The State Bar of Texas was the first bar association in the United States to create a separate division for paralegals. The Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas was created on October 23, 1981, and has been in existence for 42 years.
In honor of the many contributions made by the paralegal community and the Paralegal Division, the Senate of the State of Texas adopted Proclamation No. 1144, recognizing October 23rd as Texas Paralegal Day.
On October 23, 1981, the State Bar of Texas became the first bar association in the United States to create a separate division for paralegals. Recognizing the importance of paralegal professionals in the legal community, beginning in 2005, during each session, the Texas House of Representatives signed proclamations acknowledging October 23rd as “Paralegal Day” (in recognition of the anniversary of the founding of the Paralegal Division), for one or two years at a time. However on January 22, 2009, the Texas Senate issued Proclamation No. 1144, declaring October 23rd to be Texas Paralegal Day indefinitely.
Proclamation No. 1144 states, in part, that “Paralegals are vital resources to their firms, performing valuable services for and under the direction of an attorney, and their work requires a thorough knowledge of legal concepts and facts. October 23 marks the anniversary of the founding of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, a division established to promote high standards of conduct, professional ethics, and responsibility through continuing legal education and cooperation with the State Bar of Texas. The goals of the Paralegal Division are to achieve more economical and improved legal services throughout the state, to focus on benefits for its members and the paralegal profession, and to develop opportunities, incentives, and recognition for legal education. Through their exceptional talents and expertise, paralegals provide valuable services that contribute significantly to the efficient functioning of the judicial system in the Lone Star State and they are indeed worthy of special recognition.”
