NFPA Policy Manual

BE IT RESOLVED, that at the request of the Board of Directors, the Accreditation Committee, the Association Management Committee and the Consumer Liaison Committee are hereby abolished.

RESOLVED, that all ad hoc committees have a life-span no longer than one year unless otherwise specified in the resolutions creating such committees.

RESOLVED, That a Case Law Committee be established to monitor case law and work with the Policy Vice President to distribute information on cases regarding recoverability of paralegal fees, unauthorized practice of law, and paralegal work product. A Case Law Coordinator shall receive and disseminate reports of these cases. The Coordinator will be Sue Kaiser of Cleveland Association of Paralegals for the 1989-1990 year. Three Committee members will be named, each with expertise in one of the topics monitored.

RESOLVED that the Case Law Committee which was established pursuant to Resolution 89-11 to monitor case law and to work with the Policy Vice President to distribute information on cases regarding recoverability of paralegal fees, unauthorized practice of law and paralegal work product be reorganized. A Case Law Coordinator shall receive and disseminate reports on cases. Additional committee chairs will be named, each with expertise in one of the topics monitored. The committee shall monitor cases concerning the recoverability of paralegal fees, the unauthorized practice of law, ethics, paralegal work product, prisoner issues and other issues affecting the paralegal profession. The primary focus of the committee shall be to monitor trends in case law affecting the paralegal profession.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that NFPA establish the "Consumer Liaison Committee";

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the committee's duties shall be to compile a list of consumer groups active in promoting changes which would affect legal services;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the committee in conjunction with the Policy Vice President establish formal lines of communications with these groups to inform them about the existence and purpose of the NFPA and obtain information about the activities of the groups in the legal field.

RESOLVED that the scope of the Consumer Liaison Committee, established through Resolution 85-21, be narrowed to target national consumer groups, as proposed by LAPA.

BE IT RESOLVED, that at the request of the Board of Directors, the Accreditation Committee, the Association Management Committee and the Consumer Liaison Committee are hereby abolished.

RESOLVED, that the Federation establish an ad hoc committee, to be known as the Legal Assistant Definition Committee, which shall investigate the establishment of definitions for the term "legal assistant" and related terms. That said Committee report to the membership at its 1987 Annual Meeting.

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Illinois Paralegal Association chair this committee.

RESOLVED, that the Professional Development Committee be directed to study the definition of legal assistant adopted by the ABA and to research and develop a definition which might serve as a foundation upon which the NFPA can build as changes in the profession may so direct. The Committee shall report back to the members at the 1987 Annual Meeting.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the membership of the NFPA approves dissemination of the Report of the Committee dated April, 1990 (including the Outline of Considerations in the Regulation of Paralegals).

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NFPA recognizes the climate for all levels of regulatory reform; and, further, endorses self defining the parameters of regulation of the paralegal profession; and,

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NFPA charges the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Paralegal Services with the development of two separate forms of model legislation for full licensure and limited licensure, as presented in their Report; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NFPA charges the Standing Committee on the Expansion of Professional Responsibility with the development of a model legislation in the form of registration; and,

FURTHER RESOLVED that those committees will provide their drafts of the models no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled 1990 Regional Meetings to the NFPA Board, Primaries and Secondaries for comment and final drafts to be submitted 45 days prior to the scheduled 1991 Annual Meeting to the NFPA Board, Primaries and Secondaries for the purpose of discussion, and ultimately, use on a member-need basis; and,

FURTHER RESOLVED that none of the legislative models be distributed to outside entities as NFPA work product until approved by this body.

WHEREAS, in accordance with Resolution 92-M1, the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Paralegal Services has developed guidelines for licensure and specialty licensure; and

WHEREAS, licensure and regulation of paralegals is being proposed in a number of states; and

WHEREAS, licensure and regulation of paralegals is being proposed in a number of states; and

RESOLVED, that further guidelines developed be provided to member associations for assistance in developing acceptable licensure and specialty licensure plans in their locations; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the guidelines carry a clear label warning that they are not to be construed as NFPA policy and should not be interpreted as absolute requirements.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following associations will be added to the core committee:

• Arizona Association of Professional Paralegals, Inc.
• Central Connecticut Association of Legal Assistants
• Central Pennsylvania Paralegal Association
• Cincinnati Paralegal Association
• Louisville Association of Paralegals
• Rocky Mountain Legal Assistant Association
• South Jersey Paralegal Association
• Washington State Paralegal Association
• West/Rock Paralegal Association

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Committee will immediately disseminate to every NFPA association the redline copy of the Model Guidelines for Licensure and Specialty Licensure and the Model Guidelines for Specialty Licensure as promulgated by Louisville Association of Paralegals, with a request for comments; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the deadline for comments must be received by the same Committee no later than July 15, 1994 in order to be included in the report; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Committee will compile said comments and prepare a proposed Resolution for consideration at the Mid-Year Meeting in October, 1994.

RESOLVED to approve the report on exempt/non-exempt study of the Committee on Delivery of Paralegal Services and to authorize the distribution of the report after the recommendations section contained in the report has been removed.

WHEREAS NFPA Resolution 94-6 charged the Standing Committee for the Delivery of Paralegal Services ("Committee") with disseminating to every NFPA member association the reline copy of the Model Guidelines for Licensure and Specialty Licensure dated March 10, 1994, other supporting information, and the Model Guidelines for Licensure and the Model Guidelines for Specialty Licensure as promulgated by the Louisville Association of Paralegals, with a request for comments; and

WHEREAS said comments were to be received by the Committee no later than July 15, 1994; and

WHEREAS the Committee was charged to prepare a report and proposed Resolution for consideration at the 1994 Mid-Year Meeting.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the above-described materials were disseminated; and

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Committee has submitted a report to the NFPA membership and the Committee will collect further comments from member associations based on its report; and

FURTHER RESOLVED that said comments must be received by the Committee no later than December 1, 1994; and

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Committee will submit a draft Revised Model Guidelines for Licensure and Specialty Licensure to every NFPA member association by January 15, 1995, for comment to be returned to the Committee no later than February 15, 1995; and

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Committee will submit to NFPA Headquarters a Revised Model Guidelines for Licensure and Specialty Licensure by March 1, 1995, to be included with the information disseminated to the NFPA membership for voting at the 1995 Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be held May 5-8, 1995.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Federation shall establish an ad hoc committee to study the issue of discrimination in paralegal compensation along gender lines; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That this committee shall prepare a report for consideration of the member associations at the 1985 NFPA Annual Meeting, which shall include statistical studies to determine the extent of such discrimination, evaluate the attitudes of practitioners and employers through appropriate surveys, and propose courses of action to rectify any discrimination which may be found. The committee should include the experiences of other professions in the report.

In speaking in support of the resolution, Judith Bandel, requested permission to yield to an uncredentialled representative from NYCPA, William Strachan. PAP objected. By voice vote the request was granted.

KCALA moved to amend the resolution to insert on line 3 of the first resolved paragraph before the semi-colon the following: ", race and age;"

The amendment was adopted on a stand and be counted vote of 15 yes and 11 no with 3 abstentions.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Federation shall establish an ad hoc committee to study the issue of discrimination of paralegal compensation along gender, race and age lines; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this committee shall prepare a report for consideration of the member associations at the 1987 NFPA meeting, which shall include statistical studies to determine the extent of such discrimination, evaluate the attitudes of practitioners and employers through appropriate surveys, and propose courses of action to rectify any discrimination which may be found. The committee should include the experiences of other professions in its report.

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