ICC’s Legal Studies Program gave me the tools to succeed as both a paralegal and a law student. When I enrolled in the program in 2016, I was a shy eighteen-year-old with a plethora of doubts about my ability to succeed. However, thanks to the excellent mentorship, advice, and direct feedback that I received from my professors, my confidence in my legal research and writing abilities steadily grew. In fact, my confidence grew so much within two years (mostly thanks to the encouragement of Professor Higgins) that I began to seriously consider the prospect of eventually becoming a lawyer.
After graduating from the program in 2018, I was able to easily find a job; I was hired at Prairie State Legal Services, a legal aid organization in central Illinois, and worked there for three years. During the end of my tenure in legal aid, I decided to commit to my goal of becoming a lawyer and attended Bradley University where I earned a bachelor’s degree in English. After graduating from Bradley in 2023, I worked for a year at the City of Peoria’s Legal Department while I studied for and eventually took the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). After being accepted to eight different law schools, I chose to attend the University of Dayton School of Law (UDSL) on a nearly full-tuition scholarship.
I am now completing my first year at UDSL. Thanks to my paralegal degree and experience, I was able to secure a great, paid summer clerkship in a geographical area (Southwest Ohio) where I have very few connections. In fact, every interview I have had so far has begun with, “So you’re a paralegal? Tell me about your experiences working in law.” I credit ICC’s Legal Studies Program with fostering my passion, understanding, and appreciation for the law, and I can’t recommend the program enough to any prospective lawyers and paralegals.
Lydia Wagenbach, Class of 2018
