Click for answers to questions about Administration
of CLE Credit |
1. I passed four sections of the CLA/CP examination in March and passed the last section in July. Can I submit requests for credit for a seminar I attended in April? |
| 2. I just submitted an online entry for CLE credit for a seminar I attended on litigation procedures. Do I send the backup documentation to NALA Headquarters for this program? |
| 3. Several seminars are coming up that I will be attending. Should I enter the hours or send in the CLE reporting forms all at once or as I go? |
| 4. My certification expires next May, and I have received notification that 50 hours have been recorded. What happens now? |
| 5. During my first five year period I accumulated over 70 hours of continuing education. Can these carry over to subsequent five year periods? |
| 6. Has the Certifying Board made any provision for retired legal assistants who have attained the CLA/CP designation? |
| 7. If my five year period is up, how do I request the one-year extension to complete the required 50 hours? |
| 8. What happens if I allow my certification to expire and, after a period of a few years, want the designation again? Can I be reinstated? |
| 9. I have moved and filed a forwarding order with the post office, but haven't received any information from NALA concerning the expiration of my CLA/CP designation. Why? |
| 10. I want to take an advanced paralegal certification program, but it seems cumbersome for me to keep track of two certifications and two expiration dates. What are the continuing education requirements for those who receive advanced certification? |
| 11. I submitted information for an eight-hour seminar, but the recap from NALA Headquarters shows six hours of credit. Why was it changed? |
| 12, I am changing jobs but will still be working as a legal assistant. Can I continue to use the CLA designation? |
| 13, How can I be certain that a particular seminar or course will meet the continuing education requirement before I invest my time and money? |
| 14. Since we don't have to send backup documentation for online CLE credit requests, is it true we don't have to have verification of attendance for any of the programs we submit online? |
| Click for answers to questions about CLE Sources |
1. My certification expires in 60 days. I have 30 hours of credit and I live in an area where continuing education is not offered with any frequency, nor is there a legal assistant program or law school anywhere close to me. HELP! |
| 2. There is a legal assistant association in my area that conducts monthly luncheon meetings with speakers. Will my attending these functions qualify for CLE credit? |
| 3. Are CLE credits awarded to those who serve on the Certifying Board? |
| 4. My firm has ordered video and audio tapes of various legal education programs. Can I get credit for watching or listening to these tapes? |
| 5. I have read several articles dealing with recent Supreme Court cases. Does this qualify for credit? |
| 6. I have been asked to present a session at a seminar on trial notebook preparation. Will this qualify for credit? |
| 7. I audited a college course on real property law. Would this qualify for credit? |
| 8. I teach a litigation course at our local college as part of the paralegal program. Would this qualify? |
| 9. I am not always able to attend NALA sponsored events to acquire the educational credits needed to maintain my certification. Will seminars through the bar association or my local legal assistant association qualify? |
| 10. I have successfully completed the Certified Florida Paralegal (CFP) examination, administered by the Paralegal Association of Florida Inc. Am I entitled to any CLE credit for this designation through NALA? |
| 11. My law firm conducts a series of in-house continuing education programs. Will my attendance at these sessions qualify for credit? |
| 12. I recently completed extensive research on a criminal law case for an attorney in our firm. Since I work primarily in contract law, will the time I spent in research qualify for CLAE credit? |
| 13. I volunteer at a pro bono clinic, working in and learning about different areas of the law. Will any of this time qualify for credit? |
| Click for answers to questions about CLE Content |
1. Am I required to attend continuing legal education programs in the substantive areas on which I was tested or in my specialty area? |
| 2. Does it matter that all my continuing education credits are earned by one method? For example, may they all be earned by writing articles? |
| 3. My firm wants to send me to a seminar on managing a small law office. Will this qualify for credit? |
| 4. I recently submitted a request for credit for attendance at a seminar for healthcare practitioners, but did not receive any credit for this program. Why not? |
| 5. I took a college course, for credit, on the topic of business English. Would this qualify? |
| 6. What is considered a "relevant" topic? |
| 7. I am active in our association and have made several presentations to the members about NALA and its activities. Will this qualify for credit? |
| 8. Will computer courses, including Westlaw and Lexis, qualify for CLAE credit? |