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What are the CLE requirements? When do they take effect?
The Division Board of Directors passed a motion in December 2002, requiring 6 hours of continuing legal education per year for Active and Associate members of the Division. The changes took effect May 2004. Each year during the renewal process, Active and Associate members must report CLE earned between June 1 and May 31 for each succeeding year.
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How do I properly report my CLE hours to the Paralegal Division?
CLE hours are self-reported by each member at the time of the membership renewal submissions in May of each year. Do not report or submit CLE at any time other than at membership renewal. On the back of the renewal notice is a form to be completed listing the seminar provider, topic, date, location, speaker, and number of hours for each seminar attended. It would be helpful for you to maintain a personal CLE file with copies of the seminar brochures and certificates of attendance in case any clarification is needed or random audits are performed by the Division's CLE Committee.
If you take a course that has been approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas, and you turn in the reporting form, as a member of the Paralegal Division, the State Bar will track your hours. You may request a transcript by paying a small fee and sending a request to:
State Bar of Texas
MCLE Department
P.O. Box 13007
Austin, Texas 78711-3007
1-800-204-2222, ext. 2106
or (512) 463-1463
FAX: (512) 463-1498
Please note your membership number on the request.
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What type of CLE seminars will count toward the requirement? How do I find out if a course I would like to take will count before I take it and/or after?
The Division will accept substantive law CLE presented or approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the National Association of Legal Assistants, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, and/or presented by the Paralegal Division, local bar associations, paralegal associations, or law firms for credit towards the Paralegal Division mandatory membership renewal CLE requirement. If the CLE course is not accredited by any of the above-referenced groups, the Paralegal Division will accept a seminar, if it is a substantive law course offered by a qualified presenter that would qualify for approval if submitted to one of the above organizations. "Substantive Law Course" means an organized program of legal education dealing with: 1. substantive or procedural subjects of law, 2. legal skills and techniques, 3. legal ethics and/or legal professional responsibility, or 4. alternative dispute resolution. Additionally, law office management programs accredited by the State Bar of Texas will be accepted. A "Qualified Presenter" means an attorney, judge, or legal assistant/paralegal that is familiar with the topic presented, or an expert in the particular subject matter comprising the course. Speaking and writing credit will be considered for approval under the same criteria as (a) and (b) above.
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What if I take a course online? What about by phone?
Online or telephone accredited CLE will count toward the minimum CLE requirement.
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Does self-study count? What about teaching or speaking credit?
Non-participatory CLE (self-study) will be accepted for up to two of the six required hours. The Division will accept teaching or speaking credit on the same basis as participatory credit (i.e., teaching or speaking credit will be granted for those substantive law courses accredited or presented by one of the above-listed organizations).
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What qualifies as "self study CLE" for paralegals?
Self study is defined (by the State Bar of Texas) as activities that would include reading legal periodicals, viewing video tapes or listening to audio tapes.
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Can I carryover hours of CLE credit from one reporting period to the next?
Yes. Substantive continuing legal education completed during any membership year in excess of the minimum six (6) hour requirement for such period may be applied to the following membership year’s requirement. The carryover provision applies to one (1) year only.
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My firm does in-house seminars and training. Will this count toward the Division requirement?
It depends. If the in-house seminar or training is accredited by one of the above-listed organizations, it will count toward the Division requirement. If it is not accredited, but meets the criteria for acceptance (generally, a substantive law course offered by a qualified presenter, that would qualify for accreditation), in-house seminars and training will count toward the Division requirement. (See: What type of CLE seminars will count toward the requirement? question above).
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My firm does not allow me to take CLE outside the firm. My firm does not pay for CLE outside the firm. How can I comply with the new requirements?
There are many ways to earn continuing legal education. Many local paralegal associations and bar associations offer free or low cost, lunch time CLE. The Division website lists many of these CLE offerings. In addition, the State Bar of Texas offers online CLE through its website, http://www.texasbarcle.com . Many seminars are offered on weekends or after hours, at affordable rates. Finally, the Division now offers affordable online CLE through our website. Some courses are available at no charge. Most are available to Division members at $25 per credit hour. The CLE may be taken in the convenience of your home or office, with up to three months to complete a course. The Board of Directors is sensitive to those paralegals whose firm does not support or pay for CLE for its paralegals. However, the Board came to the decision to mandate CLE for members after a thorough review of continuing education requirements for national, state, and local paralegal associations. We believe that this is a move that maintains the Division's position as a leader in professional paralegal organizations nationwide. By establishing this standard for continuing education, our members will be better prepared to assist both the attorneys, for whom we work, and the public, for whom we provide valuable services.
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It's getting close to the reporting time, and I don't have enough CLE to meet the requirement. What happens if I fall short?
If an Active or Associate member does not comply with the requirement to obtain the 6 hours of CLE by May 31of the renewal period, that person must reapply for membership using the current membership application to continue membership in the Division. Current membership applications can be found on the website.
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I am a student. Do the requirements apply to me?
Student members are not required to obtain six hours of CLE each year.
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I am an associate member. Do the requirements apply to me?
Yes.
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I would like to continue as an active Division member, but I cannot fulfill the CLE requirements. What can I do to stay involved?
If the 6 hours of CLE credit is not obtained by the Active or Associate member by May 31 of the year in which membership expires, a member must reapply using a current membership application in order to continue as a member of the Division.
Note: Members with extenuating circumstances who are not able to meet all the requirements for renewal of their membership may apply for a waiver of the requirements. Such extenuating circumstances may include a pro-longed medical disability, military deployment to a remote location, or some other serious hardship which would make it impossible to meet the requirements. A request for waiver of the renewal requirements should be directed to the President, the President-Elect, and the PD Coordinator, and include a detailed explanation of the member’s circumstances with appropriate evidence to support the request. For example, evidence for members with medical circumstances may include a letter from a doctor, and military members should include a copy of their deployment orders. Each request will be reviewed by the Board of Directors and decided on its own merit. The decision of the Board of Directors shall be final.
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What is online CLE?
The Division presents a comprehensive Online CLE program through our website at www.txpd.org. Topics include Bankruptcy and Collections to Civil Litigation, Family Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Real Estate Law, Criminal Law, and Legal Technology and more. Courses generally cost $25 per credit hour for Division members and $35 for non-members.
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Does Online CLE meet Division requirements? What about TBLS or NALA?
Online CLE may be taken to fulfill the Division's six hour mandatory CLE requirement. Both TBLS (www.tbls.org) and NALA (www.nala.org) accept CLE taken online toward each organization's CLE requirement. Check with the appropriate organization to make sure a particular course is acceptable towards your specialization or certification requirement.
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How can I access Online CLE?
Choose the "CLE Online Button" on the home page at www.txpd.org [left hand side].
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I am not a member of the Division. Can I take online CLE?
Yes, online CLE is accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
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My employer won't pay for CLE. My employer won't give time off to take CLE. I don't see any courses in my specialty area. How can I ask for a course to be added?
The Division welcomes suggestions for additions to online CLE. Please send an e-mail to cec@txpd.org with your suggestions
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I don't see any courses in my specialty area. How can I ask for a course to be added?
The Division welcomes suggestions for additions to online CLE. Please send an e-mail to cec@txpd.org with your suggestions.
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I would like to submit an application for membership to the Paralegal Division, and I am in the process of going through the appropriate amount of CLE. Can I take the full 10 hours of CLE online?
Yes, all required CLE by the Paralegal Division can be obtained by taking online CLE courses.
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How can I find out about CLE offerings in my area?
The Division posts a comprehensive calendar of continuing legal education events on its website at www.txpd.org. You may search by topic, area of law, or location to find continuing legal education events of interest to you.
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Why are Division members unable to access CLE hours via MyBarPage on www.texasbar.com?
The Paralegal Division is aware that attorneys can view their CLE hours online at www.texasbar.com. However, the benefit of viewing and printing the CLE hours from MyBarPage on the SBOT website has not been extended to other divisions of the State Bar. The MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas keeps track CLE hours for paralegals who are members of the Division and who have attended a seminar that is approved for MCLE credit. In order for a seminar to be approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas, the seminar must be targeted primarily to attorneys. Paralegal seminars [targeted primarily to paralegals] do not meet the criteria for MCLE approval and will not be approved by the MCLE Department and, therefore, they [MCLE Department] will not keep track of those CLE hours for paralegals.
With the assistance of the State Bar of Texas, members of the Paralegal Division are now able to view and print (directly from the Division's website) MCLE credit hours from attendance to seminars that have been approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas. In addition, you are able to input any other CLE that you have attended in order to maintain an attendance record at CLE events that have not been approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas. To view your MCLE records and add any other CLE Events, please go to www.txpd.org, choose Members-Only tab, choose Directory, and choose View My CLE Records, and sign in.
If you have attended any MCLE approved seminars, you will note a listing of those CLE seminars on your personal record. The listing of the MCLE approved CLE seminars includes those seminars you have attended during the past six years. You can print out the listing for your personal CLE file at no charge! If there are any discrepancies on your MCLE attendance record, please contact Debbie Stehling at the MCLE Department directly at 1-800-204-2222, ext. 1880 or 512-427-1880 to discuss such discrepancy and to receive instructions on how to have it corrected. All corrections will be shown on the Division’s website within two weeks following the week after the correction has been made by the MCLE Department.
If you have attended other CLE seminars that have NOT been approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas, you can enter the information about those seminars in your profile on the Division website. This allows you to maintain a record of your attendance at CLE seminars which are not approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas. (See note below).
NOTE: The Paralegal Division does NOT maintain CLE records for our members. This repository is a new benefit provided to you as a member of the Paralegal Division and it provides a place for you to personally manage your CLE records. There are "MCLE FAQs" on the Division's website at www.txpd.org, under the "FAQ Tab" if you have any questions.
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I am a CLE provider. How can I submit listings to the Division for posting online?
CLE event listings may be sent to the Division at cec@txpd.org for posting on the website. In addition, you may complete the website form to submit a CLE event to be placed on the Division's website calendar. Please complete the form at http://txpd.org/cle_source.asp.
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I am a CLE sponsor. Does the CLE I offer meet the Division's requirements?
The Division has adopted a Standing Rule governing the CLE that meets the Division's requirements. CLE sponsors may refer to this rule for guidance in developing continuing legal education events:
a. The Division will accept substantive law CLE presented or approved by the MCLE Department of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the National Association of Legal Assistants, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, and/or presented by the Paralegal Division, local bar associations, paralegal associations, or law firms for credit towards the Division mandatory CLE requirement.
b. If the CLE course is not accredited by any of the above-referenced groups, the Division will accept a seminar, if it is a substantive law course offered by a qualified presenter, that would qualify for approval if submitted to one of the above organizations. Substantive Law Course means an organized program of legal education dealing with:
i. substantive or procedural subjects of law
ii. legal skills and techniques
iii. legal ethics and/or legal professional responsibility or
iv. alternative dispute resolution. Additionally, law office management programs accredited by the State Bar of Texas will be accepted. A Qualified Presenter means an attorney, judge, or legal assistant/paralegal who is familiar with the topic presented, or an expert in the particular subject matter comprising the course.
c. Speaking and writing credit will be considered for approval under the same criteria as (a) and (b) above.
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How much CLE do I need to join the Division?
The amount of continuing legal education necessary to join the Division depends on the individual's education, professional certifications, and work experience. A member may qualify on experience alone with ten hours of continuing legal education.
To join the Division as an Active member, the Standing Rules provide:
B. CRITERIA FOR ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP.
Amended March 1985, March 1987, May 1990, January 1992, April 1994, February 2000, June 2000, June 2001, February 2003, February 2004
An applicant is eligible and may apply for active membership if the applicant works in the State of Texas as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney and also meets one of the following criteria:
1. Successful completion of a voluntary specialty certification examination administered by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization or
2. Successful completion of the voluntary certification examination given by the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc., plus one (1) year of employment experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney or
3. Successful completion of the voluntary certification examination given by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. plus one (1) year of employment experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney or
4. A bachelor's or higher degree in any field, plus one (1) year of employment experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney or
5. Successful completion of:
a. an ABA approved program of education and training for paralegals, plus one (1) year of employment experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney OR
b. a paralegal program that consists of a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of which fifteen (15) semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) are substantive legal courses, plus one (1) year of employment experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney OR
c. a paralegal program that consists of fifteen (15) semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of substantive legal courses, plus two (2) years of employment experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney OR
6. A minimum of three (3) years experience as a paralegal under the direct supervision of a duly licensed attorney, with proof of ten (10) hours of substantive continuing legal education within the past twelve (12) months. Thirty percent of which may be in self-study. Substantive CLE means on-site, video, internet, CD Rom, or a PD accepted paralegal program course.
7. Conviction of a felony offense (deferred or not), or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, makes an applicant ineligible for membership in the Paralegal Division.
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I would like to help the Division offer more CLE in my area. How can I get involved?
The Division welcomes volunteers!! Contact the Division through your district director, the Coordinator, or the Continuing Education Committee Chair for more information.
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I am a member of a law firm Professional Development Committee and we are in the process of developing in-house firm-wide training programs for our paralegals. We would like to inquire as to the possibility of having any/all of these training sessions qualified for CLE credits to meet the requirements for a member of the Paralegal Division as well as the Texas Board of Legal Specialization certification of paralegals.
1. To learn how to submit the CLE program for approval for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, please access the website below or contact TBLS directly. Texas Board of Legal Specialization www.tbls.org
2. In regard to CLE programs accepted by the Paralegal Division for membership renewal, below is an excerpt from the Division’s Standing Rule regarding this matter.
Below please find the qualifications of a CLE Program that will be acceptable for members of the Paralegal Division to renew their membership. Please note the Paralegal Division does not actually approve CLE program. The Division relies on the entities that tests paralegals for certification to approve the programs.
I. MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL; DELINQUENCY.
Amended April 1986, April 1993, February 2000, February 2004, October 2004, June 2005
4. Renewing Active and Associate members must complete six (6) hours of substantive continuing legal education by May 31 of the membership year. Substantive continuing legal education completed during any membership year in excess of the minimum six (6) hour requirement for such period may be applied to the following membership year’s requirement. The carryover provision applies to one (1) year only. Members are allowed no more than two (2) hours of self-study during each membership year. Members must report their CLE on a form approved by the Division. The Division will use the following criteria for approval of continuing education courses for credit towards mandatory CLE requirements for membership:
a. The Division will accept substantive law CLE presented by the Division, approved by the State Bar of Texas, approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, approved by the National Association of Legal Assistants, approved by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, and presented at local bar or paralegal associations for credit towards the Division mandatory CLE requirement.
b. If the CLE course is not accredited by any of the above-referenced groups, the Division will accept a seminar, if it is a substantive law course offered by a qualified presenter, that would qualify for approval if submitted to one of the above organizations. “Substantive Law Course” means an organized program of legal education dealing with:
i. substantive or procedural subjects of law;
ii. legal skills and techniques;
iii. legal ethics and/or legal professional responsibility; or
iv. alternative dispute resolution.
Additionally, law office management programs accredited by the State Bar of Texas will be accepted.
A “Qualified Presenter” means an attorney, judge, or Paralegal/paralegal who is familiar with the topic presented, or an expert in the particular subject matter comprising the course.
c. Speaking and writing credit will be considered for approval under the same criteria as (a) and (b) above.
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Our company is interested in sponsoring a CLE class for paralegals. Can you provide me with information regarding approval of CLE for paralegals?
CLE is always welcome for paralegals. Some of the paralegals in Texas are certified by National Federation of Paralegal Associations, National Association of Legal Assistants, or the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. For those certified paralegals, the CLE seminars must be approved by the appropriate organization. Each organization has its own certification process. To learn how to submit the CLE program for approval, please go to each organization's website. You can find contact information for each on their websites. They may have the procedure listed on their websites.
National Federation of Paralegal Associations www.paralegals.org
National Association of Legal Assistants www.nala.org
Texas Board of Legal Specialization www.tbls.org
Paralegals who are Active or Associate members of the Division must obtain CLE that is legal substantive in nature. If the program is substantive, the Division allows the paralegals to claim the CLE during the membership renewal process. The Division will accept all CLE that has been approved by one of the organizations above. The Division does not review CLE programs for approval.
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