ECC Paralegal Certificate Alum Says Program Gave Her Foundation for Law School

When she was a kid, Elizabeth White told her mother she would become a doctor or a lawyer. Today, she is following through on that promise as a law student at Northern Illinois University (NIU). 

Before starting law school, White graduated in 2025 from Elgin Community College’s (ECC) paralegal certification program. 

The certification’s coursework can help students who are preparing for a four-year degree. ECC graduates have worked as paralegals while completing their bachelor’s degree, and then prepared for law school. Paralegals help perform legal work under an attorney’s supervision. Students interested in law are encouraged to take elective paralegal courses to see the practical side of legal work at ECC. 

“I live in the district, and I’ve always really liked [ECC],” White said. “I didn’t want to go to law school straight after graduating from undergrad. A lot of people said getting your paralegal certificate can help a lot. I researched the program, and it was pretty affordable and flexible.”

White said the program was a worthwhile investment that prepared her for law school.

During her time in ECC’s paralegal program, White took family law, legal research, and legal writing classes. Legal research and writing are two core classes she is now taking in her first year of law school. White is now exploring the family law path at NIU.

She said the certificate classes helped set White up to score better once she started school at NIU. White said taking classes at ECC before helped her score better, and she transferred that knowledge to NIU. 

White was happy to learn that Paralegal Instructional Coordinator, Laura Haske, was an attorney in Elgin. She said it was great that Haske taught most of the classes, and hearing an attorney’s perspective was very helpful. 

“She acted like a mentor,” White said. “[Haske] read through my personal statement to make sure that I was prepared as I was applying to law school.”

White previously interned last summer with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, where she attended DUI court and experienced trials. White will start an internship with the Kane County Public Defender’s Office in the felony division this May. She plans to graduate from NIU’s law school in May 2028. 

To learn more about ECC’s Paralegal program, visit elgin.edu/areas-of-study/law-paralegal.