On October 2016, Skyline College applied to the American Bar Association (ABA) for approval of the Paralegal Program, to support graduates and raise local awareness of the program. While the program is already strong and graduates are getting jobs, approval could provide students with an additional edge in the competitive legal job market.
On July 2017, the ABA completed its review of the Program’s application and determined that Skyline College was a ready for a site visit on February 19 – 21, 2018. We are very excited to showcase all that Skyline College offers to paralegal students! Preparations are underway for a great visit.
Last month, the Program met with the Advisory Committee, which includes legal professionals, program alumna, and current students. At the meeting, we discussed results from our recent surveys of students, graduates and local legal employers.
The surveys provided some encouraging data. For example, the survey of current students showed that nine in ten viewed their instructors as “competent”, “clear communicators”, and “welcoming.” Also, over 90 percent of students reported their study topics as “relevant” and their course learning activities as “appropriately challenging”.
In addition, committee members provided useful suggestions for tailoring the program to develop students’ skills and meet the changing needs of legal employers.
Moving forward, the paralegal program will be working across the college to ensure that we all are ready for the site visit. We look forward to teaming up with you in these efforts.
For more information about the Paralegal Program, please contact Jesse Raskin, raskinj@smccd.edu or visit www.skylinecollege.edu/paralegal/.
Article by Maria Segarra and Nikki McLaughli
