Diana Freitas graduated from University in April 2006 with a double major in psychology and law and society. A series of administrative jobs followed, but something was lacking - advancement and job fulfillment. Her degree was worthwhile, but Freitas felt it hadn’t prepared her for a career, and so she enrolled in the Humber Law Clerk program in January 2009.
Diana Freitas had been told by a recruiter that if she wanted to become a law clerk, it was important to have a course in transcription. The fact that Humber’s law clerk program had a course in transcription was just one reason why Freitas chose Humber.
Freitas was also impressed with Humber's reputation. She knew other people who had attended the school and had been impressed, especially on the teaching front. They were right. As Freitas ultimately found out, teachers were knowledgeable about the field they worked in and liked being asked questions. The clincher for Freitas was that Humber's customer service was professional, knowledgeable, and provided plenty of supplementary program info.
“That underscored Humber's people focus,” Freitas says. “It meant that Humber was going to be there for students.”
Freitas is definitely happy with the transition to Humber. She loves the smaller classes, adding “Teachers are more open, so it’s easier to have a personal connection.” And in her diploma program she gets to meet other mature students, which helps her feel both connected and supported.
From the start Freitas developed close relationships with her instructors and especially with her field placement co-ordinator. Not only was this co-ordinator always open and available, but she also helped Freitas refine her resumé and develop a portfolio—the latter a skill she had never been taught.
The portfolio (including items such as reference letters, samples of work, assignments undertaken at school, transcripts, and letters of praise) gave Freitas a way to highlight accomplishments and expand on her resumé. “It makes you look organized from an employer’s perspective,” she says. The expert knowledge and priceless help in resumé construction she received, really showcased for Freitas the focus Humber has on making sure students are employable.
In Freitas' last semester she obtained a placement position in a law firm where she implemented the knowledge she had learned from class on using industry-standard software systems to create law firm documents. Additionally, Freitas says, “The real-life examples from placement made class learning easier,” and “because I wanted to get ahead, I organized my field placement to occur during the school year, rather than during the last month of the program.”
What matters most to Freitas is the quality of instruction. “The course work is excellent,” she says, “and the feedback I get from employers is that Humber graduates stack up better than other candidates.”
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