Program Criteria
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In order to meet the recommendations for more narrowly-focused subject areas
and greater service for Certified Paralegals/Legal Assistants who want to change specialty areas of practice, the
Advanced Paralegal Certification Board set specific criteria to be met by the
advanced program. These include:
1. Participants must hold the CLA/CP credential. This standard of excellence is
a crucial component of advanced certification.
2. The program must be relevant to the workplace. Employers represented on the
Board emphasized that in order for employers to support the new program, the current
reality of narrow specialization, rather than broad areas of practice, must be
reflected in the program. In addition, the program description must clearly
state the meaning of the advanced certification – that the individual
paralegal has demonstrated specific knowledge in a specific area of law.
3. Defensible national standards must be maintained. The program must withstand
evaluation by outside experts just as the CLA/CP examination and the current
specialty program have.
4. The program must be accessible, and offered at reasonable cost.
Award of the Credential
To receive the ACP credential, all candidates must be Certified Legal Assistants/Paralegals in good standing
and:
- Submit a completed learning contract for each APC
course taken within 30 days of enrollment. The learning contract asks
candidates for certification to outline learning objectives for the course
and reviews information about self-directed learning.
-
Complete all modules and
exercises in the course and all course requirements.
-
Submit a completed
statement of completion to advise the board the course work is
completed, discuss how learning objectives were met, and request the award
of the credential.
Candidates agree to abide by
the NALA Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and are advised that falsification of the
information on the learning contract and statement of completion may
result in suspension or loss of the CLA/CP and the ACP certification
credentials.
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