Page 2, Washtenaw County Legal News Monday, January 19, 2015

WASHTENAW COUNTYLEGAL NEWS

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Vivek Sankaran profileFrom Page 1

What’s your proudest moment as a lawyer? Tie. Winning Inre Sanders at the Michigan Supreme Court, which eliminated theunconstitutional practice of placing children in foster care eventhough their parents had not been proven to be unfit. Or helping ateenager who had spent her life in foster care find a permanenthome.

If you were starting all over again and couldn’t go into law,what career path would you choose? Run a mentoring organi-zation like Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Or be a kindergartenteacher.

What is something most people don't know about you? Ican’t swim and I’m colorblind.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Work hard to beyour own boss.

Favorite place to spend money: NorthFace, Amazon

What is your motto? Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

What is your favorite quote? “Each of us is more than the worstthing we’ve ever done.” Bryan Stevenson

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Beinga father to three wonderful children.

What is the most unusual thing you have done? Becomeobsessed with CrossFit.

Where would you like to be when you’re 90? Sitting in my sun-room, sipping on a cup of tea, reading the newspaper and stillfinding ways to help others.

Photo courtesy of EMU

EMU paralegal student Melissa Grima (left) and EMU paralegal professor Robin Dec assist a client.

Ten years ago, The Washte-naw County/Eastern MichiganUniversity Legal Resource Cen-ter (LRC) opened its doors.Since that time, more than34,699 Washtenaw County com-munity members have receivedassistance with cour t formsfrom EMU paralegal students aspart of their University coursework.

The LRC is the only universi-ty-supported paralegal clinic ofits kind in the country, wherestudents in the program workunder the supervision of facultyand attorneys for course credit.The center is a collaborativeeffor t between WashtenawCounty, its judges and attorneysand Eastern Michigan.

“This is a tremendous, posi-tive contribution to the commu-nity by our paralegal students,EMU and the LRC sharehold-ers,” said Nancy Caine Harbour,paralegal program coordinator at

Eastern. “The Carnegie Founda-tion for the Advancement ofTeaching just recognized EasternMichigan University for its deeplevel of community engagement,and the LRC was part of thiscommunity engagement, whichis a high honor,” said Harbour.

At the LRC, paralegal stu-dents assist community memberswho cannot afford an attorneywith court forms in four civillegal areas: family law, probate,landlord tenant and small claims.This includes civil matters suchas divorce, child custody andpersonal protection orders. Thestudents also provide informationon various legal procedures fornavigating the court system.

Students have the option towork at the LRC to fulfill theirrequired internship course, typi-cally after they have completedthe core legal courses.

“The LRC experience allowsour students to get hands-on

paralegal experience right wherethe action is - in the courthouse”said Harbour. “It’s a great way toget inside the law without incur-ring the tremendous debt oftoday’s law school education.And with a paralegal degree, ourstudents can immediately enterthe law profession.”

According to the FederalBureau of Labor Statistics, therewere 6,110 paralegals employedin Michigan during 2011, with astatewide average annual incomeof $50,800 and those in the topten percent earning an average of$72,520. The majority of parale-gals in Michigan find employ-ment in private law firms, corpo-rations and state or federal gov-ernment offices.

The EMU paralegal studiesprogram offers two bachelor ofscience degree options in parale-gal studies. The undergraduatedegree program is for studentswithout a four-year collegedegree. A second bachelor’sdegree program is offered forstudents who already have a four-year college degree from anaccredited college or university.In this option, a student can earna second bachelor of sciencedegree with the completion of aminimum of 50 semester hoursof program courses.

“In our paralegal program,students essentially receive thef irst two years of law schoolcourses at a university level,”said Harbour. “The program isapproved by the American BarAssociation, which is the goldstandard for paralegal studiesprograms, and many of our para-legal graduates write to me andtell me how helpful, for example,the legal research and writingcourses were to their success, notonly in law school but in thelegal profession.”

The Legal Resource Center islocated on the first floor of theWashtenaw County Courthouseat 101 E. Huron Street in down-town Ann Arbor, and is openMondays, Tuesdays and Thurs-days during regular court hours.

For more information aboutparalegal programs, visitwww.emich.edu/cot/undergrad_paralegal.htm. For informationabout the Legal Resource Center,contact Nancy Harbour at nhar-bour@emich.edu or 487-7790.

EMU Legal Resource Centercelebrates 10th anniversary

Mark the Date• The Bankruptcy Law Section will meet at noon, Thursday, Jan. 22, at200 N. Main, Lower Level.

• Meet & Greet the Judges, Strolling Reception, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.,Thursday, Jan. 22, Weber's Inn, 3050 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor. This isa joint event with Washtenaw County Bar Association, The WomenLawyers Association of Michigan, Washtenaw Region, and TheVanzetti Hamilton Bar Association. Meet the newly appointed, newlyelected or re-elected judges: Hon. Patrick Conlin, Jr., Hon. RichardConlin, Hon. Christopher Easthope, Hon. Elisha Fink, Hon. JuliaOwdziej, Hon. Anthony Patti, Hon. Charles Pope and Hon. DavidSwartz. The cost is $28. Email newtonc@ewashtenaw.org.

• The Immigration Law Section will meet at noon, Monday, Jan. 26, at200 N. Main, Lower Level, with Section Co-Chairs Brad Thomson andHeather Garvock. Speaker: Anya Abramzon of Jewish Family Serviceswill discuss “JFS Services/Initiatives in Washtenaw County.”

• The Public Service Committee will hold a meeting noon to 1 p.m.,Tuesday, Jan. 27, in the WCBA Office, Suite 1111,1st Floor of theCounty Courthouse, 101 E. Huron, Ann Arbor. Everyone is welcome.Participants may bring their own lunch.

UPCOMING EVENTS