Paralegal Division
| Jurisdiction | Utah,United States |
| Citation | Vol. 29 No. 3 Pg. 55 |
| Pages | 55 |
| Publication year | 2016 |
May, 2016
CLE Opportunities for Paralegals
Sharon Andersen and Cheryl Jeffs, J.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is not technically required to be a paralegal in Utah unless you are a member of one of the local paralegal organizations. However, it should be noted that the Utah State Bar recognized the importance of continuing legal education for paralegals when it approved the Canons of Ethics of the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar See Appendix B of the Standing Rules of the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar. Canon 7 states: "A paralegal must strive to maintain integrity and a high degree of competency through education and training with respect to professional rules, local rules and practice, and through continuing education in substantive areas of law to better assist the legal profession in fulfilling its duty to provide legal services."
In addition to the prerequisite requirements for joining most national and local paralegal organizations, there are ongoing requirements for maintaining membership. The Paralegal Association a/k/a National Association of Legal Assistants (NAIA) requires its members to have at least ten CLE hours per year to maintain their membership in the organization. Additionally, to maintain membership in the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar (Paralegal Division), a paralegal is required to have at least ten CLE hours per year, which should include an hour of ethics training. The Utah Paralegal Association (UPA) - a local affiliate of NAIA, requires its members to have at least six CLE hours per year in order to maintain membership.
CLE Opportunities
Most paralegal organizations, both national and local, were largely created to provide paralegals with opportunities for continuing legal education in addition to providing support and networking tools to its members. Examples of CLE opportunities provided by the aforementioned national and local organizations as well as the Utah State Bar are as follows:
CLE Seminars/Conventions
Paralegals who do not live in or near a metropolitan area or whose firms/employers do not support their paralegals obtaining CLE may find it difficult to attend CLE courses. However, it can be worth a couple of days away to attend a comprehensive one- or two-course seminar. Paralegals are welcome and encouraged to attend Utah State Bar seminars and conventions, and registration is usually...
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