Legal Paraprofessional: A New Career Pathway in Law

Jenny Staskey, family law LP made the leap to her new career with the help of Pima's paralegal program

Jennifer A. Staskey, known as Jenny, has several qualifications and professional certifications to her credit. She earned her most recent laurel – Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LP) - thanks to Pima’s Paralegal Program which provides the necessary coursework for students to become eligible for LP licensure exams. 

A certified public accountant (CPA), certified fraud examiner (CFE), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), and former accounting lecturer at the W.A. Franke College of Business, Northern Arizona University with master’s degrees in criminal justice and educational psychology-counseling, Jenny said she’s “wired to always (be) learning and growing.”

By the time she enrolled at Pima to pursue her goal of becoming a licensed LP, Jenny had 13 years of litigation support under her belt. In her accounting practice she’d gained experience as an expert witness and consultant specializing in fraud investigations, forensic accounting, and divorce settlement financial analysis. In 2020 the law firm Jenny had worked with several times encouraged her to pursue the newly created LP license which would allow her to not just be a forensic accountant but also enable her to draft, sign and file documentation as well as appear in court on behalf of clients – tasks she wouldn’t have been able to do without a law degree. Always up for a challenge and willing to learn, Jenny got to work researching her options and settled on Pima’s Paralegal program.

Those interested in practicing as LPs must meet criteria either through educational qualifications or work experience or a combination of the two. Since Jenny had never been a paralegal or practiced law in any capacity, she needed the necessary education before pursuing licensure. With the flexibility of taking courses online during the pandemic, enrolling at Pima was a no brainer for Jenny. (Though some courses may still be virtual, the program is not offered fully online.) Jenny began in January 2021 and finished the program within a year.  

About faculty at Pima: "That's what I like about the community college, that you get people who are practitioners." ~ Jenny Staskey

In spring 2022, she prepared for and wrote the licensing exams. The LP licensure requires aspirants to appear for two exams – a core which all candidates must write and one for their chosen specialty. Jenny has decided to practice family law given her wide ranging experience in dealing with matters such as divorce settlements. As one of the first few to sit for these exams, Jenny said she had to be creative and make her own study guide. Gwen Gorbette, Program Director, Paralegal Program, said she’s in awe of Jenny’s dedication and perseverance. Few people have been able to pass the LP licensing exams in the first attempt. Impressed by her achievements, Gorbette suggested Jenny be the one to design a study guide for future students!

A month after she received her LP license, Jenny was already in the throes of a trial. The ability to "empower other people" to make better decisions for themselves motivates her to continue this work. With service at the heart of every professional decision so far, Jenny hopes to continue helping clients as well as inspiring others to pursue a career as a Legal Paraprofessional. A year into her practice Jenny has worked on numerous cases and been promoted.

As a former lecturer herself, Jenny said the faculty at Pima were selfless, attentive and brought the best of theoretical and practical knowledge to every class. "That's what I like about the community college, that you get people who are practitioners," Jenny said. 

For anyone considering this unique opportunity for building a legal career, she said, "Talk to LPs, and get your foot in the door, no matter the profile, as soon as you can." There is no better teacher than practice.