7 Questions with Harper College Paralegal Alumna Judaea Bradford

Judaea Bradford earned her associate degree in paralegal studies in May 2020. She shares her experiences at Harper and in her new paralegal career.

1. Where are you currently working? I work at Business Law Group in Schaumburg as a paralegal. I was hired at the same place where I interned. We specialize in business law and provide general counsel for small to midsize businesses as well as represent both individuals and business in civil litigation matters.
2. How did you choose your program of study? The short answer is that I listened to my mom. She had been telling me for about two years to enter a paralegal program and I finally listened to her. She knew what interested me and what I would be good at and I can now admit that my mom was right!
3. Why did you choose Harper? Harper had a paralegal program and a good one at that.
4. What did you like best about your studies at Harper? There’s so much I liked about my experience at Harper. The Harper Paralegal Studies program is unmatched. If you are genuinely interested in your program, then all your classes will be exciting. I can honestly say that about my experience at Harper. My all-time favorite class was Tort and Insurance Law. Tort and Insurance law is essentially the study of personal injury law. The content is interesting, and Professor Shirley is the absolute best. I loved all my professors. Professor Marco who teaches Legal Research makes what you would think to be a boring subject interesting and fun. Professor Carlson who teaches Real Estate and Property Law provided such great real-life examples of the types of documents a paralegal in this field would use. And Professor Knittle who teaches Corporate and Securities Law had the best anecdotes from his many years of work.
5. What do you like best about your current career path? I work for a newly established firm and what excites me the most is the ability to grow. Working from the ground up with a company is nice because you get to be there from its inception. As the company progresses so do you.  I also got lucky because my boss is great. He’s approachable and a great person to learn from.
6. What can you tell us about your path to Harper and your current career? I came to Harper after leaving a four-year university. My son had just been born and I knew that I needed to start a career faster than the four-year timeline. I chose the paralegal program at Harper because I knew that within two years, I would graduate with a degree that would lead me to a real career. Being a young mom that was the most important thing to me.
7. What would you tell someone who may be thinking of following a similar career or educational path? Don’t get caught up in seeking an internship at a firm that specializes in your favorite area of law. When I was searching for internships, I started by looking only at personal injury firms. I ended up interning in my least favorite area -- business law -- but immediately began to enjoy the work. The specialty you like at school may not be the specialty you want to choose for your career. Also, take your litigation class seriously. This may be one of the most important classes. Read the book and take thorough notes.

Learn more about Harper College’s Paralegal Studies program at an upcoming online information session.