NOTE:  If you are already familiar with the CLE Requirements, click here to go to the online CLE reporting form.
 

REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING CERTIFIED PARALEGAL STATUS

All Certified Paralegals (CPs) and Certified Legal Assistants (CLAs) must submit evidence of completion of fifty (50) hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) every five (5) years, which must include five (5) hours on the subject of legal ethics, to maintain valid certification. A completed Recertification Affidavit plus a fee of $100, effective May 1, 2008, will also be required at the time of recertification. Notice of one (1) year probation will be sent to the last known address of any CLA or CP failing to submit evidence of completion of the fifty (50) hours of CLE within the five (5) year period. If the CLA or CP fails to complete the above recertification requirements in the one-year probation period, certification will be revoked, with notice to the legal assistant. Further, it is the responsibility of the CLA or CP to provide NALA Headquarters with a change of address within thirty (30) days of relocation. Failure to provide a timely change of address shall constitute a waiver of the notice provision set forth above.

All requests for CLE credit are subject to approval by the NALA Certifying Board. Relevancy is subject to approval by the NALA Certifying Board which may request employer attestation.

The categories of qualifying CLE with hour values are:

CATEGORY A:  Successful completion of a NALA Advanced Paralegal Certification course or NALA-recognized State Specialty Examination.  Twenty (20) hours per APC certification.

CATEGORY B:  Successful completion (Grade C or better) of a relevant course for a minimum of 3 quarter hours or 2 semester hours at an accredited institution of higher education.  The NALA Certifying Board may require employer attestation to the relevancy of the course.  Twenty (20) hours per course.

Auditing of a relevant course or completion of a relevant course not meeting above listed quarter/semester hour minimums.  Ten (10) hours per course. 

• Clarification of quarter/semester hours: Institutions of higher education are either on a quarter or semester system.  Quarters are generally 10 to 12 weeks long; quarters hours are the unit of course measurement.  Semesters are generally 14 to 15 weeks long; semester hours are the unit of course measurement.  A 3 quarter hour course is the equivalent of a 2 semester hour course.
• Clarification of "accredited": By any nationally recognized accrediting agency.
• Credit is not available for general education courses.

CATEGORY C:  Attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops, etc., on legal topics relevant for working paralegals, with actual legal educational hours recorded. Program must be a minimum of 50 minutes to be considered for credit.

• NALACampus courses generally qualify for 10 hours of CLE credit upon completion.
• NALACampus LIVE! courses generally qualify for 1 to 2 hours of CLE credit upon completion.
• Seminars and programs which provide analysis and interpretation of the law must have an attorney as the presenter or as one of a team of presenters.
• Credit may be considered for audio/video, in-house CLE programs, and state and local paralegal or bar association programs meeting the requirements as listed above.
• Credit is not available for self-study involving reading articles, books, etc.
• Sessions covering such topics as state or federal law or rules, ethics, torts, estate planning, etc., may be considered for substantive credit provided the programs meet the requirements as set by the Certifying Board.
• Sessions covering topics such as law office management and computer software are considered as non-substantive hours. Up to 10 hours per five year period may be recorded in nonsubstantive areas.
• In order for the Certifying Board to consider requests for participation in seminars, workshops, etc., outside the paralegal field, the seminar must include a review of the current law, and then only those portions of the seminar relevant to the law are eligible for credit.

CATEGORY D:  Certified Paralegals may petition the NALA Certifying Board for credit for teaching experience or seminar presentations on topics related to the work of a practicing legal assistant.  Limit twenty (20) hours per petition.

• Special requests under Category D must be submitted in writing to NALA Headquarters with backup documentation in order to be reviewed for CLE eligibility.
• Credit is not available for work experience, whether paid or unpaid.
• Research time spent in preparation as a seminar presenter may qualify for credit in addition to attendance at the program. The Certifying Board will allow up to a maximum of 3 hours of preparation time for each hour of presentation. Time spent editing, proofreading, etc., will not be considered.
• Teaching a substantive legal course may qualify for up to 20 hours of credit. Credit may only be recorded once per five year period for teaching the same course.

CATEGORY E:  Certified Paralegals may petition the NALA Certifying Board for credit for other experiences that may be considered for credit. Example: Extensive research on a substantive topic related to the work of a practicing legal assistant which results in publication of an article in a legal publication. Work experience, whether paid or unpaid, cannot be considered for credit. Credit under this category is limited to a maximum of twenty (20) hours per request.

• Special requests under Categories D and E must be submitted in writing with backup documentation to NALA Headquarters to be reviewed for CLE eligibility.
• Substantive training sessions involved in volunteer activities such as CASA and Guardian Ad Litem may be considered for credit. Credit is not available for volunteer service.
• Service on the NALA Certifying Board or Advanced Paralegal Certification Board is not eligible for CLE credit.

MECHANICS:  CLE credit submissions may be reported online through NALA's web site at www.nala.org or the CLE Reporting Form may be printed for submissions by mail, fax, or e-mail.  Submit only the CLE Reporting Form.  Backup documentation should not be sent unless you are submitting a petition for credit under Categories D and E or in response to an audit notice (explained below).  The credit submission will be entered on your record as "unconfirmed."

To ensure the accuracy of CLE submissions, the NALA Certifying Board will audit unconfirmed submissions for CLE credit under Categories A, B, and C received by NALA Headquarters.  If your record is audited, you will receive an audit notice from NALA Headquarters.  You will have sixty (60) days from the date of the audit notice to submit backup documentation for unconfirmed entries you previously submitted.  You may send your documentation to NALA Headquarters by mail, e-mail, or fax.  Documentation will not be returned, so you should send copies, not original documents.  If you provide satisfactory evidence of attendance or completion, the credits will be considered "confirmed."

If you do not submit satisfactory evidence within sixty (60) days of the audit notice, the NALA Certifying Board may refuse to give CLE credit for the unconfirmed submissions and you may be subject to discipline as set forth in the Rules for Disciplinary Proceedings.

You must keep satisfactory evidence of attendance or completion of a CLE event or course for which credit has not been confirmed for a minimum of one year from the date of acknowledgment of the credit by NALA.  Acknowledgment means NALA Headquarters has posted the credit on your CLE record.  A recap of your CLE record will be sent to you after each submission.  The recap will show each entry as either "unconfirmed," "confirmed," or "recorded."  A confirmed entry or confirmed credits are those given for CLE events or courses at which the CLA/CP's attendance or completion is verified (1) directly by NALA (for example, completion of a NALA Campus program or achievement of a NALA Advanced Certified Paralegal designation), (2) directly to NALA by an independent third party (for example, an attendance roster sent to NALA by a CLE sponsor or provider), or (3) by submission of the CLA/CP of satisfactory evidence of attendance or completion.  A recorded entry is an unconfirmed entry no longer subject to audit.  Only unconfirmed credits for CLE are subject to audit.  However, in the event of a disciplinary proceeding concerning the CLA/CPs CLE credit, any entry on the CLA/CPs record may be reviewed.

Satisfactory evidence of attendance at or completion of a CLE event or course includes, but is not limited to:

Category A:  Copy of the certificate or other record of the governing body of the NALA-recognized State Specialty Examination program.

Category B:  Copy of transcripts or other documentation from the accredited institution of higher education providing evidence that the CLA/CP completed the course and the number of hours awarded by the institution.
 
Category C:  Copy of the certificate of attendance form given to the CLA/CP by the CLE provider or sponsor.

Legal education events dealing in substantive areas and/or interpretation of the law must be taught by attorneys or attorney/paralegal teams.

Five (5) CLE credit hours on the subject of legal ethics are required for every recertification after January 1, 2006.

The NALA Certifying Board reserves the right to adjust entries in accordance with the current Requirements for Maintaining Certified Paralegal Status.

Adopted 10/10/77; Amended 6/81; 8/82; 5/85; 5/87; 2/88; 5/88; 10/88; 3/93; 6/96; 5/97; 1/00; 5/04; 1/06; 4/09

CLA is a certification mark duly registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (No. 1131999). Any unauthorized use is strictly forbidden.
CP is a certification mark duly registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (No. 78213275). Any unauthorized use is strictly forbidden.
CLA Specialist is a certification mark duly registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (No. 1751731). Any unauthorized use in strictly forbidden.
ACP is a certification mark duly registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (No. 78/687519). Any unauthorized use in strictly forbidden.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions About CLE Credit

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