The Center for Advanced Legal Studies, Houston, TX
by Devon Pryor
Many other government organizations have since lent their support to the Center for Advanced Legal Studies. The center is a member of the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), which works to provide disabled Texans and families with developmentally delayed children equal opportunities for social participation and improved quality of life. Approval from the U.S. Department of Education has qualified the center to offer federal financial assistance, including Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Stafford Loans, and Federal Pell Grants, among other forms of aid. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the training of veterans at the center under various chapters of the Montgomery GI Bill, which allots veterans roughly $1,100 per month for three years of full-time enrollment, with the purpose of providing training for post-military careers.
In addition to their notable achievements, the Center for Advanced Legal Studies maintains membership in numerous paralegal organizations, including the American Association for Paralegal Education, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc., the National Association of Legal Assistants, the paralegal division of the State Bar of Texas, and the Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association.
The center offers a paralegal certificate program for incoming students who have already earned bachelor's degrees. This comprehensive program ensures that graduates will leave the center with the necessary skills and certifications to succeed in the paralegal profession. The school also offers a program for undergraduates who would like to earn Associate of Applied Science degrees. The A.A.S. program prepares students to move on to the paralegal certificate program and features specialty courses in immigration law and criminal law, as well as training for handling wills, trusts, and probates. General education and computer courses are offered, as well, affording undergrads legal-based, yet well-rounded, educations.
Particularly accomplished students are recognized upon commencement with honor certificates awarded to those with perfect attendance records and 95% or higher grade point averages. Through its membership in the American Association for Paralegal Education, the center is permitted to offer students induction into the national honor society Lambda Epsilon Chi, which recognizes superior academic performance by students pursuing paralegal/legal assistant studies. According to the center's website, each school that offers induction into LEX, as it is commonly referred to, devises unique requirements for eligibility. The Center for Advanced Legal Studies ensures that LEX membership remains exclusive by requiring that inductees demonstrate 95% attendance and have GPAs of at least 3.8, as well as by inducting only 20% of students who meet these standards into the honor society.
The Center for Advanced Legal Studies is located in central Houston's Upper Kirby District, less than five miles away from various corporate plazas and minutes away from Houston's most prestigious law firms. The school offers an externship program, which allows students opportunities to put their education to work in all law-related business areas. Students gain imperative on-the-job experience while forging reputations with sponsoring companies, increasing their chances of being hired upon graduation. The center also offers free lifetime placement assistance for every graduate, which is just one of a variety of student services.
Facilities at the Center for Advanced Legal Studies include a library and computer labs equipped with current versions of helpful computer programs, as well as other resources to aid students in creating the types of legal documents they will need to work with in their careers. Virtual tours of the facilities are available on the center's website. Classes are offered within either a morning or evening program, in order to suit student needs.
The center publishes a quarterly newsletter, called In Brief, to inform readers about events and news relevant to the paralegal profession. The newsletter is available online or by mail and features profiles of notable graduates, as well as testimonials from appreciative alumni. Attorneys and judges also have the opportunity to voice their approval of the excellent students they have sponsored through the center's externship program. Also featured in the newsletter are profiles of key members of the center's staff and stories about the center's involvement in community events. One such event is the Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association Career Enhancement Symposium, an annual educational, networking, and information-sharing event sponsored by the Center for Advanced Legal Studies.
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