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Continuing Education
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NALA has produced continuing education materials for paralegals for over 30 years. From the release of the first NALA Manual for Legal Assistants in the 70's, to today's web-based Advanced Paralegal Certification programs, NALA has been dedicated to providing the best in CLE for all paralegals.
Continuing education credit for Certified Paralegals is available for most NALA CLE programs. Consult the individual program description for details.
This section is sponsored by:
NALA Campus is THE place for details about NALA on-line programs. Click the image to visit NALA Campus.
Need to order a book??
 for the publications order form.
Two new books have been added to the NALA bookstore!
One on using computers in the law office and the other on electronic legal research. Check it out!
Evaluation Forms
For any class you take here are the evaluation forms
NALA Campus
NALA Campus LIVE!
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News & Upcoming Events |
Commercial Bankruptcy APC Course Released!
A new Advanced Paralegal Certification (APC) course in Commercial Bankruptcy under Chapters 7 and 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code is now available to paralegals seeking advanced certification in this specialty practice area. ...
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CLE Gift for NALA Active Members!
Active members of NALA - new and renewals - are receiving an $80 gift certificate from NALA to apply toward any NALA educational program or Facts & Findings subscription ...
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New for Certified Paralegals!
Now, Certified Paralegals may access their records of continuing education credits on-line, on a 24/7 basis. In addition, this access also works on smart phones and tablets. Now, information about your progress in accumulating the required 50 hours is at your finger tips!
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Advanced Paralegal Certification in Criminal Litigation Released!
Several years in development, the Advanced Paralegal Certification board announces the ACP Certification program in Criminal Litigation!
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Need a product or service for your office?
The NALA Vendor Directory is a terrific place to start. This is a list of legal vendors offering a great range of help including deposition services, document services, and investigations. Click the link below...
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Click here for more news articles
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Certified Paralegal Exam Preparation
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Registration fees are $80 per course for NALA members, and $105 for non-members. Fees vary for courses presented in two parts.
The audio portion of the presentation is conducted via telephone conference call. This is a toll free call.
For groups, more than one participant per site, is $80 for one NALA member or $105 for one non-member registrant plus $45 for each additional person. Participants must register in order to receive Certificates of Attendance and CLE credit. Registrations of groups are handled through NALA Headquarters. Contact Mariah Williams at mwilliams@nala.org.
CLE credit toward maintenance of the CP credential is available for completion of NALA Campus LIVE! programs. The maximum credit available is two hours per course.
For a list of the courses as in date order please click here.
American Legal System: Part 1
Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
This course is a basic overview of the system of law in the United States. Because of the nature and amount of information covered, it is presented in two parts. This first session of the American Legal System topic discusses the history and sources of the law, including the constitutional history of the American Legal System. This session also covers the structure of the federal court system which includes a discussion of the types of courts in our federal judicial system and the concept of due process in our legal system. American Legal System Part II will be offered on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time.
Ms. Sanders-West was President of NALA from 1986–1988, and is a familiar instructor in Certified Paralegal Review Courses. She has served as Chair of the national Certifying Board for Legal Assistants, and is a former instructor in the Legal Assistant Program at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
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American Legal System: Part 2
Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
This second session of the two-part topic will cover the various aspects of jurisdiction in our court system, the distinction between procedural and substantive law, conflicts of law, a discussion of the United States Constitution, and a look at the executive and legislative branches of government. American Legal System Part I will be offered on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time.
Ms. Sanders-West was President of NALA from 1986–1988, and is a familiar instructor in Certified Paralegal Review Courses. She has served as Chair of the national Certifying Board for Legal Assistants, and is a former instructor in the Legal Assistant Program at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
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Basic Business Organizations
Kelly LaGrave, ACP
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
11 am – 12:30 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3318
This presentation offers a broad and basic view of the fundamentals of business that every legal assistant should understand. Covers sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, profit and nonprofit corporations, and limited liability companies. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of organization are explained, and guidance on how to form each type is offered, including specifics about required state and IRS filings.
Kelly A. LaGrave has been a legal assistant since 1984 and works in the Business and Corporate practice group at Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith law firm, Lansing, MI. She specializes in the areas of business formations and terminations, and mergers and acquisitions. She has a BA in International Relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University, and holds ACP credentials in Intellectual Property, Real Estate, and Contracts Administration/Contracts Management. She has served the State Bar of Michigan Legal Assistants Section in several leadership positions and was honored in 1998 with the Section’s Mentor Award. She has served NALA in many capacities and currently serves as NALA’s 2nd Vice President.
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Basic Ethics: Part 1
Vicki Voisin, ACP
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time
This basic course will focus on the foundation of legal ethics, including the history of ethics rules and the guidelines for the utilization of paralegal services. The importance of understanding the attorney’s ethical obligation will be stressed. Moving on from these established rules, participants will review the issues of attorney supervision, the unauthorized practice of law and conflicts of interest. The NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as recent case law and ethics opinions, will be employed as basic references. Basic Ethics: Part 2 will be offered Thursday, March 8, 2012, from Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time
Vicki Voisin, ACP, is a nationally recognized author and speaker on issues related to ethics and to the paralegal profession. She is the creator and presenter of EthicsBasics, a unique program designed to raise awareness of ethical concerns by legal professionals and corporate employees. She also publishes a weekly ezine titled Strategies for Paralegals Seeking Excellence. She is a past president of NALA, received the Association’s President’s Award in 2003, and until recently on NALA’s Advanced Certification Board. Vicki has worked as a paralegal for over 20 years and is currently a self-employed contract paralegal in Charlevoix, Michigan.
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Basic Ethics: Part 2
Vicki Voisin, ACP
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time
This basic course will continue the lessons learned in Ethics I, with a focus on confidentiality and attorney-client privilege, fees, billing and client funds, prohibited communications and the duty of candor. Participants will also be exposed to a brief overview of the application of ethics rules to technological advances such as cell phones, e-mail, web sites and research on the Internet. The NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as recent case law and ethics opinions, will be employed as basic references. Basic Ethics: Part 1 will be offered Thursday, February 23, 2012, from Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time.
Vicki Voisin, ACP, is a nationally recognized author and speaker on issues related to ethics and to the paralegal profession. She is the creator and presenter of EthicsBasics, a unique program designed to raise awareness of ethical concerns by legal professionals and corporate employees. She also publishes a weekly ezine titled Paralegal Strategies. She is a past president of NALA, received the Association’s President’s Award in 2003, and until recently served on NALA’s Advanced Certification Board. Vicki has worked as a paralegal for over 20 years and is currently a self-employed contract paralegal in Charlevoix, Michigan.
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Blue Book Review of Citing
Mary Kubichek, BS, MA, JD
Friday, January 27, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time
This This Advanced course is designed to review the Blue Book rules of citing and to point out the changes in the 19th Edition. Participants must have an 19th Edition of the Blue Book with them for the course. Students must also print off the handouts before the session.
Participants will learn to identify which sources are used for what task, they will become familiar with citing primary and secondary sources according to the Blue Book, and they will be able to correctly cite subsequent history.
Session topics include:
- Basic tools of legal research
- Primary and secondary sources
- Mandatory and persuasive sources
- Rules for citing case names
- Statutes
- Legal Periodicals
- Regional Reporters – parallel citations
- Subsequent History
Mary Kubichek is Director of the Casper College Paralegal Program in Wyoming, where she also teaches the eight legal specialty courses. She has been a jury consultant since 1981, and has taught communication and legal courses at 13 different institutions. She has spoken and published extensively on a variety of legal and paralegal issues. She began her legal career as a paralegal in Omaha, NE, and worked as an attorney for a number of firms and the Department of Justice before joining Casper College in 1988. She is a past member of the NALA Certifying Board, served on NALA's CLA Specialty Task Force, and is a former AAfPE representative to the ABA Approval Commission for Certificate Program. Ms. Kubichek was a presenter at the 2006 NALA Annual Convention speaking on Paralegals as Jury Consultants and is a frequent speaker at AAfPE conferences. Mary is the director of the Casper College Paralegal Service Program: this is a protype program. In 2009 it received the NCIA Award for Exemplary Initiative for Responding to community and needs and the Wyoming State Bar Bono Service Award.
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Civil Litigation: Part I
Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
The Beginning: This first session of Civil Litigation addresses what litigation actually is (e.g., it is not a “substantive” area of the law) and covers use of the Internet to find resources beneficial to litigation paralegals. The presentation will also include: commencement of the action; conflict of laws; pleadings; affirmative defenses; counterclaims, cross-claims and third party practice. Emphasis throughout all three Civil Litigation sessions will be on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and what paralegals need to know about them to be effective members of the litigation team. Civil Litigation Part II will be offered on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time. Civil Litigation Part III will be offered on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time.
Ms. Sanders-West was President of NALA from 1986–1988, and is a familiar instructor in Certified Paralegal Review Courses. She has served as Chair of the national Certifying Board for Legal Assistants, and is a former instructor in the Legal Assistant Program at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
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Civil Litigation: Part II
Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Middle: The second session of Civil Litigation will cover motion practice and removals. We will discuss discovery in detail, including new issues raised by electronic data discovery. There will be a discussion of privilege, including the distinction between attorney/client privilege and work product privilege. As with the first presentation, what paralegals need to know about the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will be emphasized. Civil Litigation Part I will be offered on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time. Civil Litigation Part III will be offered on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time.
Ms. Sanders-West was President of NALA from 1986–1988, and is a familiar instructor in Certified Paralegal Review Courses. She has served as Chair of the national Certifying Board for Legal Assistants, and is a former instructor in the Legal Assistant Program at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
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Civil Litigation: Part III
Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The End: The third and final session of Civil Litigation will cover trials, post-trial motions and the appeal process. As with the first two presentations, what paralegals need to know about the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Appellate Rules will be emphasized. Civil Litigation Part I will be offered on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time. Civil Litigation Part II will be offered Tuesday, March 13, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time.
Ms. Sanders-West was President of NALA from 1986–1988, and is a familiar instructor in Certified Paralegal Review Courses. She has served as Chair of the national Certifying Board for Legal Assistants, and is a former instructor in the Legal Assistant Program at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
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Judgment and Legal Analysis
Virginia Koerselman Newman, Attorney
Friday, February 17, 2012
11 am – 1 pm Central Time
Basic techniques in legal analysis, including categorization of facts and evidence, are covered in this review. Examines the practical aspects of the legal assistant’s relationship with the lawyer, the legal secretary, the court, and other law firms. Exercises in reading comprehension, data interpretation, and document preparation are included.
Virginia Koerselman Newman is a sole practitioner with emphasis in business litigation, and is a frequent speaker at seminars and workshops. A graduate of Creighton Law School, she has been an instructor in the paralegal program at Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE, since 1987 and has been the program director since 1990. She is well known as the author of the Certified Paralegal Review Manual and has written, co-authored, and edited many paralegal texts, study guides, and instructor manuals. She also developed the content and is principal author for NALA Campus.
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Legal Research
Virginia Koerselman Newman, Attorney
Friday, March 16, 2012
11 am – 1 pm Central Time
This basic Certified Paralegal review course presents a simple research procedure that can be used in any law library, and that can be retained for many years regardless of how infrequently the skill is called upon. Students will learn to recognize, understand, and incorporate tried-and-true research techniques into their portfolios of paralegal skills. The course will cover the system of legal research, finding and citing the laws, legal analysis, and exercises in writing and briefing.
Virginia Koerselman Newman is a sole practitioner with emphasis in business litigation, and is a frequent speaker at seminars and workshops. A graduate of Creighton Law School, she has been an instructor in the paralegal program at Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE, since 1987 and has been the program director since 1990. She is well known as the author of the Certified Paralegal Review Manual and has written, co-authored, and edited many paralegal texts, study guides, and instructor manuals. She also developed the content and is principal author for NALA Campus.
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Written Communications
Virginia Koerselman Newman, Attorney
Friday, April 13, 2012
11 am – 1 pm Central Time
This presentation focuses on areas of written communication which are most difficult for many people in the legal environment. Punctuation, grammar, word usage, sentence and paragraph composition, and effective writing skills are covered. It is suggested that you review the rules of grammar and style in A Manual of Style, by Strunk & White, to prepare for this session. The Strunk text is commonly used within the legal community.
Virginia Koerselman Newman is a sole practitioner with emphasis in business litigation, and is a frequent speaker at seminars and workshops. A graduate of Creighton Law School, she has been an instructor in the paralegal program at Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE, since 1987 and has been the program director since 1990. She is well known as the author of the Certified Paralegal Review Manual and has written, co-authored, and edited many paralegal texts, study guides, and instructor manuals. She also developed the content and is principal author for NALA Campus.
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