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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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Litigation - Trial 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.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3330
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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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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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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E-Discovery presentations have surged into the legal community since the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended in 2006 to include the collection of Electronically Stored Information (ESI). There are conferences, roundtables, blogs, magazines, and a good number of topics in forums such as NALA Live! which deal with the importance of E-Discovery, the law behind it, and some of the directions in which Judges and the Rules are going. It is difficult to find a presentation which deals with protocols and methods of actually engaging E-Discovery. E-Discovery: A Practitioner’s Lab does just that.
Participants will learn not just about the law which provides the foundation of E-Discovery, but the methods and protocols which are the fabric of E-Discovery. A case is opened at your firm in litigation, with an ad damnum that is respectably high. What is the first thing that needs to be done to comply with the unforgiving world of E-Discovery, where sanctions for ESI spoliation or other failures in the E-Discovery life cycle have been as high as $8,500,000 since 2006 (Qualcomm case). What are the steps along the E-Discovery trail that need to be taken and documented for defensibility? How do you interview a custodian of ESI for your client? How do you document it? What questions are asked? How about the IT infrastructure interview? Finally, how is this collected, preserved, processed, reviewed, and ultimately produced?
E-Discovery: A Practitioner’s Lab will provide the protocol tools and methods for being an active participant in this critical world. The result will be that you will have an understanding from the practitioner’s point of view of what is to take place. You will have a collection of the best practices forms to use in documenting each stage of the process. No, you may not have the experience of flying this aircraft just yet (all beginning pilots have an experienced instructor in the cockpit), but you will leave this Lab with an understanding of how the instruments work and what actions affect the flight of your E-Discovery plane.
Michael Yager is the Director of e-Discovery for Spotts Fain, Michael contributes to the Firm's compliance with best practices in e-Discovery. He plays an active role in helping to ensure that this segment of litigation complies with the Federal and State rules governing it. Over the years, he has been involved in serving clients in cases both small and large, from trial support and preparation in federal courts throughout the country to managing an e-Discovery collection in the People's Republic of China. Michael is involved in every stage of e-Discovery for the Firm and its clients, from the forensic collection and processing of electronically stored information (ESI) to the management of a litigation database for review and production of documents responsive to either litigation discovery requirements or third-party subpoenas.
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Rachel Alexander
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time
This presentation will introduce the importance of electronic discovery ("e-discovery") in contemporary litigation, including why e-discovery is necessary, how to secure electronically stored information ("ESI") from clients, when and how to produce ESI, how to seek ESI from another party, and other pertinent issues.
Specific topics:
Why e-discovery is necessary – the presenter will discuss recent amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure pertaining to e-discovery as well as a short survey of some similar state procedural rules. The presenter will discuss the details of the rules' requirements as well as penalties for non-compliance.
How to secure ESI from clients – the presenter will discuss notifying clients of a "litigation hold" on ESI, including for both the client and the attorney's benefit. The presenter will discuss the importance of knowing when a litigation hold is necessary and how to go about actually gathering information from clients. The presentation will not discuss the technological logistics of gathering information. Rather, the discussion will focus on the paralegal's role in drafting litigation-hold letters, speaking with the client or its personnel, keeping a master ESI list, organizing a client's ESI, and other tasks frequently assigned to a paralegal.
When and how to produce ESI – the presenter will discuss the circumstances under which to produce ESI, including a brief discussion of the relevant litigation process. The presenter will discuss when and how to produce ESI, when and how to withhold requested ESI, and other issues related to production.
How to seek ESI from another party – the presenter will discuss seeking ESI from another party, either parties to the litigation or third parties, including pre-discovery communications, written discovery requests, and subpoenas. The presenter will discuss what to do when you receive ESI and what to do when a party refuses to disclose ESI.
Other topics – the presenter will also discuss tips for advising clients (and supervising attorneys) on maintaining ESI even when a litigation hold is not called for, including maintaining a "culture of preservation" and document-retention policies.
Rachel K. Alexander is Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Legal Writing at the University of South Dakota School of Law. Prior to joining full-time academia, Professor Alexander practiced management-side employment and labor law, focusing on litigation and quasi-litigation, in Omaha, Nebraska. Her practice involved pursuing and defending employment and labor matters in state and federal courts and before administrative bodies across the country and in over 25 states. Professor Alexander's practice included a heavy focus on federal litigation, including all types of wage, discrimination, retaliation, and other employment claims. She has also practiced in a more general civil-litigation context.
Professor Alexander graduated from Creighton University School of Law, magna cum laude, and later began working at Creighton as a legal writing instructor. To date, Professor Alexander's scholarship has reflected her practice in employment litigation, including recent publications in the American University Law Review, "Federal Tails and State Puppy Dogs: Preempting Parallel State Wage Claims to Preserve the Integrity of Federal Group Wage Actions," and the University of Texas's Review of Litigation, "Taking the Detour Around Defending Protected Activity: How Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White Unnecessarily Complicates Litigation of Retaliation Claims."
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Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
This is an entry level introduction to evidence. Developed especially for the legal assistant who has had limited or no experience with trial preparation and assisting in the courtroom. Included will be a discussion of why and what legal assistants need to know about the rules of evidence and their purpose, the nature/definition of evidence, the admission or exclusion of evidence, relevance (what it is, what it means), materiality (what it is, what it means). Evidence Part 2 will be offered on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, from 3 – 5 pm Central Time and Evidence Part 3 will be offered on Tuesday, April 17, 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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Evidence Part 2
Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3356
Evidence Part 2 is designed for the Legal Assistant who has some experience with trial preparation and courtroom assistance. A review of the categories of evidence rules will be included. We will look in more detail at relevance and materiality as it relates to evidence. In addition, this session will discuss witnesses generally & witness impeachment. The various types of evidence and their use in the courtroom will be addressed. Rules addressing judicial notice and privilege will be covered. Evidence Part 1 will be offered Tuesday, April 3, 2012, from 3 - 5 pm Central Time and Evidence Part 3 will be offered Tuesday, April 17, 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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Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3359
This advanced program is created for the Legal Assistant who has extensive experience in trial preparation and assisting in the courtroom. Hearsay will be discussed, as well as opinion and expert testimony, burden of proof and presumptions, admissibility of evidence generated by technology, evidence authentication and best evidence doctrine. Practical examples of how the rules come into plan in the courtroom will be provided, along with references to case law interpreting the rules. The primary emphasis will be on the role of evidence in civil actions with limited discussion of evidence in criminal matters. Evidence Part 1 will be offered Tuesday, April 3, 2012, from 3 - 5 pm Central Time and Evidence Part 2 will be offered Tuesday, April 10, 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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Karen Sanders-West, ACP, JD
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
3 – 5 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3365
FOIA, otherwise known as “The Freedom of Information Act” What is it? Why do we need it? Who can use it? What it can and what it cannot do. How to use FOIA to get the information you need. These and other question/applications regarding FOIA will be addressed in this NALA Campus LIVE! session.
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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The Ultimate Trial Notebook
Christina Koch, ACP
Friday, May 4, 2012
Noon – 1:30 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3368
The Ultimate Trial Notebook is designed for the Legal Assistant with an Intermediate level of expertise in trial preparation. Attendees can expect to learn the main categories of a trial notebook, including what you should and should not focus on, as well as specific tools to use to organize and detail your trial notebook. You will learn how to mirror your paper trial notebook with your electronic trial notebook and how to implement the use of technology in trial preparation. Specific skills in trial preparation will be addressed, included pertinent pleadings and pre and post-trial motions. You will also learn how a legal assistant can assist in picking a jury, as well as how to poll a jury after trial and will develop a skill set that will assist both the legal assistant and the attorney in sharpening litigation skills.
Christina L. Koch, ACP, is a frequent national presenter and the owner of Koch Paralegal Consulting, a paralegal education and résumé service. She is a freelance author, blogger and is the President for the Nebraska Paralegal Association. She has 22 years in the legal field and has been the Litigation Paralegal for Inserra & Kelley since 2002.
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Mary Kubichek, BS, MA, JD
Friday, February 24, 2012
Noon - 1:30 pm Central Time
Click here to register
Conference ID – 3265
This This course will present social science and legal research on jury selection and communication skills to help litigation attorneys and paralegals select-and deselect-jurors. Techniques for pretrial investigation of jurors, mock jurors and focus groups, voir dire, avoiding Batson issues, and post-trial questioning will be discussed. Handouts will include research resources and communication tools.
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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