The American Bar Association endorses St. Petersburg College's two-year degree program.
By MEGAN SCOTT
Published March 25, 2004
CLEARWATER - Students graduating from St. Petersburg College's paralegal program will have something extra to brag about this year.
The program now has the backing of the American Bar Association, making it the only two-year associate's degree program in the Tampa Bay area to have the organization's endorsement.
While there are thousands of paralegal programs in the country, only about 260 have gone through the stringent approval process with the ABA.
"It puts our program at the top," said program director Susan Demers. "Employers will know that these students had to do lots and lots of intense work."
Paralegals, or legal assistants, help lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials and corporate meetings. They help with legal documents, draft pleadings and motions, obtain affidavits and assist attorneys during the trials.
The SPC program has about 400 students. Demers' office is on the Clearwater campus, but the classes, which are held at night, are at the Pinellas Park campus at Park Boulevard and 66th Street. About 45 students graduate yearly from the program with an associate's degree.
Demers described the process for approval as "rigorous." The paperwork alone took months. A site team visited the campus and interviewed students, instructors and counselors to evaluate the program. The team also studied the school's graduation statistics. The whole process took about 21/2 years.
Louis Kwall, a Clearwater criminal defense attorney, said coming from an ABA-approved program can make a difference in whether an applicant gets an interview. His firm has a paralegal who graduated from SPC's program.
"It's a very good program," he said. "It doesn't surprise me that the ABA has given it its blessing. It's a very positive atmosphere."
Demers said the students were thrilled when they heard about the approval last month. Those finishing the program this year can tell employers they graduated from an ABA-approved program. "I don't think I can really convey what a big deal this is," Demers said. "This is the gold standard in this particular profession."
