New Law Library

Here it is! We officially unveiled our new Joe R. Edwards Law Library during a ceremony last night. More than 3,000 books worth approximately $50,000 were donated for this initiative, a first for the Paralegal Certificate program. The law library serves as a site for KSU’s new daytime Paralegal classes and is a resource for students in Legal Research and Writing classes.

“We are celebrating a monumental event,” said Jennifer Henderson, Paralegal program manager. “For nearly 30 years, our program has trained thousands of students to enter the legal field. The new addition of this law library adds an element of prestige that cements the quality of our program for the next 30 years and beyond.”

Housed in the same room where daytime paralegal classes are held, the law library will serve as a tremendous asset and convenience for both students and instructors. Its namesake, Joe R. Edwards, was widely known as “everyman’s attorney” in Atlanta. He defended blue-collar and less-fortunate clients – often pro bono. He passed away in 1999 at the age of 71.

His son, John “Dick” Edwards, a Paralegal instructor at KSU since 2008, addressed the audience at the reception:

“I’d like to thank KSU for honoring my father. We [the Edwards family] are profoundly touched. My father would be very honored. As this night approached, it opened up a floodgate of memories. My father loved law and was extremely loyal to the clients he represented. He would take on clients’ problems as if they were his own and was very passionate about helping people.”

Tammie Gruhn, another featured speaker, earned her Paralegal Certificate in 2009 and has since added licensed private investigator and a state-certified process server to her resume. She said, “This can be a very rewarding career. To have the law library on the premises is wonderful.”

Barbara Calhoun, dean of the College, said, “We’re very proud of this Paralegal program we’ve built over the past 29 years. What counts the most is the people you meet and the difference you can make in their lives. We are fortunate to have instructors who love working with our students who now have access to these books without having to go someplace else.”

Want to see what it’s like? Take a 360-degree virtual tour of our new law library.