Aug. 19, 2014

The Legal Studies Program at Amarillo College is pleased to announce that it has been granted reapproval for a period of seven years by the American Bar Association (ABA).

ACs Legal Studies Program, which first received the ABAs blessing back in 2006, was reapproved Aug. 12 by the ABA Standing Committee on Paralegals Approval Commission and remains one of only nine such programs in Texas to hold prestigious ABA approval.

Were very proud to have the ABAs approval because its the gold standard for paralegal education in the U.S., and it is quite a challenge to obtain, Bruce Moseley, coordinator of ACs Legal Studies Program, said. ABA approval helps to ensure that we are maintaining the best educational standards, and it is a distinction that greatly benefits our students.

While attorneys in the Panhandle are generally aware of the quality of students being produced at AC, our graduates often relocate outside our region, Moseley said. When they do, they can be confident that attorneys nationwide will be familiar with the ABA and appreciate the significance of that approval when it appears on the transcripts and rsums they see.

The ABAs approval process is accomplished through intensive review and on-site evaluation to ensure programs operate in compliance with ABA guidelines. The ABAs aim is to help develop superior paralegal-education programs designed to raise the competence of those individuals who assist lawyers in the delivery of legal services.

The ABA mission is to improve the American system of justice by establishing educational standards and promoting attorneys professional, effective and ethical utilization of paralegals, and we at AC support this cause, Moseley said.

Moseley credits Lynne Seal, instructor of computer information systems, and Rhonda Brashears, adjunct professor and longtime chair of the Paralegal Studies Advisory Committee for putting forth the extra effort and providing insight as AC pursued ABA reapproval.

Even students who already hold degrees are finding ACs Legal Studies Program useful, especially if they are thinking of switching careers or enhancing their marketability in a legal field. ACs Legal Studies Professional Certificate is also ABA approved and can take persons who possess an associate of arts degree, associate of science degree or a bachelors degree in any discipline through an eight-course certification option.

ACs Legal Studies Program has been recently dynamic under the ABA umbrella, having streamlined its curriculum and adopted its present name late in 2013. Formerly known as the Paralegal Studies Program, the name was changed to Legal Studies, Moseley said, to reflect the broader range of career opportunities presented today by a paralegal degree.

From consultants and analysts to writers and investigators, the fields are many for someone with a paralegal degree, he said. We also have many students who go on to law school, so renaming the program made a lot of sense.

For more information about the Legal Studies Program and its options at Amarillo College, contact Moseley at 806-345-5551 or bamoseley@actx.edu.