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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 company (Forster is a self-declared liberal),
Michigan in 2005. After applying to several 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.
“I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to go to law
“Hopefully my increased familiarity with
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.
“They must have smelled my ACLU card, as I did not get the job.”
He likes to play softball and kickball and,
idea to take some more time to decide.” 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.” On the Net
device manufacturer, drug, and food-labeling 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.
“I have learned a lot about how the federal
Forster is leaving his job with Olsson Frank
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
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
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