The Paralegal program at Delaware Technical & Community College, Owens Campus has been approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
According to the ABA Web site, the principal objective of approving paralegal education programs is to foster the high quality of the education and training and the development of educational standards.
The approval process consisted of an extensive investigation of self-evaluation reports prepared by the paralegal program as well as an on-site evaluation of program operations to verify that it is in compliance with ABA guidelines.
Delaware Tech’s program is approved for a period of seven years.
“ABA approval provides credibility to Delaware Tech as well as its students and graduates,” said Jane Stayton, program director. “It enhances employment opportunities and can make it easier to transfer to four-year schools.”
The paralegal program, an option under the Office Administration Technology, has a 99 to 100 percent job placement rate for graduates.
In addition to private law firms, paralegals are often employed by other organizations in the private sector including corporate legal departments, insurance companies, hospitals and health care organizations, and professional trade associations.
Job opportunities in the public sector include community legal services programs, consumer organizations, state and federal government agencies, and the judicial system.
Delaware Tech has a transfer option with Wilmington University that allows graduates of the paralegal program to continue their education as a junior in the university’s Legal Studies program, which also is approved by the ABA.
According to the ABA Web site, only 264 institutions across the country, including four-year universities, have ABA approval.
