The Texas Southmost College Paralegal Studies Program was recently named an American Bar Association approved program on Aug. 8. It is now one of only 11 Texas institutions of higher education to hold the prestigious designation.

Kevin C. O’Malley serves as Paralegal Studies Program coordinator and Paralegal Studies professor. He believes that this lengthy process was worth it due of the quality of students who come through the program.

“These are classic students working their way up the ladder of the American system and we owe them everything,” O’Malley, a longtime practicing attorney, said. “This is the ideal group that we should be devoting ourselves to and make sure they are getting every bit of the system. They are getting the best program in the United States period. There is no better way to get yourself a paralegal education than having a program that’s been approved by the American Bar Association.”

Earning The ABA Status

To earn ABA Approved Paralegal Studies Program status, TSC faculty, students, alumni, administrators, staff and advisory committee members took part in a rigorous self-study and site visit. The evaluation was conducted by the ABA Standing Committee on Paralegals. This committee has also led the development and promotion of policies relating to the education, employment, training and effective use of paralegals for more than 45 years.

“This is a monumental step for Texas Southmost College,” TSC Board Chair Adela G. Garza said. “This distinction puts us ahead of any college in the Rio Grande Valley and puts our students in a position to excel in this field. The most important mission here at TSC is student success and the ability for graduates to enter high-paying careers. Because of the hard work of the advisory committee and an incredible effort from our dedicated faculty and staff we have put our students in a great position by earning an ABA Paralegal accreditation which is something only one school in the Rio Grande Valley can proudly boast and that’s Texas Southmost College. Congratulations to everyone involved, we cannot wait to see students benefiting in this prestigious program.” 

The college met or exceeded all standards for educating paralegals, representing a comprehensive review of the program, including its organization and administration, faculty, curriculum, facilities and available student services.

“Earning the designation as ABA Approved for our Paralegal Studies Program affirms our program meets industry standards for legal education,” said TSC President Jesús Roberto Rodríguez. “I extend my thanks to our TSC Board of Trustees, advisory committee members, and dedicated faculty and staff, who work relentlessly to ensure Texas Southmost College continues to provide a high-quality education for the communities we serve.”

A Gold Standard

Paralegals support the justice system through a variety of duties. These include interviewing clients and witnesses, conducting research, and preparing court documents. Projections for the demand for paralegals and legal assistants nationwide is an increase by 12 percent. In Texas, the Texas Paralegal Career and Salary Guide projects the demand to increase by 25 percent.

“ABA Approved paralegal studies programs are known as the gold standard in the industry, and employers often compete for graduates of these programs,” said O’Malley. “Our students can feel confident that they will learn the skills needed to succeed as a paralegal in a variety of settings including law firms, federal and state governments and numerous financial, insurance and nonprofit corporations.” 

Felix Recio, who served as a federal judge and as a part of the TSC Paralegal Studies Advisory Committee. He was excited to see his vision realized with the hard work of O’Malley and team.

“A lot of people worked really hard to get this done,” said Recio. “As lawyers, we have an obligation to improve the quality of the law. One of the things that we can do is help our teaching institutions to achieve that goal. One of the most important things we can teach our students besides the technicalities and rules of law but it’s also the ethics that are involved. This will give us an opportunity to help prove our teaching experiences but also help improve the quality of students we are producing at TSC — well-trained, well-educated and ethical.”