Brownsville Herald
Texas Southmost College on Thursday officially inaugurated the TSC Legal Center in 4,450 square feet of renovated space on campus to meet the increasing demand for law enforcement officers and legal professionals in the workforce.
Much like simulation labs in the health professions, the center’s main feature is a fully equipped courtroom and conference center, with an adjacent jury room, classrooms and a Cameron County Law Library to accommodate TSC’s criminal justice, law enforcement and paralegal programs.
“This is what we call applied theory,” TSC President Jesús Roberto Rodríguez said, comparing the center to the mock emergency rooms and classrooms used to train health professionals and school teachers.
Rodriguez credited Kevin C. O’Malley, program director of paralegal studies, with leading the charge to secure American Bar Association, or ABA, accreditation for TSC’s paralegal programs.
TSC is one of 184 schools in the nation, just 14 in Texas, and the only ABA-approved paralegal program in the Rio Grande Valley, he said.
“An ABA-approved program gives its graduates standing in the legal community as they are recognized for receiving an education from one of the finest paralegal programs in the country,” Rodriguez said.
The facility includes a courtroom with a jury and conference room, several classrooms, and a digital Cameron County Bar Association law library, he said.
TSC is the only institution in Texas and one of only four in the country to offer both a fully functional courtroom and an ABA-approved paralegal studies program, Rodriguez said.
Herrera said he especially wanted to thank retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio of the Southern District of Texas and O’Malley for their role in the project.
“We had many differences about how this would play out, and at the end, what a beautiful place,” he said.
“I have a dream to have this courtroom used by the JP courts, the Cameron County Court-at-Law courts, state District Courts, and if possible the federal courts … but this is yours to use, and it’ll be a learning opportunity for our students. What better than to have a court hearing, a trial, that our students will be in those chairs and they will go out and deliberate as to what happened and why those things happened,” Herrera said.
“Thank you so much Judge Recio, thank you Dr. O’Malley, thank you board,” he said.
O’Malley, who teaches four paralegal courses every semester at TSC and heads the department, said he and Recio envisioned the renovations that became the TSC Legal Center at 1780 Ridgely Road.
“Judge Recio and I had this idea about three years ago and we started putting it together for the kids that we teach in this community, who are just wonderful. These kids are wonderful. They’re starting up their ladder,” O’Malley said after the ceremony had ended with Recio lowering the gavel to declare the legal center “in session.
”TSC offers associate of arts and associate of applied sciences degree programs in criminal justice, as well as an associate of applied science degree in paralegal studies, and a certificate of proficiency in legal advising.
The college also offers police officer certification through the Criminal Justice Institute of the Workforce Training and Continuing Education Division.
Herrera, a TSC alumnus and law graduate of Texas Southern University, said the college has come a long way since his undergraduate years.
“I came to Texas Southmost College to become a police officer when I was 28 without a high school diploma or a GED. They took me in, they nurtured me. Eventually I became an attorney, thanks to Texas Southmost College. This has been my dream. Students will have the opportunity that was not afforded to us back then. They will have proceedings, court proceedings in this courtroom, and our students will benefit from these proceedings,” Herrera said.
The college also offers police officer certification through the Criminal Justice Institute of the Workforce Training and Continuing Education Division.
Herrera, a TSC alumnus and law graduate of Texas Southern University, said the college has come a long way since his undergraduate years.
“I came to Texas Southmost College to become a police officer when I was 28 without a high school diploma or a GED. They took me in, they nurtured me. Eventually I became an attorney, thanks to Texas Southmost College. This has been my dream. Students will have the opportunity that was not afforded to us back then. They will have proceedings, court proceedings in this courtroom, and our students will benefit from these proceedings,” Herrera said.
Click on link to read the rest of the story: https://myrgv.com/local-news/2024/01/26/brownsvilles-tsc-inaugurates-legal-center/
11 comments:
Meanwhile, Abbott and his administration have held firm on their stance to continue the razor wire policy as the Republican governor.
He doen't care about hispanic life, racist republicans hate meskins. Learn it now before its too late.
BOLA DE MAMONES WANNA BE WHITE COCOS!
Never Kill These 7 Texas Insects.
Number uno: Meskins
Number dos: Meskins
Number tres Meskins
Number 4 : Meskins
Number 5 : Meskins
Number seis Meskins
Y Number 7: meskins
The BISD campus have mock trial club to practice court room procedures for free. Waste of time because look what has been produced in lawyers in Brownsville, Ben, Rene, the DA, etc. RATAS
Deep in mind that every time that Luis Seanz is pictured with these old timer thieves, Adela de La Graza, Delia Saenz, and yours truly it is NOT for the benefit of future students, it's for their deep pockets. Grant, Grant monies is all they are interested in. Check the Boca Chica land deal, with our so-called political leaders. Trey Mendez must be shitting bricks about the deal with Elon Musk. Investing in land that didn't belong to Cameron County but supposedly sold to Elon Musk without disclosing transparency. Was Cameron County receiving grant monies for the park, while all along it was Elon Musks". Elon Musk got a free ride by not paying taxes. No wonder he was donating Brownsville some streetlights. He and Trey can shove the lights up their asses. Keep in mind the historical corruption of Richard King, Miffland Kennedy, and Charles Stillman. Wonder if when these leaders die will they be remembered as Rene Oliveira? Life is a bitch when it catches up with you. This is my opinion
Trump is gonna need a whole bunch of lawyers. Ha! Ha!
Other bs program
Sooooo, what's next, a money fund raiser? That's all they wanted, raise money, but for what? themselves, others, family, friends, pay their bills, lo que deven? BOLA DE MAMONES THEY ALL DO THAT, START A LITTLE GANG GROUP AND THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINES IS.... "WE NEED MONEY!".
Applied theory: A hybrid between a Theory Donkey and a Reg Monkey. What is the market like for someone who is doing applied theory? Would they be considered worse than those doing pure theory?
We like stuff that has an application in the real world. There is no such thing as applied theory.
99% of the people on that pic are clueless of any type of theory, otherwise they wouldn't be there. dummies!
By: El Previsible
Some lawyers in Cameron are greedy Cancers to Brownsville T.Martinez in cahoots with Eddie Trevino to start with.
January 31, 2024 at 6:24 AM
Applied Theory
Pure Theory
Grand Theory
Middle Theory
Hopefully, some students will be so talented that they will go and work at the Police Station, Judicial Court, etc and have a good life and be good people with many opportunities to advance.
TSC needs to help them find a job before completing their degree.
January 31, 2024 at 8:46 PM
On the job training helps, but where? the people that have and can help are theory "less".
Just look at the pic and try not to laugh.
This theory is named LAMBISQUIANDO prevalent only in S.T.
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