Paralegal Blog

On September 12, 2020, Center for Advanced Legal Studies will hold its 66th Commencement Ceremony for graduates of its paralegal programs, and wow how different it will be. Just over 6 months ago graduation was held in person at South Texas College of Law and 105 paralegal credentials were conferred. For the 66th Commencement Ceremony attendees will be at home watching with their family and friends on the live stream, and presenters will have submitted contributions to the event several days previously.

A total of 103 paralegal credentials will be conferred. Paralegal Certificates will be awarded to 81 graduates, and Associate of Applied Science Degrees will be awarded to 22 graduates. Congratulations graduates on your hard work, dedication, and accomplishment. Your perseverance under the added difficulties imposed by a global pandemic has earned you the everlasting respect and admiration of us all.

The commencement address will be presented by
Larry D. King, J.D. In over 40 years as an attorney, his practice areas included civil litigation, employment, insurance defense, contracts, and business law. In addition to the private practice of law, he has worked for both an insurance defense litigation firm and corporate law departments. His corporate experience includes over fourteen years in the American General Corporation Law Department where he served as Associate General Counsel and was responsible for major corporate litigation, and he supervised other attorneys and paralegals. Mr. King has been an instructor at Center for Advanced Legal Studies since 2002. During his 18 year tenure Mr. King has helped educate and inspire thousands of paralegals. Mr. King was the first instructor at CALS to teach a 100% online class session and is currently teaching his 100th Corporate and Business Law course. His commencement address is sure to be insightful, inspiring, and witty.

Additional comments and congratulations will be provided by Academic Dean Thomas B. Swanson, J.D. The event will be moderated by CALS' Director of Outreach and Career Services, Tami Riggs, with contributions from Eric H. Happe, Director of Distance Education.

Virtual Graduation and Achievement Recognition Program (PDF)

Want to enhance your resume?  Many employers expect their paralegals to be notaries and trust they know what they are doing!  Do you know the various roles and responsibilities of a Notary Public?

This seminar, which is open to students, alumni, and the general public, covers everything you need to become and serve with confidence as a Notary Public for the state of Texas. 

 
Center for Advanced Legal Studies is currently enrolling students for online paralegal classes scheduled to begin September 21, 2020. Due to increased demand, it is recommended those interested in attending submit their applications early to begin the enrollment process.

Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

Skepticism. Acceptance. Preference. Necessity.
The advancement of distance education at Center for Advanced Legal Studies

Over the past 15 years, we have witnessed the rise of distance education and its progression from being viewed with skepticism to acceptance, from acceptance to preference, and now, from preference to necessity. In 2006, no one at Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS) imagined that in little more than a decade we would go from having a few hundred campus-based paralegal students, with none online, to having no campus-based students and over two hundred online.

Unlike many educational institutions who scrambled to implement virtual learning as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, CALS was able to migrate all its campus-based students to online delivery in less than a weekend. It helped that by March 2020 five out of six students at CALS were already taking their classes online. The skepticism many previously felt regarding online classes had long since shifted to a strong preference for them, and those who selected campus-based classes chose them more as a matter of personal preference and convenience than from any concern over the effectiveness of distance learning. We miss being on campus and seeing our students, and we know they feel the same, but we continue to successfully educate and train students to become paralegals, just as we have since 1987.

At some point in their career, every working professional has made a mistake that shined the performance spotlight on them front and center. Typical mistakes made by new - and experienced - paralegals include misfiling documents, missing deadlines due to poor calendaring practices, failing to proofread for typos, inaccurately recording billable time, and coming to client meetings unprepared. And let’s face it…we’ve all sent that cringeworthy email to an unintended recipient. We’ve all ended an important call by accidentally hanging up. 

Colossal gaffes that result in termination are rare, but errors made by paralegals and legal assistants can have significant consequences and rippling impacts on a law firm, up to and including a claim for malpractice. While this may be an extreme outcome, it is important to understand that each practice is responsible for inaccuracies or omissions made by its’ legal staff. Mistakes can seriously harm a case, lead to an unfavorable court ruling, and cause major setbacks.