FAMILY DUO HIT THE BOOKS DAUGHTER, DAD TOGETHER IN LAW SCHOOL.

Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Along with his wife, Charl Janeke raised four children in South Africa in an academic tradition, surrounded by books and the belief that education opens the doors of both intellect and opportunity.

But the mechanical engineer and successful businessman never imagined that his second-born, 31-year-old Lize (rhymes with Piza, Italy's famed leaning tower), would one day join him as he pursued a law degree in his 60s.

The South African father and daughter, like hundreds of thousands of adults across the country, are enrolled in distance-learning schools and universities to improve their job prospects and enhance their existing careers.

Charl's and Lize's alma-mater-to-be is Abraham Lincoln University's School of Law, a Los Angeles-based school where most students rely on the Internet for class lectures, while some - like the Janekes - are close enough geographically to attend class one night a week.

Charl, 62, and his wife, Amitie, live in Santa Clarita and Lize - who works as a translator for an international company - rents an apartment in Los Angeles.

``I decided I wanted to know more about law,'' said Charl, who owns property in the Los Angeles area and still has business interests in South Africa, which he left in the late 1990s.

``In South Africa, when you turn 60 you're basically finished. You retire and that's it. But it's not like that in California. You are still vital here.''

Janeke said he began studying law to enrich his awareness of the laws that govern his new land.

His daughter, who majored in linguistics at university in South Africa, speaks several languages - including French, Italian, English and her native tongue, Afrikaans, which is similar to Dutch.

She hopes to one day provide legal representation for a multinational corporation in Europe.

``My father and I prefer going to class'' than to studying online, Lize said. ``In class, it's very hands-on. You interact with the other students, there is the opportunity to ask questions and speak to the professor. The instructors are wonderful. This is really important, for me, I know, to understanding what you are learning.''

Both Janekes attend class every Tuesday night for three hours. They do not, however, attend the same class, as Charl began his studies at Abraham Lincoln University in February 2002 and his daughter enrolled last January.

Like traditional law schools, most students need four years to complete their studies at Abraham Lincoln.

But the school was designed with the working adult in mind, including full-time parents, corporate Americans and people who work graveyard shifts at various business.

Steven Carter, director of admissions at Abraham Lincoln University's law school, said the school is populated with busy adults who cannot afford to stop working in order to fulfill their dreams of earning a law degree.

``We actually have several father/daughter students enrolled right now,'' Carter said. ``That is what Abraham Lincoln is all about. It's so interesting for me to meet these people, many who are earning a successful living already but want to learn more, want to enrich their lives.''

Charl Janeke admits that balancing a full-time career and family with his pursuit of a law degree is not always easy, but he is finding a way to make it possible.

``Law is like a horse with 20 legs,'' he said. ``If you can make it gallop, you're in control. This school offers a great opportunity for aspiring scholars to get into law and manage it and manage life at the same time. Law school is for everybody.''

Amy Raisin Darvish, [phone]

amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Charl Janeke of Santa Clarita and daughter Lize Janeke, both native South Africans, are studying law together at Abraham Lincoln University's School of Law in Los Angeles.

David Crane/Staff Photographer