Theresa A. Prater, RP
(602) 285-4429 (w)
(602) 285-4483 (f)
CLE@paralegals.org
May 22, 2001
NFPA APPROVES CLE CREDITS FOR PRO BONO SERVICE
Underscoring the importance of access to justice for all citizens, delegates to the 2001 spring convention of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) acknowledged that those paralegals who participate in pro bono deal with substantive legal issues and must stay current on those issues in order to provide effective services. The delegates also acknowledged that, in order to participate regularly in pro bono, paralegals may crosstrain into areas of practice beyond those in which they work at their places of employment.
The delegates therefore accepted the recommendation of NFPA's pro bono coordinator and continuing legal education (CLE) coordinator that NFPA award one CLE non-ethics credit for each three hours of pro bono service contributed by an NFPA member pursuant to the Model Code of Ethical and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for Enforcement. The maximum of non-ethics CLE credits per year through pro bono will be four. In addition, NFPA member associations may apply for CLE credit for a group of their members who have collaborated on a special pro bono project.
The delegates noted that each aspect of the resolution was consistent with the NFPA mission statement and its policies on education, ethics, regulation, and core curriculum.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, NFPA is a non-profit professional organization representing more than 17,000 paralegals in the United States and Canada, NFPA is the national voice and the standard for excellence for the paralegal profession through its work on the issues of regulation, ethics and education.
