Professor Tom McClure, outgoing chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Paralegal Approval Commission, served as the moderator and a presenter at an outreach forum hosted by the ABA in June.
Over 30 individuals participated in this initial ABA approval information session. The forum was designed to train educators from across the country how to meet the ABA Guidelines for Approval of Paralegal Education Programs. Within days of the event, paralegal programs from Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, and Ohio contacted the ABA concerning applying for initial approval.
Graduates from ABA-approved paralegal programs maintain a competitive advantage over student who attended no-approved programs in many employment markets. Career specialists and program directors often refer to ABA-approval as the “gold standard” of paralegal education. The Illinois State University Legal Studies program has been designated as an ABA-approved program since 2009.
