October 11, 2006

Paralegal Day is October 20

Gov. Sanford Makes Proclamation Recognizing Legal Professionals

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –  Gov. Mark Sanford has signed a proclamation designating Friday, October 20 as Paralegal Day.

The proclamation recognizes the positive contributions made by paralegals to make quality legal services accessible and available. Paralegals work for attorneys, judges, corporations, government agencies and other organizations to assist in the delivery of legal services. The proclamation states that paralegals help keep legal costs down by improving the management of cases to the benefit of legal clients while upholding the highest standards of professionalism and strictly adhering to a code of ethics.

Yvonne Harper, Director of the Spartanburg Methodist College Paralegal Certificate Program, who previously worked as a litigation and bankruptcy paralegal in Virginia for over 13 years, is  pleased with the Governor’s proclamation and recognition of paralegals, “The American Bar Association and a number of court decisions have endorsed the use of paralegals for years and Govenor Sanford has validated the many contributions paralegals in South Carolina make to the legal profession.  I echo his words and encourage all legal offices, departments, government agencies and fellow South Carolinians to honor the paralegals they know and work with on Friday, October 20.”  

The paralegal profession continues its rapid growth, with the Department of Labor perdicting that the profession is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012. 

Spartanburg Methodist College added a Paralegal Certificate Program in August of 2004 and currently has 44 students enrolled in their Fall I term.   To earn a certificate in the SMC paralegal program, students must complete 20 courses, offered in 10 sessions, with each session lasting 10 weeks. The cost for each course is $275 with financial aid and payment plans available.  Individuals may also audit a course for $125. 

For additional information, contact Yvonne Harper, Director of the Paralegal Certificate Program, at 587-4278, or e-mailharpery@smcsc.edu. You can also go online to Adult Students www.smcsc.edu for moreinfromation on the Paralegal Certificate Program.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 95th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.