Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia

In July 2006, NALA unveiled a new web-based format for the advanced certification program (APC). The following Advanced Paralegal Certification programs are now available:

• Contracts Management/Contracts Administration
• Discovery
• Social Security Disability
• Trial Practices

Members have been asking about the response to the APC program since its introduction in July. The following are excerpts from an article that will appear in an upcoming issue of Legal Assistant Today Magazine . .

There are more than a hundred individual success stories measuring the success of NALA's Advanced Paralegal Certification program since it was launched on July 19, 2006. The first four paralegals to be designated Advanced Certified Paralegals (ACP) completed their online course work and supporting documentation when the program was barely a week old. They received their ACP certificates in a surprise presentation at NALA's annual convention in Tampa on July 28, 2006. Enthusiasm for the new program has created momentum resulting in more than 100 ACP awards before the end of 2006.

The new program has combined the expertise of paralegals, educators, legal authorities, and technical experts. The change from an examination-based testing program to a curriculum-based self-directed learning and assessment process on the Internet has made advanced certification more user friendly.

Tita Brewster, NALA's president for 2006-2007, was one of those first four to earn the "ACP" designation. Her remarks were typical of other participants' evaluations of the program. "Doing the course work was like being coached by a trusted team of mentors," she said. "The studying and the testing were almost indistinguishable-if you did one, you were doing the other. My confidence and enthusiasm soared as I went through the course modules at my own pace-I had to remind myself to shut down the computer when it got late. "It was intensive, but I went through all the 'modules' on Discovery almost before I realized it, and the paperwork (the Learning Contract and Statement of Completion) was a breeze. I didn't have to schedule a day away from work for a test."

The need for this new program has grown as the paralegal work environment has become more specialized. Both employers and paralegals have expressed a desire for more focused specialty certification to meet real-world demands.

Paralegals who have a valid CLA/CP certification credential from NALA and successfully complete an APC Course are awarded the use of the ACP credential to signify this outstanding achievement. Paralegals who do not have the CLA/CP certification are welcome to participate in these advanced programs. The credential will be not be awarded, however.

Descriptive information about this program is on the NALA website at http://www.nala-apc.org.

Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008