MLS Spotlight - Agatha Louis, MLS

Can you elaborate on your educational and professional journey leading up to your current role as a Contract Manager at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center?

My educational journey began at Suffolk Community College where I obtained my associate degree in criminal justice. I worked as a file clerk for Siben & Siben, a law firm located in Suffolk County NY, it was then I decided to attend Berkeley College in Manhattan. In May of 2018 I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in legal studies. Upon graduation I worked many different jobs with a staffing company for several different companies in different professions as an administrative assistant. August 2018, I decided to go back to school for my paralegal certification because I found out that the year prior to my Berkeley graduation, the school had once offered a dual paralegal certification course. So, I went back to Suffolk community, enrolled in the paralegal certification program as a matriculated student and completed the program in under 1 year. I graduated in May of 2019 and was hired as a paralegal for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office in October 2019. I worked for the DA’s office Intake Bureau as a senior paralegal for three and a half years. I knew criminal law was not an area of interest for me, I wanted and needed to find a way to transition into a medical/health law setting. After extent researching, I applied for the MSJ program with Seton Hall Law, while still working for the intake bureau. Months into my MLS program, I started applying for new jobs and was offered a position as an arbitration litigation specialist with a medical monitoring company, United Medical Monitoring IONM. During my interview, the owner mentioned how my degree and area of concentration made me stand out amongst the other applicants. Within the company, I arbitrated commercial insurance claims on behalf of medical providers under the New Jersey Surprise Bill Act. After 1 year of working with the company, I knew it was time for me to move on with my career, so I started applying for other jobs. That is how I came across the paralegal position for Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, so I applied with hopes of being able to at least get my foot in the door within the hospital/healthcare setting and seeing where I can become an asset and apply my newly acquired skills and knowledge. After 2 rounds of interviews and undergoing an intensive onboarding process I was offered the position as a Contract Manager for the Legal Affairs department.

What motivated you to pursue a master's degree in legal studies, and how do you envision this academic pursuit shaping your career trajectory?

Self-doubt and the birth of my beautiful daughter are the two main factors that motivated me to pursue my master’s degree. To further elaborate, I took the LSAT in 2019 and scored horribly, I thought that was the end of it all, I was discouraged and told myself I would never take it again and was over it. I have always dreamed of becoming an attorney, but now it was a question of “now what?” A bachelor’s degree did not suffice for me, so I researched and explored other options. After several inquiries and school tours later, I applied for the MLS program with Seton Hall because of the Hospital/Health law concentration, I thought it was the perfect program for the direction in which I was trying to take my career and I was intrigued. Fast forward, I found out I was pregnant before the program commenced, but I was not worried. I had to push my start date back for school due to some unforeseen complications, but that only fueled me to want to complete this program for my daughter. The will, drive, and motivation that I gained after the birth of my daughter was indescribable, I could not have done this without her. She was my late-night study partner, my ear when I needed to vent aloud, my audience when I needed feedback on papers, so she is who I do this for. I want her to look at me and be proud of me just as I am proud of her.

I can confidently say that this degree has gotten me noticed for this current position that I am in as well as my last position as an arbitration specialist, during both interviews I have been told this and have been asked more in-depth questions on what my degree entails and what I have learned. This degree has opened doors for me and will continue to do so.

Throughout your master's program, what were some significant hurdles you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Throughout my master’s program, the birth of my daughter was the biggest hurdle that I faced. I was initially scheduled to begin the program Fall 2021, but due to unforeseen health issues I had to postpone my start date to focus on my health and my daughter’s health. I gave birth in September 2021 just days after the start of the semester, and I could not have been prouder of myself. I pushed my program start date for Spring 2022 semester and all I wanted was to make my daughter proud. I wanted her to be proud of me and have a role model in which she can look up to and take pride in knowing that her mother was exceptional. The long nights studying, completing papers while still working full time, and being a new mother were not easy, but I always pushed through getting the motivation from being a mother. My daughter spent 4 months in the NICU, and I can honestly say that being in this program aided me and gave me the confidence to be more active and aware of the medical care and treatment she was being given. Courses like The Law of Patient Care, HIPAA Privacy & Security, and Compliance Issues for Healthcare Providers, just to name a few were some of the courses that I helped me in being a better advocate for her health.

Your transition into the role of Contract Manager represents a pivotal moment in your career. What factors influenced this transition, and were there any defining moments during your MLS program that reaffirmed your decision?

Believe it or not, the biggest factor that influenced this transition was signing up for the Health & Pharma Career Conversations online seminar put together by Gregory Gamble, our school’s Assoc. Director of Career Services, earlier this year in February for students both earning their masters in legal studies or their juris doctor. One of the keynote speakers Masha Goodman-Khan said something during the online seminar that stuck with me, she said to the extent that it is best to focus on getting in the room first and then you can focus on the role you will play or create once in the room.  The reason that stuck with me was because, I knew I wanted to transition from leaving the “paralegal” title and profession and segway into a more designated title and that was simply due to my set of new skills and knowledge that I acquired throughout the course of this program. I had confidence, I just needed some sense of direction. After the online seminar, I updated my LinkedIn profile, decided to reach out to Gregory for a professional review of my resume and I started networking with my classmates. Within weeks of the online seminar, resume review, and my networking, I received a call from Brookdale expressing their interest in setting up an interview after receiving and reviewing my application.

Could you share the process behind securing your position at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center as a Contract Manager?

I applied for the paralegal position through Indeed earlier this year in January. I received a call back sometime in March asking to set up an interview. I went through two rounds of interviews, was asked to submit a writing sample which I pulled from my Legal Research & Writing course. After submitting all requested documents, I had to undergo a criminal background check as well as medical clearance. Upon completion, I was offered the position of Contract Manager which entailed a much higher salary, a new career title, and my own department team. I was taken aback; I could not believe it. My degree, my area of concentration, my writing sample, my resume were all contributing factors that played a role in offering me the position as a contract manager opposed to a paralegal. Proud is an understatement I would have never imagined. Within this position, I will be overseeing all vendor and physician employment agreement contracts for the entire One Brooklyn Health Inc. system.

In what specific ways has your master's in legal studies degree equipped you for success in your current position? Furthermore, how do you anticipate leveraging this educational background for future professional endeavors?

For my current position, the courses that I have taken for my degree have 100% equipped me to execute and be successful as a Contract Manager. Just to name a few, HIPAA Privacy and Security, Compliance Issues for Health Care Providers, Intro to Law & Legal Writing, it is because of these courses and the knowledge that I have retained that I feel confident I will be able to execute my fiduciary duties to the best of my ability. I do not know what the future holds for me, but I am certain that no matter what it looks like I will be more than prepared to humbly excel and prevail through anything.

Based on your experiences, what advice would you offer to current students or recent graduates of the MLS program who are navigating their own career paths?

First, for the recent graduates, Congratulations we did it!

This message can be relayed to everyone, current, prospective, recent graduates, alumni, students. My advice would be to utilize all resources, network with people in and out of your field, reach out to professors, classmates, advisors, and alumni. These individuals have navigated the waters and have been in your shoes, think of them as trailblazers so imagine all the resources and knowledge they can provide. Listen, it never hurts to ask, nor does it hurt to take the first initiative. Shoot your shot! You must create opportunities instead of waiting for them to happen. Never doubt yourself, do not sell yourself short, and never think you are too good for something. Everything is a learning experience and if retained properly you never know when that information, or that contact person will come in handy. Funny because I reached out to a classmate who is an attorney and she was in the LLM program, after our conversation I ended it by saying how I could not wait to be in her position on being asked for advice and pointers for my profession and my area of expertise. Long & behold, a few days later a former childhood friend reached out to me via LinkedIn asking if I would be interested in being interviewed for her Capstone course. She was nearing the completion of her paralegal degree and wanted to ask me about my educational and professional journey as a paralegal. Talking about coming full circle, I was so honored she considered me. Remember you are your best advocate, and always keep pushing forward!