Biography
Antoinette France-Harris has been a licensed attorney since 1998. She is a native New Yorker who began her legal career with a mid-sized New York firm and established herself as a successful transactional attorney. Initially, when she relocated to Georgia in 2002, she worked in-house for a couple of Fortune 1000 companies and eventually became a solo practitioner in 2003. Her firm’s areas of specialization included real estate, corporate, estate planning, and family law matters. In 2010, Prof. Harris began her career in academia teaching Paralegal Studies full-time at Atlanta Technical College. In addition, she acted as Department Chair there for two years before becoming an Assistant Professor in Legal Studies at Clayton State University in August 2014. She is now a Professor and Program Coordinator for Legal Studies at Clayton State. In 2019, Prof. Harris’ first textbook, Georgia Wills, Trusts, and Estate Administration, was published and her second textbook, Fundamentals of Georgia Family Law, was published in 2023. She has earned a B.S. from Harvard, an M.S.W. from Columbia, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Statement
It is a great honor to be asked to serve on the ABA's Standing Committee on Paralegals and Approval Commission. In the fourteen years since I've worked in academia, ABA approval has represented excellence in paralegal education. Having been a program coordinator for two institutions, I can attest that it is a mark of distinction not only for educators but also for students. In recent surveys, the overwhelming majority of students in my program indicated that our ABA approval was pivotal to their decision to attend Clayton State. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to participate in various ABA meetings and information sessions through my membership in the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE), and last year, I answered the call for volunteers to conduct site visits. It has proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable and informative experience. Therefore, I look forward with excitement to the work that lies ahead!