Certification Ambassadors Q&A

Q: I am the new Certification Ambassador for my association. Is there anything I should or shouldn’t be doing?

A: Congratulations on becoming a Certification Ambassador. You will find this experience to be very rewarding as well as fun. First, you need to know what a Certification Ambassador is:

A Certification Ambassador promotes NFPA Certification to his or her local paralegal association, the local bar associations, the local courts, law firms, and other members of the legal community, including those who employ paralegals outside of the traditional law firm.

There are various ways to promote NFPA Certification within your organization and the legal community at large:

• Write a column about Certification for your association’s newsletter.
• Be the guest speaker at a meeting and talk about the benefits of passing PCCE or PACE.
• Conduct Certification outreaches to law firms, corporations and any other place that employs paralegals
• Educate your local placement agencies about PCCE and PACE. This will help them place CRPs and RPs in top notch positions.
• Start PCCE and PACE Study Groups.
• Get your association’s CRPs and RPs involved by having them mentor those studying for PCCE and PACE.
• Create a NFPA Certification link on your website and list all of your association’s CRPs and RPs.
• Write articles about NFPA Certification for your local bar associations’ newsletters.
• Have PCCE and PACE brochures available at all of your meetings. You can order brochures from NFPA headquarters.
• Include PCCE and PACE material in your association’s welcome package and in the membership renewal.
• Do a press release announcing the start of your program and name all the CRPs and RPs in your association. (Note: Be sure to get their permission first.)
• Send a congratulations letter to each CRP and RP in the association. As members pass PCCE and/or PACE, send them each a letter.
• Send a congratulations letter to the CRP/RP’s employer. Include PCCE and/or PACE brochures in the letter. You can also ask the employer to contact you if they would like you to do a PCCE or PACE outreach for the firm’s paralegals.
• Survey your CRPs and RPs and find out how the firm celebrates their achievement.

Q: I would like to be my association’s Certification Ambassador but I have not taken PCCE or PACE. Can I still be the Certification Ambassador?

A: Yes. You do not have to be a CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP) or a PACE Registered Paralegal (RP) to be your association’s Certification Ambassador. You have to have the desire to promote PCCE and PACE to the best of your ability. It would be helpful to have the goal of taking and passing one of the exams as you will be able to describe first-hand how you handled the study process. This proves invaluable in describing the PCCE/PACE experience and will actually help someone who is on the fence about taking PCCE or PACE.

Q: How much should my association budget for the Certification Ambassador?

A: Each association has different financial goals and receives support in various ways from member dues to vendors. You can start small by asking the association to purchase the PCCE and PACE Study Manuals for your association’s library. You can also purchase several manuals and raffle them off at your seminars and other events to increase interest in NFPA Certification. Your association should budget some money for you to attend a Certification Ambassadors’ Conference. If you send out congratulation letters to CRPs, RPs, and their employers, you will need to budget for postage. If your association wants to give out CRP and RP pins, then you will need to include the cost into the seminar or event that will honor them.

As interest in NFPA Certification grows, your budget will grow. Some associations honor CRPs and RPs at a special luncheon and present them with their pins. Some associations give Certification Scholarships. These are included in your budget unless you are able to get a vendor to underwrite the costs.