Brownsville's TSC inaugurates Legal Center

Jan. 26—Only have a minute? Listen instead

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.

Ruben Herrera, a criminal defense attorney and member of the TSC Board of Trustees who headed the committee behind the Law Center project, thanked the other members of the board.

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.

"We have criminal justice schools, we have law enforcement police academy students and we have a paralegal school. All three programs will greatly benefit from this courtroom. I am thrilled and humbled and very thankful because we've come a long ways," he said.

During the ceremony, Isidro Ramos, a carpenter in TSC's Facilities Department and a TSC alumnus, was recognized for his work on the renovation.

"I got a certificate in carpentry, and I took the opportunity to work in Facilities," Ramos, who is deaf, told The Brownsville Herald through an interpreter.

"I am happy that I took the assignment and that people can see my work. I've been working here for 10 years. I started off as a groundsman, then moved up to maintenance and now am a carpenter. I feel honored to have accepted this assignment even though it was a challenge," Ramos said following a congratulatory luncheon in the TSC Student Center.