Center for Advanced Legal Studies
 | |
| Type | For-profit college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1981 |
| Dean | Thomas B. Swanson, J.D. |
| Director | Doyle R. Happe |
| Location | , , United States |
| Campus | Distance education |
| Website | www.paralegal.edu |
Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS) is a for-profit online distance learning college headquartered in Houston, Texas that specialized exclusively in the education of paralegals since opening its doors in 1987. It is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education.
History[edit]
The Center for Advanced Legal Studies (CALS) was founded in 1981 and has been providing education to paralegals since 1987. The school has been providing 100% online paralegal courses since 2013.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Founded in San Antonio, Texas[1] |
| 1987 | Houston branch licensed to operate by Texas Education Agency[citation needed]and accredited by the Commission on Occupational Education Institutions[citation needed], and the Division of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools[citation needed]. |
| 1989 | Approved as an independent school |
| 1992 | Authorized by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board[citation needed] |
| 1995 | Approved to train Veterans and accredited by the Council on Occupational Education[citation needed] |
| 1998 | Approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) |
| 2006 | Approved to offer hybrid curriculum |
| 2009 | Approved to offer classes through Online Interactive Instruction™ |
| 2012 | Requested voluntary withdrawal from the ABA |
| 2013 | 100% Online paralegal programs commence |
Academics[edit]
CALS offers a Paralegal certificate and Associates degree in Applied Science.[2] All students must satisfy the six core courses[3], which are Introduction to Law and Ethics, Interviewing and Investigation, Legal Research and Writing, Civil Procedure, Corporate and Business Law, Computers and the Law.
The paralegal certificate requires 24 course credit hours. All of the credits must be earned by taking paralegal courses. The associate degree requires 62 course credit hours. At least 30 credits must be earned through paralegal courses and an externship, and 21 credits must be earned through "general education" courses. CALS offers the following general education courses: writing, psychology, mathematics, social sciences, etc.[4]
Content delivery[edit]
Center for Advanced Legal Studies have utilized the Online Interactive Instruction™ platform[5] which provides online paralegal education via a combination of synchronous learning and asynchronous learning. Each course includes twice-weekly live audio-visual classes where students meet with their instructor and classmates. Additional course materials (pre-recorded lectures, etc.) are also available that can be accessed by the student at anytime per their schedule.
CALS educational courses have incorporated technology from Blackboard Inc.[6], Canvas by Instructure[7] and Microsoft[8] platforms to deliver the content.
Accreditation and agreements[edit]
CALS maintains a number of accreditations, approvals and memberships:
| Type | Organization |
|---|---|
| Accreditation | Council on Occupational Education[9] |
| Approval | Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board[10] |
| Approval | Texas Workforce Commission[11] |
| Approval | Texas Rehabilitation Commission[12] |
| Approval | United States Department of Education (USDOE)[13] |
| Approval | United States Department of Veterans Affairs[14] |
| Institutional member | American Association for Paralegal Education[15] |
| Approved Member | National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, (NC-SARA),[16] an organization that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. |
References[edit]
- ↑ "History". CALS. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ↑ "Paralegal Programs". CALS. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ↑ "Paralegal Certificate Program". CALS. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ↑ "Paralegal Degree Program". CALS. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ↑ "Online Paralegal Classes". CALS. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ↑ Blackboard Inc.
- ↑ Instructure Inc.
- ↑ Microsoft
- ↑ "Membership :: Accredited Institutions". Council on Occupational Education. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ↑ Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- ↑ Texas Workforce Commission
- ↑ Texas Rehabilitation Commission
- ↑ USDOE Accreditation
- ↑ United States Department of Veterans Affairs :: Choosing a School
- ↑ American Association for Paralegal Education
- ↑ National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 33°31′51″N 112°03′51″W / 33.530868°N 112.064243°W
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- Online colleges
- Universities and colleges in Houston
- Universities and colleges in Texas
- For-profit universities and colleges in the United States
- Educational institutions established in 1981
- Distance education institutions based in the United States
- Educational institutions in the United States
- Education companies of the United States
