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Continuing Legal Education (CLE)

GAP is serious about education. For that reason, we will always strive to provide our members with beneficial learning opportunities. If there is an opportunity available that you are interested in, please contact Edwina Bernita Robinson at gapCLEdirector@yahoo.com. Thank you for taking an interest our organization and your education.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) can take the form of programs or seminars put on by GAP, other paralegal associations, state and local bar associations and specialty bar associations; seminars produced by commercial education companies; in-house seminars/training; training provided by vendors to the legal community; on-line seminars; or self-study.

Programs presented by other professional groups can be considered continuing education for paralegals who work in related fields. For example, a seminar for certified public accountants may be useful for paralegals who work in tax, estate planning and probate. Not all CLE need be in areas of substantive law. Many consider practice courses in technology, ethics or management skills to be CLE, provided they relate to legal practice.

In May 2002, NFPA delegates adopted continuing legal education policy for its members that

A paralegal shall aspire to participate in a minimum of twelve (12) hours of continuing legal education, to include at least one (1) hour of ethics education, every two (2) years in order to remain current on developments in the law.

For most paralegals, CLE is voluntary, but for paralegals who have taken the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination and who have earned the designation “PACE Registered Paralegal” (RP) must complete mandatory CLE to maintain the credential. Paralegals with other voluntary certifications may also be required to obtain a certain number of CLE credits to maintain their certification.

The ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Legal Assistant Services, adopted in 1991, were developed to conform with the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Under the Guidelines, a lawyer is responsible for all the professional actions of a paralegal performing paralegal services at the lawyer’s direction. Not only should the lawyer take reasonable measures to ensure that the paralegal’s conduct is consistent with the lawyers’ obligations under the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, but a lawyer who employs a paralegal should facilitate the paralegal’s participation in CLE and pro bono activities.

Many law firms and corporate legal departments have established specific budgets for paralegal CLE, often equal to the budget set for lawyers. In other instances the employer may not have specific requirements, but they will encourage and pay for their paralegals to attend CLE programs. Some employers require a set amount of CLE per year.

Many CLE programs are eligible for approved NFPA CLE credit. For further information, please visit the CLE section of the NFPA website.

GAP has provided you with links to some websites that provide CLE opportunities. If you have questions about CLE, do not hesitate to contact GAP’s Director of CLE, Edwina Robinson, gapCLEdirector@yahoo.com.

Upcoming CLE Opportunities

GAP Hosted/Co-Hosted

Below are events that GAP is involved with as a host or a co-host. We strongly suggest that you consider attending these events as they are fully supported by GAP.
 

July 9, 2008

Probate and Estate Tax Return Preparation for Paralegals (Presented in Partnership with Lorman Education Services) Whether you prepare United States estate (and generation skipping) tax returns (Form 706) for your clients or just gather the information for the preparer, this teleconference introduces you to the process and will teach what needs to be done and how to do it. This teleconference includes a practical checklist for gathering the necessary information and demonstrates the application of the work by describing where the information is used on Form 706. This nuts and bolts presentation will be useful if you are new to this area and will be a good refresher on how to do this critical task in the trust or estate settlement process. View Complete Agenda Who Should Attend: Paralegals, legal assistants and attorneys Faculty: Mark A. Bregman, J.D., Bregman & Burt, A Professional Corporation Todd W. Skinner, CPA, Skinner Tameron & Company, LLP Credits: Continuing Education Credit awarded for the following designations: NALA, NFPA (Pending), Paralegals, Additional credit may be available upon request. Contact Lorman at 866-352-9540 for further information. Call (866) 352-9540 for further credit information. Registration Form

August 2, 2008

Paralegal Training Symposium, 9am -2pm, State Bar of Georgia Possible Courses (choose two): Electronic Discovery & Computer Forensics Total Evidence Management Advanced Internet Research 10 Steps to Shepardizing & Cite Checking Advanced Legal Writing Color Theory Cost (includes breakfast and lunch): $30 per person (must be received by June 30, 2008) $35 per person (must be received by July 31) $45 per person (at the door). To register for this event, please fill out the registration form or email gapCLEdirector@yahoo.com immediately.

*Please stay tuned for more upcoming opportunities.

NFPA CLE Opportunities

The NFPA has several upcoming CLE opportunities that GAP members are encouraged to take part in.  Go to www.paralegals.org and click on the AIPS icon to register.

2008 Class Schedule

GAP Partners
Below are opportunities provided by some of GAP’s sponsors. Please review the courses provided to determine whether they are appropriate for your needs. GAP is not in any way responsible for the course, course materials, instructors or organization.

Lorman Education Services
www.lorman.com
Discount Code: J3301036
GAP has teamed up with Lorman Education Services, a provider of continuing education seminars for paralegals in the United States and Canada to provide our members with a discount off of all Lorman seminars, teleconferences, books and other materials. Lorman seminars present the latest information to keep paralegals updated on the laws and regulations that are critical to their organization's success. Lorman offers a vast array of seminars that meet the needs of many industry professionals with various experience levels. Lorman seminars allow you to fulfill your continuing education requirements, while meeting your training needs. We also offer a wide variety of CDs and manuals in our Lorman Bookstore if a full day seminar doesn't fit your needs. This partnership is great opportunity for paralegals to learn from professionals in the field, at a price you can better afford.

CLE Links

You may also be interested in some of the opportunities the following web sites provide you for continuing legal or professional education opportunities. Most, if not all, will help you meet any mandatory or voluntary continuing legal education requirements you may have, or help you increase your knowledge in any area of law.

We only provide these web sites for your information and do not suggest or support one site or CLE opportunity over another. If you have a question, or wish to suggest a CLE website for us to add contact, GAP’s Director of CLE, Edwina Robinson, gapCLEdirector@yahoo.com.

Note: Descriptions are taken directly from the individual websites.  Claims and descriptions have not been independently verified by GAP.
 

National Federation of Paralegal Associations
www.paralegals.org/calendar/cfm
Continuing legal education seminars sponsored by member associations or other CLE providers on a variety of subjects may be found on the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) website.

Practising Law Institute
www.pli.edu
Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a non-profit continuing legal education organization chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, founded in 1933. PLI is dedicated to providing the legal community and allied professionals with the most up-to-date, relevant information and techniques which are critical to the development of a professional, competitive edge. We achieve these goals through the highest quality programs held annually in locations across the United States, annually supplemented treatises, audio and video programs, interactive multimedia, course handbooks, web programs and customized training and specialized services all with the guidance of practice specific Advisory Committees.

The American Institute for Paralegal Studies
www.americanparalegal.edu
The American Institute for Paralegal Studies (AIPS) offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) On-Line Review Course and other on-line learning advanced and specialty courses designed with the purpose of providing advanced level continuing legal education courses to legal professionals who wish to enhance their education and training. Continuing education should be an integral part of the careers of all paralegals who want to stay abreast of the trends and developments in their field. It supplements both formal and informal education and training, and helps paralegals keep up with the ever-changing laws and regulations in their particular specialty. New classes or seminars begin frequently so be sure to check the web site often.

Mealey’s
www.mealeys.com/conferences.html
Mealey’s high-level educational programs not only offer a balanced presentation of the hottest litigation issues and unparalleled networking opportunities, but also an average of 11-14 CLE credits per program. Paralegals can enjoy a two-thirds discount off the standard registration rate of our live conferences, excluding programs specifically for paralegals. Mealey’s offers several 101-based programs for legal professionals throughout the year.

The Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia
www.iclega.org
The Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia is the not-for-profit educational service of the State Bar of Georgia; and is a consortium of the Bar and the Law Schools of the Universities of Georgia, Emory, Mercer, Georgia State and the John Marshall Law School. It is fully self-supporting; and receives all of its income from tuition charges and sale of publications. ICLE exists solely to serve the educational needs of practicing lawyers; with any surplus revenues being devoted entirely to the improvement of CLE products and services. Paralegals may also attend seminars which ICLE offers during the year.

Paralegal Gateway
www.paralegalgateway.com
Just what it says, the paralegalgateway.com offers paralegals a gateway to many resources to help them be more efficient and successful, including links to websites offering continuing legal and professional education opportunities you may want to take advantage of.

Estrin LegalEd
www.careercoachesinternational.com
Estrin LegalEd Seminars are designed for career-focused legal professionals. Paralegals today face more responsibilities than ever before! Say good-bye to miscommunications and under-developed skills that cripple past working relationships. Learn how to handle new assignment areas by joining us for our workshops, conferences, seminars and in-house training. We've boiled down the "most important of the most important" skills you need to master your career. Estrin LegalEd seminars have been approved by NFPA for CLE credit.

LitWorks
www.litworks.net
LitWorks™ is a comprehensive organization dedicated to developing and sharing best practices in the litigation support industry. Every week we assist our clients with needs, ranging from providing certified training in an array of litigation support packages, to assisting in the design of entire litigation support processes. Some examples of our services include

• Litigation Support Specialist Training. We have developed a core curriculum for rising litigation support specialists who are seeking a thorough understanding of the automated litigation process.
• Litigation Support Management Practices. An advanced curriculum, we share with experienced litigation support professionals evolving best practices for the establishment and management of litigation support departments.
• Certified Training. Whether it's educating a select group of professionals or designing a curriculum for an entire practice group or firm, our team is certified and prepared to teach virtually every industry-leading litigation support software-providing solid technical instruction and valuable "real world" practice insights.