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Raising the bar New lawyer didn't go to law school
Spotsylvania County woman becomes lawyer through special Virginia program
By BILL FREEHLING
Date published: 8/25/2006
The word around campus spreads fast. Some professors gain a reputation for being easier than others, and students often gravitate toward them.
Carolyn Seklii never had the opportunity to pick and choose law instructors. For better or worse, she was stuck with "Professor" Stuart Sullivan for her entire legal education.
But Sullivan is not a professor of law, and Seklii never attended law school.
Sullivan has spent the better part of two decades as one of Spotsylvania County's top prosecutors. Seklii has worked in Spotsylvania's Victim/Witness Assistance Program for the past six years and has directed the program for nearly three.
So how did Seklii end up in Richmond this past summer at a ceremony to be sworn in as a lawyer in the Virginia State Bar?
The answer lies in a program nearly unique to Virginia, and in a teacher-student relationship forged by Sullivan and Seklii.
Seklii (pronounced Seck-lee) has worked in the field of law for about 10 years. She started as a deputy clerk in Spotsylvania's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Then she worked at a private law firm as a receptionist and typist before joining the victim/witness program in Spotsylvania's commonwealth's attorney's office.
Seklii has taught ballet to children in the evening for most of her adult life. In the victim/witness program, she worked with children who had been victims of crime. She got interested in juvenile law and started wondering about attending law school.
But Seklii couldn't afford to quit her job and become a full-time student. So she enrolled in Virginia's law-reader program--a rarely used alternative to law school.
Virginia is one of just a handful of states that allow people to become attorneys without attending law school, said Scott Street, secretary/treasurer of the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners. That board oversees the law-reader program and examines applicants seeking to join the Virginia State Bar.
The program is far from an easy way to become a lawyer, Street said. Street said about five law readers per year attempt to take the Bar exam. He said the pass rate is about half that of test-takers who went to law school.
Law-reader requirements
Virginia is one of few states that allow people to become practicing attorneys without going to law school. Virginia's Law Reader Program allows candidates to study the law on their own. Here are some of the requirements to be admitted to and complete the program:
An undergraduate degree.
Acceptance by the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners.
Access to a practicing attorney willing to teach the same subjects offered in law school.
Submit course curricula and take exams on each subject.
Access to a law library.
Complete program in three years.
Pass state bar exam. |
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Date published: 8/25/2006
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