Being passionate about the law and willing to share her knowledge with others is something Paralegal Program Instructor Veronica Renta Irwin doesn’t take lightly. As an alum, attorney, and current principal law clerk for Justice Sharon M.J. Gianelli, she has 22 years of varied law experiences under her belt, and offers a unique perspective to her students.
“I feel like I bring a unique opportunity to my students. I bring the perspective from being an employee and an employer. I have had the opportunity to hire and train many paralegals during my career. Now being in the court system, I feel like I can give the students real world advice, and I really love it. I really love teaching.”
Unique Law Experiences
Professor Renta Irwin’s passion for being a lawyer was the driving force behind her wide range of work experiences. Whenever she had a chance to learn something new, she seized the opportunity. Because of this she has a background in many different types of law, such as insurance defense, municipal law, and no-fault law, among many others.
“I think that the most important thing when you’re teaching anyone at the beginning of their career, is a set of tools that they can use in a lot of different situations. I put a big focus, in both of my classes, on finding answers.”
“I’m kind of a law nerd. I have a general love of the law. I love reading it, analyzing it, and interpreting it. So I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of different kinds of law throughout my career.”
Her extensive law background also includes trying cases, writing appeals, writing pattern jury instructions and opening her own law practice, Irwin & Streiner LLC.
Strong Hofstra Law Ties
Throughout her career Professor Renta Irwin has kept her Hofstra Law ties strong. While working at her practice she always kept in mind Hofstra Law graduates and students when looking to fill open positions. Through her association with the Women’s Bar Association and Long Island Hispanic Bar Association she has been able to connect with student groups and provide resources such as mock interviews for current students.
“All through the 12 years of having my own practice, I never forgot home or where I came from. Every attorney that I hired was always from Hofstra, every paralegal that I hired was always from Hofstra. I always kept my connection there and hoped someday that Hofstra would be part of my future,” she says.
The Paralegal Program
Classes for the Paralegal Certificate Program are taught by practicing attorneys. For Professor Renta Irwin, coming back to teach at Hofstra Law is something that feels “full circle.” In her classes, Legal Research & Writing and Civil Litigation, she stresses the need for students to be able to be resourceful in finding the answers they need.
“I think that the most important thing when you’re teaching anyone at the beginning of their career, is a set of tools that they can use in a lot of different situations. I put a big focus, in both of my classes, on finding answers.”
Her style of teaching is a combination of books, videos and stories from her real-world experience. It gives students an in-depth, wide view of what working in the law field is like. The classes prepare students to thrive in any law, no matter the type of practice.
“Though those 30 hours go by really quickly, but it’s enough to give a student a good knowledge base that would allow them to feel confident to put their best foot forward,” she says. “Speaking about this particular Certificate Program I think that it uniquely positions a student to be in the best possible state of preparedness that they can be to enter any firm.”
Along with preparing students for a career as a paralegal she also believes that it’s a great precursor to law school.
“I’ve been invited into the development committee for the Paralegal Program and I think that this particular program is unique, in that it would be an amazing primer for law school. I definitely encourage my students to think about law school because the Hofstra Law Paralegal Certificate Program really gives you an incredible overview of all the different types of law that you can expect” she says.
To learn more about Hofstra Law’s Paralegal Certificate Program, visit our website.
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