Mike Forster planned to attend law school after graduating college but was waitlisted, so he took a job as a paralegal instead. He has enjoyed learning about the legal system and consulting with attorneys during his over a year working at a lobbying firm. Forster will now attend law school at Case Western Reserve University in the fall, hoping his paralegal experience will help him succeed. Though not your typical career path, Forster feels confident in his legal future due to his on-the-job training as a paralegal.

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Mike Forster: Paralegal at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman
Bode Matz
[By Mahsa Khalilifar]
Most paralegals go through some sort of formal law training and then enter the field as legal staff members, while others
have no choice but to receive their training on the job. Mike Forster belongs to the latter group. He’s not your typical
experienced paralegal, but he’s got a plan and some sharp humor to go along with it. He didn’t always expect his career to
start out this way, though.
Forster planned to enter law school right who have already been through what I am that he referred to as a “right-wing think
after graduating from the University of about to embark on.” tank.” Lucky for him and maybe even the
Michigan in 2005. After applying to several company (Forster is a self-declared liberal),
schools and getting waitlisted by four of his What he will soon embark on is the next leg the interview was cut short because the fire
choices, Forster decided he needed to take of his journey toward his goal of becoming alarm in the office went off.
a different approach. A frustrated Forster a lawyer. He is going to attend Case
made the decision to start out working as Western Reserve University School of Law in “It was as if someone sensed that a
a paralegal instead of directly entering law Cleveland, OH, in the fall and is hoping to put Democrat was in their midst and they had
school. his paralegal skills to good use. to abort as quickly as possible,” he joked.
“They must have smelled my ACLU card, as I
“I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to go to law “Hopefully my increased familiarity with did not get the job.”
school,” Forster explained. “I consulted with certain terminology and my experiences with
a lot of people who have been to law school, legal research will give me an advantage in When he’s not working or gearing up for law
and they all said that…it might be a smart law school,” Forster said. school, Forster likes to go out and have fun.
idea to take some more time to decide.” He likes to play softball and kickball and,
Forster has loved the experience he’s most of all, make the people around him
Forster, a 23-year-old Detroit native, started attained, and he said working in a law firm laugh. This comes as no surprise; his humor
out applying for jobs in Washington. When he was a good path for him because he is now pops out from his MySpace and blog pages.
didn’t get the results he needed, he posted confident about his future. He has received And when asked where he saw himself in 10
his resume on his former university’s alumni firsthand knowledge and information. years, he replied, “In 10 years, I would like
site, and a company that fit his specifications to be at the Super Bowl watching the Detroit
contacted him. The law firm of Olsson “The greatest part about my job is all the Lions hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but
Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz offered places I get to go: Congress, the Supreme I think there’s a better chance that the Miss
Forster a job as a member of its legal staff. Court, the Library of Congress, embassies,” America Pageant tiara will be hoisted upon
According to Forster, this “lobbying firm he said. “Basically, I get paid to visit places my head than that happening.” He will just
specializes in regulatory matters regarding that tourists from all over the country travel have to wait and see.
the FDA/USDA with agricultural, medical here to see.”
device manufacturer, drug, and food-labeling On the Net
clients.” He emphasized that a paralegal job is not for
everyone, but he advised students who are on University of Michigan
Forster has now been with the firm a little the fence to consider working as paralegals www.umich.edu
over a year and has enjoyed his work thus in order to discover whether the law suits
far. them. Case Western Reserve University School of
Law
“I have learned a lot about how the federal Forster is leaving his job with Olsson Frank www.law.case.edu
government and the court systems work,” he to enter law school, but he said he was
said. “It has also been helpful to be able to glad he ended up where he did. When he American Civil Liberties Union
get to know many practicing attorneys and to first started looking for jobs, he applied to www.aclu.org
pick the brains of so many intelligent people and landed an interview with an institute
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