Paralegal Student Spotlight: Neil Kristiansson

Neil Kristiansson
Neil Kristiansson

Former banking professional graduating this December and already working as a paralegal at Winthrop & Weinstine

Neil Kristiansson, 49, decided to earn a Paralegal certificate at Inver Hills Community College after reaching the end of 24-year career at Wells Fargo, first as a credit analyst, then a consumer loan processor, and finally a consumer loan underwriter. The Paralegal certificate program is a concentrated legal option designed for students seeking to become paralegals and who already have a bachelor’s, A.S., or A.A. degree. Neil holds two bachelor’s degrees from St. Olaf College, a B.A. in Music and a B.A. in Psychology.

As a consumer loan underwriter, Neil reviewed mortgage loan applications. He was entrusted with the authority to say “yes” or “no” or “we need more information” to loan applicants.

“This was a job with lots of responsibility—and I was part of the team trying to help people buy a home,” Neil explained. “I worked with the sales staff as well as outside vendors regarding property title, insurance, and appraisal issues, which was sometimes like juggling, but ultimately a team effort to make a good deal for everyone to come together.”

Female paralegal in office setting; link to National Paralegal Day
National Paralegal Day is celebrated October 23 each year [see below].
When interest rates shot up a couple years ago, Neil’s services were no longer needed. Like many of his former coworkers, he was laid off for the first time since graduating from St. Olaf in 1998. He felt lost and had no job prospects on the horizon.

“This was devastating to my self-image,” he recalled, “and raised uncomfortable questions about who I was and what I would do to make a living for the rest of my career.”

Luckily, Wells Fargo was linked to a Minnesota’s unemployment program that worked with the Teamsters Union. That program gave Neil personal support, offering classes on how to apply for a job, how to interview, and how to negotiate. The program also helped him pay for the schooling he needed to retool his skill set. That’s how he landed as a student in the Inver Hills Paralegal program.

“The law somehow touches all of our lives,” Neil said. “I have always been fascinated by news stories along with popular shows and movies about the law and how it works well—and how sometimes it does not. Switching to the legal profession as a paralegal seemed like a great opportunity for me to help people and do it in a way the was engaging to my brain and maybe even my heart. I felt like I might have the opportunity to build on my decades of experience working with banking and real estate as well.”

Neil is proud to say this is exactly what happened. He completed a paralegal internship at Jellum Law, P.A., in Woodbury, Minnesota, and just started a new job as a paralegal specializing in real estate at Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A., a large and well-regarded firm in Minneapolis.

“I still have a lot to learn about being a paralegal, but I feel like I have found the right place to do that and it could not have happened without the outstanding instructors who teach the Inver Hills Paralegal program,” Neil said. “The professors cannot possibly get enough credit. They share their passion with students in late-night, online classes.”

Neil considers applying to law school a remote possibility as he is more than happy with his prospects as a paralegal.

“There is a lot of growth potential in the paralegal world,” he said. “Besides the opportunities to grow within my firm and within my real estate specialty area, the Minnesota legal system has carved out a pilot program where a paralegal can practice law in limited ways, but this is likely to grow. This looks like the starting point of a new opportunity similar to how nurse practitioners are able to practice medicine without having earned an MD.”

National Paralegal Day
October 23, 2024

male paralegal seated at desk and smiling; link to National Paralegal Day 2024

History of National Paralegal Day…¹

National Paralegal Day, an annual event on October 23, celebrates those who do the legal research (and mountains of paperwork) that enables law firms to function. Attorneys, who are ultimately responsible for a paralegal’s work, depend greatly on these men and women to get things right. That means having a firm grasp on the facts and the law.

Whether you call yourself a paralegal or a legal assistant, the work is basically the same—to be an essential part of an attorney’s administrative team.  As the need for attorneys continues to grow, skilled paralegals are increasingly in demand. If you’re currently working in the profession or considering working as a paralegal in the future, National Paralegal Day has abundant information to get you up to speed on what the job entails and what kinds of certifications (if any)  are required.

As far back as the early 1970s, interest was stirred about the need for an organized group of paralegals and legal assistants.  This challenging job involves preparing and copying boatloads of legal documents like wills, real estate closings, affidavits and more, assisting attorneys with cases and trial prep and working with clients.

READ MORE…

More about Neil…

Kristiansson family at Universal Orlando 2018
Kristiansson family at Universal Orlando 2018

Originally from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Neil graduated from Cedar Crest High School, Class of 1993. He has been married to his wife, Barbara, for 27 years. Neil and Barbara have two adult children, Nathan, a senior at Gettysburg College, and Eleanor, a first-year student at Duquesne University, the former school in Gettysburg, the latter in Pittsburgh.

Neil’s parents raised him in Lebanon, and they now reside in St. Paul near Neil and Barbara’s home in the Highland Park neighborhood. “I left PA to attend college at St. Olaf,” Neil said, “and I have been hooked on Minnesota ever since.”

Neil added that a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees dog is a huge part of the Kristiansson family. “His name is Hugo—and he is just a lot,” he said. “Big dog with lots of energy and thinks he is still a lap dog.”

Neil family gallery

Neil Kristiansson Q & A

Neil Kristiansson
Neil Kristiansson
What inspired you to pursue a career in the legal field?

L.A. Law and Law & Order. Also, my wife works in law, and I love being able to talk about legal issues intelligently with her.

What do you like best about the Paralegal program at Inver Hills?

The students are awesome! Lots of great thinking and learning clearly happening. And, the professors are clearly going above and beyond what I would expect because they clearly love their subject and want to share their passion with the students who aspire to join their profession.

How has your experience in the banking industry helped you navigate the Paralegal program curriculum?

Banking is highly regulated and involves legal issues in so many ways. But dealing with legal issues in banking removes much of the mystery. For example, in real estate, we need to know who owns a property. Seems simple, but it often isn’t. We really want to know who holds title to a property. We also want to know what claims there are against the property for things like an old mortgage or unpaid bills.

When we start digging down into an issue like who really owns a property, the law is no longer mysterious. It is just finding all the parts of the puzzle and putting them together. I love putting puzzles together, which can make work into something fun.

What do you enjoy most about your paralegal internship at Jellum Law?

The attorneys, paralegals, and other professionals were so supportive and willing to share their time and knowledge with me. I also had the opportunity to draft legal documents, which removes the mystery of law, and makes the process much clearer. For example, the first time you tried, it would be overwhelming to sue someone who somehow hurt you. But having the opportunity to see the process from beginning to end, to draft the various filings, and to do all the steps necessary to use the civil complaint process made the process clearer and more manageable.

The old joke about eating an elephant comes to mind. How do you eat an elephant? Answer: one bite at a time. By seeing the smaller bits of the process, I am no longer intimidated by the process.

Three words that describe me as a paralegal:
CURIOUS. THOUGHTFUL. ENGAGED.

What advice would you give students thinking about majoring in paralegal studies?

Build relationships. Many of your fellow students will likely work in legal jobs and may lead to job opportunities for you. Also, your internship is a great time to build a network of legal professionals who can help you find a job. Don’t be afraid to say what you need. Also, ask the “dumb” question. How else will you learn?

What person has influenced your life the most and why?

I am glad to say my wife, Barbara, and I have been on a long journey together, and I am really looking forward to what happens next. We have raised two amazing kids; we have both changed professions; we have bother changed in many ways.

I am so grateful that I have someone who has encouraged me to change and grow, and put up with me through a long, difficult time going from being laid off to finding a new profession.

If you could make one thing happen on Earth right now, what would it be?

Nothing like an easy question! I would make everyone travel to a place that was outside their comfort zone, where they were the person who felt out of place. I have learned so much, particularly humility and appreciation for differences through the opportunities I have had to travel in my life.

One word that best describes my experience at Inver Hills:

IMPRESSED*

*Clarification: I am impressed by the overall quality of the instruction and students.

Neil Kristiansson 12 Answers

  1. Favorite sport or physical activity: Putting my ski edges in the snow and feeling the ski arc around a graceful turn
  2. Place you would most like to visit: Rome, Italy—never been to Italy, and I would love to see the sights, but more importantly, I love to try new foods 
  3. Most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Singing to a full house with my college choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City
  4. Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Pay off debt! Obvious, but with two kids in college and with a recent jobless period, this would be awesome! 2) Travel to Japan—not the top of my list, but I’m rich and always wanted to go 3) Take race car driving lessons
  5. Best book or movie you’ve read or seen lately: Babel by R. F. Kuang—it’s been too long since I actually picked up a book to read, and I have really enjoyed getting lost in a book again
  6. Time period (past or future) you would explore if you could time travel: Tudor England—although I suspect the hygiene practices would be pretty off-putting
  7. One thing you most want to accomplish in your life: I want a great funeral (my own funeral) where people come and have a good laugh with me
  8. Your national bird if you were your own country: Turkey—tough, they seem to be everywhere and can handle any weather; there is a reason Ben Franklin thought this should be our national bird
  9. Dream occupation: Psychologist, I love listening and helping people reach their potential
  10. Person you would most like to meet: Abraham Lincoln—I have a feeling I would come away humbled, but also hopeful
  11. Skill you would most like to learn and master: Knitting—tried once, but didn’t get it
  12. Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Isolation—it is just too easy to go through a day without connecting with someone else; I am guilty of it, too, but I feel like I am valued and contributing to others when I am around other people
Learn more about the Paralegal program at Inver Hills Community College by contacting:

Admissions Team
admissions@inverhills.edu
651-450-3902
866-576-0689
College Center

Want to connect with an advisor? Check out our virtual drop-in hours or email admissions@inverhills.edu to request a campus-based or phone appointment.

More about the Paralegal program

female paralegal seated at her desk and smiling; link to Paralegal program

Approved by the American Bar Association since 1978, the Paralegal program at Inver Hills Community College prepares you to work under the supervision of attorneys in civil and criminal matters. Paralegals work in a range of legal practices such as probate, wills and estates, real estate, employment law, transactional, criminal law, and corporate law.

Please note that paralegals cannot give legal advice, represent clients in court, or otherwise engage in the unauthorized practice of law. The practice of law by non-attorneys is strictly prohibited by law.

As a graduate of the Paralegal program, you will have completed quality, practical coursework primarily in an online synchronous class format along with a paralegal internship. You will be equipped to assume the general and ethical responsibilities of a professional paralegal.

Awards

Paralegal Associate of Science (A.S.): 60 credits
Paralegal certificate: 30 credits

>>> Paralegal program planning guide

Why enroll in the Paralegal program at Inver Hills?

male paralegal with coworkers and smiling; link to Paralegal program

Outstanding career outlook.
Paralegals in Minnesota earn more than $30 an hour on average with top earners in the Twin Cities area topping $40 an hour. The job outlook statewide is impressive, posting a growth rate approaching 11 percent.

Cutting-edge legal technology.
You will sharpen your paralegal skill set using Westlaw for online legal research, the National Society for Legal Technology for top legal software programs, and e-filing and e-recording for state and federal court systems.

Topflight professional oversight.
A dedicated, diverse Paralegal Advisory Committee of legal professionals supports our program to keep our curriculum up to date on legal trends.

ABA approved to ensure quality.
Our Paralegal program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) with continual re-approval since 1978.

Highly rated, experienced faculty.
Our instructors have extensive legal backgrounds in their practice areas, considerable teaching experience, and a strong commitment to students.

Reputation for excellence.
Top-rated program by area legal employers, legal recruiters, and internship supervisors. Our program coordinator is an experienced instructor and attorney with a passion for student success.

Your doorway to the legal profession.
Paralegals are legal professionals trained to assist lawyers in a broad range of substantive legal work. Paralegals find careers in a number of fields, including professional, scientific, and technical services as well as the management and administration of organizations.


Paralegals and Legal Assistants

female paralegal on city sidewalk and smiling; link to Paralegal and Legal Assistants U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook

What Paralegals and Legal Assistants Do

Paralegals and legal assistants support lawyers by performing a variety of tasks, such as maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents. Learn more…

Work Environment

Paralegals and legal assistants typically work in offices for a variety of employers, including law firms and government agencies. Most work full time. Learn more…

How to Become a Paralegal or Legal Assistant

Paralegals and legal assistants typically need an associate’s degree or certificate in paralegal studies to enter the occupation. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree; others may consider candidates who have a high school diploma and experience. Learn more…

Pay

The median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $60,970 in May 2023. Learn more…

Job Outlook

Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 1 percent from 2023 to 2033, slower than the average for all occupations.

Despite limited employment growth, about 37,300 openings for paralegals and legal assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Learn more…

More Information, Including Links to O*NET

Learn more about paralegals and legal assistants by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations. Learn more…

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook  (September 18, 2024)

Neil Kristiansson

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