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Heather Ann Thompson: Senior Paralegal and 4L[By Mahsa Khalilifar]

Stepping into her fourth year at Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, located in Highland Heights,

Heather Ann Thompson says she is looking forward to entering the complete world of law, and not just the paralegal side of it.

Attending Chase’s evening programs and

working full-time in-house for the legal

department of Cincom Systems Inc., a local

software company, Thompson is ready to

move up in her company and achieve her

goals.

“I found the software industry and the legal

issues and challenges that come in the

intellectual property field to be so interesting

that I decided to take the plunge and go to

law school myself,” Thompson says.

After working at a smaller firm for two years,

in 2000, she got her job at Cincom Systems

Inc., which resulted in her final career choice

for now.

“My experience as a paralegal assisting

other practicing attorneys led me to the

ultimate decision to go to law school and

take my legal career to the next level,” she

says.

Having obtained her B.A. degree from

Morehead State University in paralegal

studies with a minor in literature, Ohio-

born Thompson started working as a

paralegal upon graduation. She worked for

a small Cincinnati firm that mostly handled

probate cases and estate planning. Shortly

thereafter, she received her job at Cincom

Systems Inc., where she has been for about

seven years.

Thompson’s senior paralegal position

involves a variety of different tasks

pertaining to the law industry, such as

intellectual property and copyrighting issues.

When not at work, Thompson attends night

classes at Chase.

“The night program brings in many other

professionals from other areas outside of

the law who bring their extra experience

and insight to the table when it comes

to learning, reading, interpreting, and

discussing cases that may not be brought

to a typical law school class,” Thompson

explains. “There are night students who are

M.D.s, nurses, C.P.A.s, police officers, social

workers, bankers, and from just about every

field you can imagine, which makes for what

I believe to be a very enriching learning

environment!”

Thompson credits her family and friends for

being her support system, and she is excited

about the upcoming months.

“I graduate this December with my J.D. and

am planning to take the Ohio bar exam in

February,” she says.

“I have been offered a position as an in-

house attorney [at my company] and look

forward to the promotion once I pass the

bar exam,” she proudly adds. “I feel very

fortunate to have secured employment prior

to graduating law school!”

Thompson’s best memories have come

from the experiences she’s shared with her

classmates.

“Probably my favorite [memories consist

of] the bonding that occurs and lasting

friendships that are made with your fellow

students as you battle through the law school

experience together,” she says.

Thompson advises future law students to

work in the legal sector before deciding to

practice.

“Working in a law firm as a paralegal/legal

assistant for a summer is a great way to get

Q. What do you do for fun? A. Spend time with family and friends and travel when I can. Scuba is the most enjoyable thing I have done in my spare time while vacationing!

Q. What was the last song you heard on your iPod? A. Coldplay.

Q. What is the last magazine you read? A. Real Simple.

Q. What is your favorite TV show? A. Shark.

Q. Who is your role model? A. My grandmother Margaret and the attorneys I work with every day! Q. What is something most people don’t know about you? A. That I have a very artistic side and love cooking, painting, and decorating. I am currently taking a Saturday mosaic-tiling class at the Cincinnati Art Academy as my creative outlet. My current mosaic piece is a tabletop piece for my living room and a side table for my dining room.

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a taste of what working in the law is all about

and to determine if it is for you before deciding

to jump right into law school,” she says. “There

is a lot of practical knowledge and experience

to be gained by doing things hands on, directly

under the guidance of a licensed attorney,

that just can’t be had by simply attending law

school straight out of undergrad.”

As someone who has had first-hand

experience with an evening law program,

Thompson also encourages other working

adults to take night classes.

“Don’t discount attending a night program if

you can be gaining practical experience during

the day,” she says. “I’d encourage every law

student to try exploring elective classes that

truly interest you as well as joining some of

the student organizations. [They are] great

ways to figure out what area of the law you’d

like to practice in once you are there!”

On The neT

Salmon P. Chase College of Law

chaselaw.nku.edu

Morehead State University

www.moreheadstate.edu

Cincom

www.cincom.com/us/eng/index.jsp?loc=usa