Memberships
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Active membership classification is the only membership that carries full voting privileges. Active members are also the only TPA members who may serve as officers, members of the Governing Board, or committee chairpersons.
Active membership is open to any individual who meets at least one of the following requirements:
1. Any individual who has successfully completed the NALA Certified Paralegal (CP) examination; or
2. Any individual who has graduated from an ABA approved program of study for paralegals / legal assistants; or
3. Any individual who has graduated from a course of study for paralegals / legal assistants which is institutionally accredited but not ABA approved, and which requires no less than the equivalent of 60 semester hours of classroom study; or
4. Any individual who has graduated from a course of study for paralegals / legal
assistants other than those set forth in 2 and 3 above, plus not less than six months of in-house training as a paralegal / legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests such person is qualified as a paralegal / legal assistant; or
5. Any individual who has received a baccalaureate degree in any field, plus not less than six months in-house training as a paralegal / legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests such person is qualified as a paralegal / legal assistant; or
6. Any individual who has a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney, including at least six months of in-house training as a paralegal / legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests such person is qualified as a paralegal / legal assistant; and / or
7. Any individual who has a minimum of two years in-house training as a paralegal / legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests such person is qualified as a paralegal / legal assistant.
Sustaining Membership
Sustaining membership is available to those individuals, law firms, corporations, and paralegal / legal assistant program representatives who endorse the paralegal / legal assistant concept or are actively involved in the promotion of the paralegal / legal assistant profession who contribute dues as denoted on the membership application, or any amount in excess thereof, the excess being deemed a donation in the TPA’s accounting records.
Student Memberships
Student membership is open to any individual who is a full-time student in in good standing in any college, university, or other school pursuing a course of study as a paralegal / legal assistant. A full-time student shall be defined as one enrolled for a minimum of 12 semester hours or equivalent or who is taking all paralegal / legal assistant courses offered by the attending institution, provided the individual is not employed as a paralegal / legal assistant.