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Continuing Legal Education (CLEs)

Access on-demand NFPA CLE Webinars HERE!

CLE is Continuing Legal Education. CLE encompasses programs designed for legal professionals, covering topics in substantive areas of law; technology programs used specifically by legal practitioners, such as legal research programs; education on programs designed to assist legal professionals, such as document manage;, as well as the basics such as research, court rules and updates, recent legal decisions, writing skills and ethics. Nearly every continuing education program designed for an attorney can be taken by a paralegal, with the possible exception of topics limited to licensed attorneys, such as “How to Cross Examine a Hostile Witness”, although such topics are often of interest to senior paralegals who assist at trial.

The law is an ever evolving being – it is not just what is written in a book, but what is decided by the highest courts today and tomorrow. What was good law one day, may not be so tomorrow. So too is the ever evolving world of technology as it effects the practice of law. Thus, to keep abreast of what is new, paralegals need to take CLE. It makes you a better paralegal and a more valuable asset to your firm or legal department.

Certificates of Attendance or Certificates Awarding CLEs credit are required to be submitted with the application to verify the CLE meets NFPA’s guidelines.

CLE Certificates MUST contain the following:

  • The date the CLE was completed
  • The name of the individual submitting the CLE
  • The name of the presenter or institution providing the CLE
  • The # of hours awarded and the type of hours awarded if necessary (Ethics, DEI...)
  • An indication that the CLE is approved by NFPA and/or one of the providers listed below
  • A signature from the presenter or the body providing the CLE

Approved CLE providers

NOTE: All CLEs MUST be substantive to count towards a CRP or RP

• A current NFPA-member association
• Bar associations (Examples: ABA, ATLA, local bar associations or MCLE programs approved by a local bar).
• Any court within the US
• Inns of Court
• A military JAG School or military paralegal program
• NALA
• AAfPE or ABA-approved Paralegal Programs
•In house substantive CLEs (law firms or corporations)
•Any CLEs that are approved for attorneys
• **Professional substantive legal seminar providers (e.g. NBI, Lorman, etc) who have obtained NFPA-approval for individual CLE courses. 

COMMON CLE SOURCES

On-Demand NFPA Webinars

Starting in February of 2013, NFPA has been hosting low-cost webinars on a variety of topics relevant to the paralegal profession.  Most presentations are made available as recorded webcasts shortly after their live presentation.  These recordings, like the live versions, are NFPA Approved CLE. See our home page or the events calendar for upcoming live webinars.  Have a topic you would like to see us cover? Suggest it!

Institute for Paralegal Education (IPE)

Unlimited On-Demand from over 475 CLE accredited courses for $69 per month. View the flyer for details.

Lorman Education Services

NFPA Members enjoy a 20% discount on both CLE and bookstore items as well as special pricing on the Lorman All-Access Pass. Details on this special offer can be found in the Members Only menu under Member Benefits.

Advanced Specialty Courses by API

API currently offers five (5) advanced specialty certificates: Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) , Corporate Law, Elder Law; Intellectual Property; and Foreclosure and Creditor/Debtor Law. All courses are at the graduate level and were developed by experts in each field of law.  For more information, and/or to register, click here.

The following CLEs would need approval

• CLE credit for instructing, speaking or guest lecturing
• CLE credit for publishing articles
• CLE credit for paralegal certification exam writing
• CLE for Pro Bono service. (Pro Bono services must be of substantive nature and must be certified by an affidavit completed by the supervising attorney, program or agency coordinator or firm).
• **To submit for approval on these CLEs, please use the NFPA Association CLE application, here.

CLE Certificates must be submitted that contain with the following:


**Please note: You will no longer be able to submit 3rd party CLEs to NFPA for review and approval in order to include with your application or renewal. However, other options for CLE approval that are available include:
• Individuals can seek approval of their third-party CLEs through their local bar association or local NFPA association before they submit a certification renewal application.
• CLE vendors can submit their CLE courses for approval to NFPA through the CLE provider application process here.

DO:

  1. Submit 12 hours of CLE Certificates to renew the RP® Credential, with two hours being an Ethics AND a DEI Course.
  2. Submit 8 hours of CLE Certificates to renew the CRP™ Credential, with two hours being an Ethics AND a DEI Course.
  3. Submit CLE Certificates that were attended, or completed in the case of a webinar, within the two years since the last renewal. Example: If the renewal date is 06/01/2020, then all CLEs must have been completed between 06/01/2018 and 06/01/2020
  4. Submit CLE Certificates that are NFPA-approved courses. Courses are approved if the certificates include verification ON THE CERTIFICATE that they are approved by one of the above listed approved providers. An email from one of these organizations verifying the CLE approval may also accompany the CLE Certificate as an alternative form of verification. 
  5. Submit CLE Certificates that include the name of the Renewal Applicant as the attendee or participant; handwritten or printed on the document is acceptable.
  6. Submit CLE Certificates that include the number and type of CLE awarded by one of the NFPA-approved organizations. Example: General CLE 1.0 hours, Ethics CLE 1.0 hours, or DEI CLE 1.0 hours.
  7. Submit CLE Certificates

DON’T:

  1. Submit CLE Certificates that do not total 12 CLEs required for the RP® Credential Renewal. 
  2. Submit CLE Certificates that do not total the 8 CLEs required for the CRP™ Credential Renewal.
  3. Submit CLE Certificates that were completed more than two (2) years from the renewal date.
  4. Submit CLE Certificates that don’t include the number and type of CLEs awarded.
  5. Submit CLE Certificates that don’t identify the attendee or participant.
  6. Submit CLE Certificates that do not include approval by one of the NFPA-approved organizations identified previously.
  7. Submit CLEs. receipts, print screens of other organizations CLE databases or copies of CLE course descriptions instead of the CLE Certificates. 
  8. Submit third-party CLE Certificates NOT approved by one of the NFPA-approved organizations listed previously. They must state the organizations approval on the Certificate in order to qualify.

Dual Credential Renewals


Those paralegals in good standing holding both the CRP™ and the RP® credentials may use the same CLE hours required in the renewal process, as long as they were obtained within the two year time period preceding their renewal date. Evidence of meeting the continuing legal education requirements for each credential must be submitted with the correct online Renewal Forms and can be located under Paralegal Certification and then Renewing your Credential. Certificates of Attendance are the required proof to verify attendance at a seminar. 

The same requirements for the CLE Certificates noted previously apply.

CLE Provider Approvals


NFPA Member Associations who wish to have their events advertised for NFPA CLE credit, please apply here.
All other CLE providers who wish to have their events advertised for NFPA CLE credit, please apply here.

 
 

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