When officials from the Superior Court of Alameda County in California began to notice growing vacancies in its courtroom clerk and legal processing assistant (LPA) roles, they believed it would be an ideal situation to look to the area’s community colleges to address gaps in public service employees.
Now, a strategic partnership between the court and the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) – the first of its kind with the support from the local court union – will provide students in the district with an opportunity to earn certifications as LPAs or courtroom clerks. The online structure of the stackable certificates aim to attract learners interested in attaining a job while in school, and also those who are already working in low-wage jobs but looking to earn higher wages and advance their careers, PCCD leaders said.
“The new partnership will make training for legal processing assistant and courtroom clerk positions more accessible to the local community and equip graduates to participate in the workforce and earn a living wage,” said Marie Amboy, strong workforce director for PCCD. “In turn, the court will have access to a more diverse local talent pool with the skills needed to be competitive in today’s marketplace.”
PCCD’s LPA and courtroom clerk certificate programs will be open to students starting this fall – applications will be due by July 31. The programs fall under the district’s Paralegal Studies Program at Merritt College and include a series of courses for students to successfully enter the workforce in a court or legal setting.
Students on the LPA track take Introduction to Law and the Legal Profession, Law Office Management, Legal Research and Seminar in Paralegal Studies Internship. Because the LPA position is a “stepping stone” to a courtroom clerk position, Amboy said, students on the courtroom clerk track take the same courses as LPAs as well as four additional units – the course Intro to Civil Procedure and Litigation Practice.
A one-unit externship or internship component for students to gain work-based learning experience is embedded in the certificate programs.
“We heard this from the Superior Court and from the actual employees that do the job that that piece is oh so critical with their success,” Amboy said. “We wanted to give the students who will be going through this program as much confidence going into the interview in terms of understanding the job as much as possible.”
