Redente’s Law
Gary Redente didnt always plan on becoming a lawyer. Before completing his undergraduate studies at Hunter College and going on to Boston University School of Law, he spent many years as a professional musician.
I went back to school because I wanted to better my life, he says. I started teaching at BMCC to help others better their lives.
Redente is an attorney specializing in entertainment, intellectual property and business law at the New York City firm of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard.
He is also the lead instructor in BMCCs Paralegal Studies Program, offered by the Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development. The 78-hour, 15-week course provides both paralegal newcomers and veterans with a solid grounding in an exciting and important field.
A choice of schedules
The course focuses on substantive areas of law, such as torts, criminal law, business law and intellectual property law, as well as federal and state court procedure and the day-to-day skills needed to be a paralegal, says Redente. Perhaps what is most attractive about the program is that we cover it all in a single semester.
Both Sunday and weekday sessions are offered. The former meets for 6½ hours each Sunday for 15 weeks; the latter consists of two weeknight sessions over the same period. The schedule is demanding but students dont have to give up five years of their life for it, Redente says.
After completing his own law studies, Redente worked as an Assistant District Attorney in New York for a year before moving to the private sector as a litigator with a major law firm. He later leveraged his business and entertainment industry experience to establish his own firm before accepting his current position with Cowan DeBaets.
A varied background
Having worked in some many different legal environments—major firm, small firm, solo practice, public sector—Redente is able to address the full range of skills and challenges associated with various areas of the paralegal profession.
Students are able to gain a tremendous range of knowledge in a very short time, he says. Whether they opt for the Sunday or weeknight sessions, they come away with the skills they need to compete in the job market.
The students who enroll in Redentes course range from people first entering the workforce to individuals hoping to make a career change either for financial reasons or a greater sense of fulfillment, says Redente. Weve also had a number of paralegals looking to enhance their professional skills.
He recalls one student who had been in the field for nine years. Midway through the course, he says, she told me she finally understood the reasons behind some of the tasks shed been handling all the years on a daily basis.
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