ABA-Approved: IVC Paralegal Program Steps Up to Regional Demand Programs
May 24, 2019
Just this past February, Irvine Valley College’s Paralegal Studies
program received the American Bar Association’s (ABA) approval, the gold
standard for the field. The approval ensures that paralegals will receive the
highest standard of training at IVC, and it is required for the Paralegal
Studies Certificates of Achievement by legal consumers, including some
insurance companies. Law firms only allow paralegals with an ABA-approved
program under their belts to work on legal matters, so reaching this milestone
is a tremendous achievement for the department.
The approval process was rigorous, taking many years of hard work
and dedication and requiring two visits by the ABA. Program Director and
Professor June McLaughlin says about the experience: “It was very gratifying to
have the chair of the ABA site team’s final visit comment on how much hard work
had been accomplished since their first visit.” It was an extensive team effort
by the IVC faculty to achieve ABA approval, recalls McLaughlin. “It required
collaboration from the library, admissions and records, many deans, marketing,
and outreach, as well as counseling.”
The biggest beneficiaries of the ABA nod are the program grads
themselves, who go on to do paralegal work in administrative agencies, corporations,
insurance companies, private law firms, government, and other legal
environments. According to McLaughlin, students at IVC learn much more than
just the basics.
“Students learn many transferrable skills to support any business
or government agency that is regulated or has a compliance department,” she
says. “Chemical companies, healthcare organizations, banks, brokerage firms,
and the county, city, and police departments all have divisions that support
compliance with the many regulations at the state and federal levels. Courses
in legal research, contracts and torts, and legal writing all build the skills
that are valuable in multiple industries as well as law firms.”
Potential career paths include civil litigation, where paralegals
do everything but go to trial, and family law, which deals with custody issues.
There are also areas of the law that are “more laid back,” according to
McLaughlin, including tax law, insurance, contracts, wills, trusts, estates,
and bankruptcy, which might appeal to detail-oriented students who would rather
not work in civil law. Students can also use their education to make a positive
impact on society.
“Students with the
certificate would be qualified to work for nonprofits, legal aid societies,
political campaigns, schools, and environmental advocacy groups,” says
McLaughlin.
It’s not just the variety of program opportunities that makes
this field appealing. High-wage jobs are expanding quickly in this sector.
Paralegal jobs are expected to grow 15 percent by 2026, making it one of the
nation’s most upwardly mobile, “Bright Outlook” occupations, according to
occupational data application O-Net Online. Professor McLaughlin agrees that a
paralegal certificate can open many doors to future employment opportunities.
“OC is the location for the headquarters of major corporations,
the medical device capital of the planet, and home for millions of people,”
says McLaughlin. “Someone with a paralegal certificate is a valuable addition
to tried-and-true businesses, educational institutions, and the government. As
industries evolve and disrupt, that certificate becomes even more valuable.
Understanding how to find and read new regulations is invaluable.”
The program draws problem-solvers and students who are interested
in law, but not sure whether they want to go to law school. IVC gives them the
real-world experience they need to succeed. For example, the program frequently
serves students who are interested in getting hands-on experience in criminal
law by connecting them to college-credit internships at the district attorney’s
office. In these positions, students’ work is supervised by attorneys.
“They may work with investigators, investigative assistants, and
paralegals,” says McLaughlin. “They could assist with research projects or
collect information to support investigations.”
Many of the internships are obtained through connections with
faculty, who are a key part of what makes the program so outstanding. According
to McLaughlin, “The part-time faculty serve as mentors and role models for the
students. We hired experienced lawyers and paralegals with deep connections to
the OC legal community. Those connections create opportunities for students.”
Faculty members include former OC Paralegal Association president
Alicia Nicosia, who is a certified, full-time paralegal at the OC District
Attorney’s Office, where she helps many students obtain internships. For legal
aid internships, there is Renato Izquieta, who has served as a supervising
attorney with OC Legal Aid for 22 years. There is also Guy Ormes, a former deputy
district attorney who has prosecuted major fraud cases and was recognized for
excellence by the U.S. Department of Justice for outstanding performance as a special
assistant U.S. attorney.
“Students respect all of IVC’s associate faculty,” says McLaughlin
“But there is a special level of respect students give to Guy. He truly
prepares students for working with lawyers.”
Students emerge from the program with a strong foundation, both
professional and academic – students like
Olga Tsentsiper, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with an Associate of Science in
Paralegal Studies in 2017.
“The Paralegal Studies program at IVC deserves a round of
applause,” says Tsentsiper, who continues to serve on the program’s board and
has spent a semester assisting Professor McLaughlin. “I am proud to have been a
part of this great program and a very friendly community of students and
professors.”
It’s graduates like Tsentsiper
who motivate McLaughlin to continue to take the IVC program higher.
“My students have
full-time jobs, are caretakers, and come to class in the evenings,” she says. “They
inspire me because I know how hard they are working to achieve their dreams.”