Paralegal Education - API PACE Review Course

The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA®) and the Advanced Paralegal Institute (API, a.k.a. Advanced Institute for Paralegal Studies or AIPS) are pleased to offer an online review course for the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE®).

The online review course runs for seven weeks, plus a brief pre-course orientation to familiarize students with the API website and utilizing the Moodle network.  API courses are not webinars nor do they contain pre-recorded lectures.  The classes are taught by paralegal instructors through computer-mediated distance learning who have earned the Registered Paralegal (RP) credentials.  Students may communicate with instructors or classmates around the clock from their home or office computer.  The textbook for this course is the PACE Study Manual, 7th Edition. (Please order TWO weeks in advance of the course start date to allow for processing and shipping.)

The review course will help paralegals prepare to take PACE by covering the five domains: administration of client legal matters, development of client legal matters, factual and legal research, factual and legal writing, and office administration. Ethics questions are found in each domain. The textbook will be the PACE Study Manual and a mock PACE exam will be administered at the conclusion of the course.

Unit One:

• Introduction to PACE
  • Development, eligibility requirements, structure, format, and application
  • Overview of skills tested in each domain
• Organizational skills, ethics, and legal technology such as conflict checks, calendaring, maintaining a database, and file maintenance.
• Post test

Unit Two:

• Ethics (covered in all units, but in depth in this unit)
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Attorney-client privilege
  • Confidentiality
  • Handling client funds
  • Unauthorized practice of law statutes
  • Competence
• Post test

Unit Three:

• Skills and Tools necessary in Communication and Exchange/Gather Information with:
  • Clients
  • Witnesses
  • Experts
  • Counsel, and other personnel
• Analysis of information, and organization of:
  • Legal and factual documents
  • Exhibits
  • Evidence
• Review of Federal Court and Agency Rules and Discussion of Paralegal’s role in legal proceedings.
• Post test

Unit Four:

• Administrative and Office Skills
  • Time management
  • Billing system
  • Form and other legal resource maintenance
• Working with Vendors and how to manage personnel
• Post test

Unit Five:

• Step-by-step approach to conduct legal research in law library and online.
• Post test

Unit Six:

• Acceptable letter and memo formats in legal writing, and proper method of attaching exhibits
• Review of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Discussion of legal citations
• Post test

Unit Seven:

• Reviews study for PACE and methods for computerized, multiple choice exams.
• Practice PACE test with instant results
• Analysis by the instructor, based on the results of practice test to assess strengths and weaknesses by domain

PACE Review Course Registration Form (API Review materials are not hosted on the NFPA website. You will receive access instructions from an API representative.)

Start Dates:

• September 16, 2019
• October 28, 2019
• November 18, 2019

Please note if you want to join a class already in progress, you may do so during the first week.

Additional courses may be added if sufficient interest is expressed.

Tuition for the PACE Review Course is $395. Please note there is no refund once the course begins. If you wish to withdraw or drop the class after it begins, you may take it again within one year at 1/2 the current tuition cost. The PACE Study Manual must be purchased prior to the start of the class. No refunds will be given after the first calendar day of the start of the course. NFPA members who are/were in the military can contact certifications@paralegals.org for a discounted military rate!

Students who take the PACE Review Course are not necessarily eligible to take PACE. Please review the PACE eligibility requirements to see if you qualify.

Students who have taken the PACE Review Course and fail the PACE exam may retake the Review Course for a second time, within a one year period, for a fee of $197.50.

Registration for this Review Course does not automatically register you to take the PACE. You must submit a separate application to take the PACE.

Demonstration of virtual classroom.

Additional information is available at the PACE review course Frequently Asked Questions page and the flyer PDF.

If anyone has any questions, they can contact Renee Sova, the Director of the Advanced Paralegal Institute by phone at 678-777-9655, via fax at 1-419-791-7802 or via e-mail at renee.sova@advancedparalegalinstitute.com.

"The 7 week Advanced Paralegal Institute (“API”) review course is a must for any paralegal wanting to sit for the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (“PACE”).  This course guides you towards the correct study path while offering pre and post unit tests and discussions.  The course is also taught by an actual paralegal that has experience in the field.  Loretta Nesbitt was my instruction during the January 2018 course.  Loretta was very responsive to my emails, posts, and assignments.  She offered advice on what areas I need to focus more on, which is paramount when preparing for the exam itself.  I am very satisfied with the API review course and am truly convinced that it was one of the main reasons why I passed the PACE." - Chantel Elkins, March 2018