Paralegal Blog

I returned to Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS) in July 2018 after a 10-year absence. In that decade, technological advances have re-shaped our program and content delivery giving students more choices for how they obtain their credentials. Learning still takes place in the classroom, but these days it can be completely virtual. Distance education and online platforms that were just emerging in 2009 have become mainstream.

What hasn’t changed? The paralegal profession is still strong!

Classes have resumed, but some students are finding it difficult to return to normal class activities due to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath. To address this issue and provide some relief for these students, CALS has modified its policy on late work as follows:

Due to Hurricane Harvey, Center for Advanced Legal Studies has cancelled all classes scheduled for the week of August 28th. Live classes will resume September 5th.

We are excited to announce that the Graduation Ceremony scheduled for August 19, 2017 will be streamed live on YouTube . The live stream will begin at 10:30AM featuring a presentation recognizing all graduates and including comments by many. The graduation ceremony will begin promptly at 11:00AM.

Note: Please visit https://youtu.be/Fc-n9vjjBLg for an edited recording of the full graduation ceremony.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

One measure of success is the ability to do meaningful work with a lasting impact. A paralegal career gives countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of many people. The role of the paralegal in the legal field often directly intersects with individual lives, local communities, and even the future direction of the law.

When we think of paralegals who changed the world, most people are familiar with the work of Erin Brockovich in spearing the effort to help those affected by contaminated water, or the whistleblowing activities of Merrell Williams in bringing down the deceptive practices of the Tobacco industry. Yet, the day to day work of countless, unsung heroes is a common theme in the paralegal profession.