Paralegal Graduate Certificate Program
Classroom Option
Course Instructors
Laura Davidson Fowell - Essential Skills Instructor - is an attorney at Joe R. Davidson, P.C., where she represents clients in estate, probate, trust, wills, and general civil practice and litigation. Previously, she served as assistant district attorney and misdemeanor and felony prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Ms. Fowell is adjunct professor and varsity mock trial coach at South Texas College of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association. Ms. Fowell holds a JD from South Texas College of Law and a BS in corporate communication studies from The University of Texas at Austin.
Steven S. Newsom - Contract Law Instructor - is an attorney practicing general civil law with a focus on real estate, business and contract law. Newsom holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston, an MBA from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and a BS in Maritime Systems Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Hiren P. Patel - Tort Law and Texas Civil Procedures Instructor - is a co-founder and managing member at Patel & Warren, PLLC, a Houston-based boutique law firm specializing in civil litigation, business counseling, family law, probate, guardianship, and wills and estates. He serves as a non-executive chairman of the Board of Aphelion Legal Solutions, a litigation support consulting, legal staffing and offshoring company, where he previously served as CEO. Mr. Patel is also Board member of Xim Technologies, LLC, a software development company specializing in complex Web applications. He is licensed to practice law in Texas and California, and he is adjunct professor at Lonestar College – Kingwood and Tomball locations. Mr. Patel holds a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law and a BA in political science/policy studies from Rice University.
Lori Swann - Essential Skills Instructor - practices with Cunningham Law Group, a small Houston litigation firm that specializes in matters involving fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. She served as an assistant district attorney for 10 years in Harris County where she tried more than 100 criminal cases, including several death penalty cases. Ms. Swann has lectured extensively in many areas of criminal law and advocacy for the Texas Justice Court Training Center, the Houston Area Women’s Center, the Texas District and County Attorney’s Association and the National College of District Attorneys. She has also served as a faculty member for the National Advocacy Center. Ms. Swann is a graduate of Rice University and holds a JD from The University of Texas School of Law.