Y.A. – W.A. – When does a NALA CP expire, and what happens next?

You Asked – We Answered

Steve asks: what happens if someone fails to renew their NALA CP at the end of their 5 year date, do they need to re-take the exam? Also, what if they don’t remember when their expiration date is?

When does my NALA CP expire?

If you can’t remember when your expiration date is and don’t have access to your NALA account or a copy of your certificate paperwork… an easy trick is to visit the “NALA Certified Paralegal Certification Search“, enter your last name, first name, and the two letter initials of the State, and if the information matches what is on file, it will bring up information relating to that persons certification. (This is also a good trick for employers to verify certification) … the results will tell you the original certification date, the current expiration date, and also has a Notes section which will tell you any ACPs the person has, and the dates each ACP was earned… (Mine expires in 2017 so I’m set for a while!)

What happens if I don’t complete my CLE within the five year period?

NALA gives you an automatic one-year extension to complete the required 50 hours. You don’t need to request it. Your CP is valid for five years, if the required amount of hours aren’t reported during the five year period, a notice is sent letting you know that you have a one-year extension to complete those 50 hours. If you fail to complete them by the end of the one-year extension, your certification will lapse. You should also keep in mind that your next five-year period INCLUDES that one-year extension, so now you only have a four-year period to complete your next set of 50 hours (although you can get another one-year extension at the end of that four-years and so on).

What if my certification expires and I want to be reinstated?

If you allow your certification to expire, you would be required to sit for and successfully complete the CP examination to use the CP designation again. NALA has no provision for reinstatement once the one-year extension as referenced above has passed. The only exception is if you had previously requested and received CLA Emeritus status.

This information comes from NALA’s FAQs. Those FAQs also have information on Emeritus status. See their FAQ #6 for more information on that option.