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This quarter, The Legacy Voice would like to feature The Center for American and International Law in our spotlight. You can’t help but take a second glance at the beautifully domed architectural structure that seems to embody the spirit of freedom with its international seal and scales of justice in monumental relief. It’s character and personality captures the essence of what goes on behind those walls. The Center for American and International Law is a non-profit institution dedicated to the continuing education of lawyers and law enforcement officials in the United States and throughout the world.

Tens of thousands of lawyers and law enforcement officers from all 50 states and 128 countries have participated in programs of the Center. Founded in 1947, The Center has earned a reputation for excellence in education. The founder of this great institution, Robert Storey, the Dean of the Southern Methodist University School of Law presiding in 1947 felt that continuing education should be a lifetime endeavor. And the notion of continuing formal education even beyond law school was a very contemporary idea at the time. Dean Storey’s theory led to the establishment of one of America’s first educational centers of its kind.

Eleven years later, the Institution of Law Enforcement Administration (ILEA), then known as the Southwestern Law Enforcement Institution, was established. ILEA offers courses to police chiefs and to first line law enforcement managers. Perhaps its proudest moment came in 1992 with the establishment of the Center for Law Enforcement Ethics.

To this day, there is no documented evidence to suggest that any other continuing education center engaged in both lawyer and law enforcement education exists.

The Center is built on seven educational institutions: Institute for International and Comparative Law, Institute for Transnational Arbitration, Institute for Energy Law, Institute for Litigation Studies, Institute for Local Government Studies, Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and the Institute for Law and Technology. Each particular area of concentration is endorsed by some the most esteemed minds in legal field.

So the next time you take a drive past The Center for American and International Law, the beauty of the facility itself will take on a deeper appreciation recognizing the wealth of knowledge that lies beyond those walls. For more about The Center, visit them online at www.cailaw.org.