Paralegal Blog

On Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 10:00 AM Central, Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS) will hold its 72nd Commencement Ceremony for graduates of its paralegal programs. Due to the large number of graduates who reside outside of the Houston area, this event will be presented via a virtual live stream to better acknowledge the accomplishments of all graduates. As always, CALS is committed to making this a special event for graduates and their friends and families.

A total of 101 paralegal credentials will be conferred. Paralegal Certificates will be awarded to 77 graduates, and Associate of Applied Science Degrees will be awarded to 24 graduates. Congratulations graduates on your hard work, dedication, and accomplishments.

The commencement address will be presented by Mischa Montgomery, Esq. Ms. Montgomery graduated from CALS with her AAS Degree in 2006, worked as a paralegal in areas such as family law, business, and commercial litigation, and continued her education at Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Mischa became an attorney in 2019. We are delighted Ms. Montgomery has agreed to provide the commencement address to our most recent graduating class.

The event will be moderated by CALS' Director of Outreach and Career Services, Tami Riggs, with contributions from members of CALS faculty and staff.

CALS holds academic honesty paramount for paralegal education. Students must learn to use citations when incorporating ideas and words from others and write with direct intent. To help students and faculty identify areas of improvement, CALS has partnered with a powerful plagiarism detection tool called Copyleaks. This tool will be available on submitted work through Canvas LMS beginning February 2023.

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. 

Achieving success in your chosen career depends not only on possessing the requisite knowledge and skills to be proficient on the job, but also on being adept at navigating the often tumultuous terrain of employment, relationship building, and career advancement.

During this 4-hour interactive seminar and presentation, you will learn valuable strategies to help find and promote success in the career you have today, or in the next opportunity that presents itself tomorrow.