Dear BG:

The first thing I would do is contact Empire State College. They are an accredited part of the State University of New York system and they were founded to help people in your situation. They give college credits for work and life experience. They also offer both online coursework and on-campus courses in 35 locations around New York State. You can find out more if you go to www.escdegree.com.

If you want to enter the field of law in a quicker way, you might want to explore becoming a paralegal. Some community colleges offer Associates Degrees or even one year certification programs. By working as a paralegal, you can see if you want to devote the time and effort needed to get a full law degree.

The Career Doctor