paralegal experience; OR
• A bachelor's degree in any course of study obtained from an institutionally accredited school and three (3) years of substantive paralegal experience; OR
• A bachelor's degree and completion of a paralegal program with an institutionally accredited school, said paralegal program may be embodied in a bachelor's degree; and two (2) years substantive paralegal experience; OR
• Four (4) years substantive paralegal experience on or before December 31, 2000.

I qualified as a PACE candidate based on my years of experience prior to December 31, 2000.

I started my post-secondary education in a small, selective private college where my declared major was elementary education. I decided mid-way through second semester freshman year that I didn’t really want to teach elementary school, and it didn’t make sense for me to spend more per year on college tuition, room and board then I could expect to earn per year starting out with a degree in elementary education. I transferred to vocational school and graduated from Hennepin Technical College with a diploma as a legal secretary. By my second year working as a legal secretary, I had demonstrated sufficient skills and knowledge that my duties had become about 70% paralegal. By the time I moved to California with my husband in 1993, I was able to obtain full-time paralegal employment, and I was consistently a top performer on the job. When my family moved back to Minnesota in 1996, I found that potential employers did not care whether or not I had a paralegal certificate because I had a proven work history as a paralegal with top-rated attorneys. Despite my success, I was aware that some of my peers believed that to be a “real” paralegal, one must hold a paralegal certificate. It bothered me to have colleagues that actually believed a piece of paper with their name on it made them better at their chosen profession than someone with a great deal of experience but no piece of paper.

When I stopped to think about my long-range career goals and how I would reach them, I started to focus on the importance of continuing to develop professionally. As part of my growth strategy, I left a large firm where I was only working in one area of law and accepted a position with a small law firm where I learned and became proficient in many new areas of practice. During this time I occasionally made the comment to friends and family that maybe someday I would take the PACE exam.

After a few years I sought employment again at a large firm where I felt I would be able to better utilize my talents and could further my professional development by working on more complex cases. Despite my increased level of responsibility, I still felt that something was missing. Early in 2005 I made one of my passing remarks at home about the PACE exam, and my husband looked me straight in the eye and said “Lori, why don’t you stop talking about it and just go for it!” From that point on, it was full steam ahead. I ordered the candidate materials and the PACE Study Manual. I enrolled in the on-line review course. I set a goal that I would take and pass the exam before the end of 2005, and I shared my plan with family and friends so that I would have a support network for encouragement. The one place I didn’t discuss my goal was at work, although I did spend many a lunch break studying! There are certainly countless reasons to include your employer, such as asking your employer to pay the fees and soliciting employer support for study groups, but my decision to “just go for it” was personal, and I wanted it to be on my own timetable. I had reached a point where pursuing PACE was something I wanted to do for myself, regardless of what impact it had on my employment. For me that was the most powerful motivator to succeed. When I was at the point of scheduling my exam, I decided to discuss it with key people in the firm to make sure I could take the exam on the date scheduled, since there is a fee charged to reschedule an exam. I received strong support from those key people, which included the privilege of taking the exam during work hours without using any accrued paid time off benefits. I passed the exam the first time.

Since passing PACE I have been asked questions like “was it what you expected” or “was it hard.”  I can honestly say the exam was what I expected, because I had thoroughly prepared for it. I can also honestly say that it was the most difficult test I have ever taken, but then again, that might just be because I hadn’t taken an exam in more than a decade. It was, however, also a highly rewarding experience and worth every ounce of energy I put into it. The sense of accomplishment I felt when my passing score came up on the computer screen was simply overwhelming. Yes, you do get your preliminary test results immediately following the exam. I volunteered to be Co-PACE Ambassador because I want to be a resource for other paralegals who wish to become a PACE-Registered Paralegal. I want other paralegals to experience the same excitement and sense of accomplishment upon receiving a passing score that I experienced.

I have heard many paralegals say they see no reason to pursue PACE because they have their degree and/or paralegal certificate and are well-established with their employer. I must admit that this attitude surprises me just a little. I do not believe having the RP behind your name makes you better at your job than someone without it any more than your name on a paralegal certificate means you know more than someone without it. I do believe, though, that a desire to continually develop is part of being a dedicated professional. Perhaps you are truly content being one of approximately 4,000 paralegals in the State of Minnesota and further advancement is not currently a priority for you, or maybe you do not yet meet the criteria to be a candidate for PACE. If this describes you, I hope you will at least re-evaluate your situation periodically and consider the PACE opportunity in the future. If you are ready to set yourself apart from the crowd by taking the next step, Doris Wente, RP and I are available as your Co-PACE Ambassadors to help you reach your goal. “Stop talking about it and just go for it” turned out to be excellent advice. Are you ready to act?