Study Law Clerk And Be More Than Just a Number – A Graduate’s Perspective

Student Spotlight – Interviews to Inspire Series

We could list the powerful benefits of embarking on a diploma in law clerk – how it’s a challenging, rewarding, and lucrative career that offers myriad opportunities to dive into and work with the law. And we could tell you that in 52 weeks, in a student-centred, expert-lead classroom and with real-work training that you’ll receive the expertise and support to write one, or all, of the four provincial law clerk exams in litigation, corporate law, real estate and/or wills and estates. But we imagine you would much rather hear from one who’s ‘been there – done that’ and listen to her insights on what it’s really like to be in the thick of it all and to achieve her goals. And what was most important for her when she chose where to go to school.

Let us introduce Anderson College’s Law Clerk graduate, Michelle Macumud. Nothing speaks more powerfully than experience …

Why did you decide to continue your education and why the Law Clerk program?

I arrived here in Canada in 2008. Back in the Philippines, I worked at the Supreme Court for 10 years as an admin staff. When I came here, I told myself that I wanted to do the same thing and continue working in the legal field. But at the time, I had to survive, so I ended up being a caregiver for eight years. And then, when I got my work permit, I started working as a personal support worker. When the pandemic hit last year, when everybody was tired of working from home, one of my friends encouraged me and told me, “Why not go back to school?”. Anderson College was offering online courses, and I became interested. I started to ask what the programs were related to the legal field. I was first introduced to paralegal course, but since I like paperwork and performing administrative tasks, I thought the Law Clerk program was a better fit for me.

How did you find out about Anderson College and why did you choose us?

I reached out mainly because my friend told me that Anderson was offering an online law clerk course. When I first spoke to Anne, my Admissions Advisor, she was very hands-on. I felt like I wasn’t treated just as a number, but instead treated with so much care. She was very committed to talking to me. She answered all my questions and I felt like I was in good hands with Anderson.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the admission process?

When I first met Anne and I told her that I was in need of OSAP assistance, she connected me right away to Olga in the financial department. We started working on the application. And then, while we were waiting for that, I took the Skills Assessment Test. I passed it and then after that, I was introduced to Claudia, another Admissions Advisor. Claudia scheduled me for a virtual introduction to the Law Clerk program. When my OSAP was approved, they again connected with me, and then we started signing the documents for the Law Clerk program. That’s when I realized, “Okay, this is it. Now I really am going to start the program!”.

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Can you tell us more about your classes? What did you like the most?

The first thing I asked was: “How do the classes work?” Anne told me: “You’re going to have one module at a time. All the modules will take between two to five weeks to finish”. This is one of the things I liked most about Anderson because we could focus on one module at a time. So, when Anne told me that, I was happy, and I really liked the way that we just concentrated on one learning aspect at a time.

With regards to our class, Mr. Jonathan Dickins was my instructor. I really appreciated how he ran his class. We always started with a pop-up question, like a trivia quiz, of what you’d learned from the previous day. It was just a couple of review questions and then after that, we would move to the lecture itself. We also had homework every day, assignments that were due at the end of the module, and a test every Friday. This readied us for what we would have to do in the real world. The other thing that I liked about Mr. Jonathan’s class was that he had what he calls, ‘phone calls day’, when he calls every student individually. It took about 10 minutes per student, and he asked us if everything was okay regarding the lessons or the module. I really appreciated this the most because it felt like he wasn’t just there as an instructor, but also as an advisor. I could feel and can say that he really showed concern for the students; he really wants his students to succeed in the program. What I also liked about him, as some of our classes are virtual, was that he went out on a field trip by himself while he was doing the lecture for us one day. It was very interesting to see a different background since we couldn’t have any field trips at the time. It was very kind and nice of him to do that.

I also had another instructor, Mr. Isaac Joseph. What I liked most in his class is that he always started the day with an inspirational quote of the day to motivate us. With Mr. Dickins, I appreciated how he made the course lighter. At first, when you hear ‘law clerk’, I mean, it’s about ‘law’, so it can be very intimidating. And I said to him, “I don’t know if I can do it”. He just laughed at that. And then when we started the course, I realized, “Oh, not that hard”, because he really made you feel like it wasn’t hard. You just have to be focused and have the willingness to finish the course.

Can you tell us more about your practicum? How was it and did you find it helpful?

Regarding the practicum, what I again liked about Mr. Jonathan’s style or technique, was that in the middle of our module, he would encourage us to connect with people and build a network with different law firms. He helped us start networking because he believes, which is true, that when you’re the one who finds a placement, most likely you will end up having the job there. In my case, I started calling law firms early, asking for a placement. Luckily, I was able to contact firms that told me that they were willing to accept me for a practicum. I ended up having a practicum at a real estate law firm. It was very helpful and also challenging because it was a very fast-paced environment, and a very busy firm. I learned a lot and I can say that it’s a good training ground for someone interested in real estate transactions.

Have your classes and hands-on training been helpful during your placement?

Oh, yes! Since I was in a real estate firm, whatever we tackled during the real estate module, helped a lot! At least, you have a better understanding of the method used and what they’re doing in the firm.

Were there any obstacles or challenges that you had to overcome while you were studying?

Yes, definitely. As a working student, of course, I was working on the weekend. So, a typical student problem I encountered was to submit the assignments on time or to take the tests. Mr. Jonathan was very accommodating. As long as you were honest with him, he would accommodate you as much as he could.

One of the most challenging parts of my life, that I faced while I was studying, was that my father passed away in the middle of my studies, which was just last May. My father was in the Philippines and then after he got the vaccine, he was bedridden. After two weeks, he passed. It was very unexpected. Mr. Jonathan was there for me, before and during the time that I was going through this. I told him that my father was not doing well, and he encouraged me to stay strong. After two weeks, he heard that my father passed, and he was the first person who came to offer his sympathy and condolences to me and my family, which I never expected. It really touched me that he did this.

I felt like he was more than an instructor to me, he went above and beyond. I told him: “Mr. Jonathan, if not for your support, I don’t know if I would have even finished the module at all”. Because at that time, when we had these “phone call days”, I was crying and breaking down. He saw me at the lowest point of my life, but he made it easier for me. I will forever be grateful to him. I would like to give credit to him and tell everyone that he is an exceptional person. I was able to finish the course with flying colors. Even though he told me, “No Michelle, you don’t have to do presentations”, I told him, “I can do it”. And he was 100% supportive of me at the time when I was at my lowest.

Were there times when you felt the faculty or administration team were helpful?

Everybody was helpful, from start to end. I want to thank Olga for her work in helping me to get my OSAP approved. I want to give Miss Claudia Adair credit as well, as she was the one who communicated with me when I was accepted into the program. She did the virtual program introduction and then she asked me, “Do you have any laptop to use?” and I said, “Oh, unfortunately, I don’t have one”. She immediately connected with the IT department and in a short time, I was able to have a nice laptop from the school. Another person I’d like to give credit to is Mr. Dino, the Campus Director at the time. He welcomed me personally. He called me and when I asked him if I could own the laptop, he told me that I could. I was so happy when he called me and said, “You know Michelle, you can have it”. So, with all of that, with all their support, I felt very overwhelmed. Everyone was so very supportive.

How has it been since graduation? Were you able to find a job?

Actually, my placement site offered me a job, and I tried it for a couple of weeks. But unfortunately, I felt like I wanted to see other practice areas and also because real estate is a very challenging field. So, after two weeks, I decided to resign. Right now, I’m in the process of applying to different firms again.

Do you have any advice for future Law Clerk students?

The advice that I could give to future law clerk students is, don’t be afraid. At first, I thought, “It’s law, I can’t do it, it’s very intimidating. You’re going to have to memorize all these laws”, but I would say just keep pursuing your dreams and your long-term goals in life. At my age, I didn’t think I would be able to study again and get high grades too. If you face challenges and obstacles, like what happened to me with my father, what I would suggest to you is that you have the courage and the will to move on. Keep going and never stop trying because at the end of the day, you will realize that you can do it. For me, it was all about courage. I wanted to finish this course, I wanted this for myself and to improve myself. No matter what obstacles and challenges you’re going to have, you will be able to survive it and finish the course with flying colors.

Anything else you would want to add?

I am just so thankful for how Anderson handles their students. They’re very reliable and very committed. They always respond to their students, even the IT department when I was having a problem with the computer. For the faculty, Mr. Jonathan was my mentor for eight months. He made the program feel easy. It didn’t feel like this was a very intimidating course. He treated every one of us like more than just students, he treated us with care. I also considered other schools, big schools, but when I tried to inquire one time, it felt more like you were just a number. You don’t feel like they have this concern and that if there’s any problem that they can support you. So that’s what I think, makes Anderson different for me, because I can feel that they don’t treat their students as numbers; they want to be part of the student’s success.

In terms of the classes, like what I’ve said, the most important for me is that the module is taken one at a time. In two weeks to four weeks, you will only be concentrated on one module. And of course, you’re going to have tests and homework, but Mr. Jonathan made it easy for us. Most of us students were working but the way Mr. Jonathan handled it felt like it was no problem at all. “We’ll work it out. I’ll be here and support you all the way”.  Who could ask for more?

If you’re looking to explore a career as a Law Clerk and, like Michelle, want to feel as though you’re a part of a community committed to your success, Anderson may be just the right fit for you. There’s only one way to know for sure. Connect with us. You can learn more about our Law Clerk program here, book a virtual appointment with our Admissions Team or explore one of our 30+ leading-edge programs. We’re here for you every step of the way.