PACE

MAP PACE Scholarship Information
PACE Application Process
Ways to Prepare for PACE
Important Information from PACE Ambassadors' Newsletter

The 2009 winners of the PACE Scholarship are
Morgan McKay and Jeanne Harris-Covington!

Please go to the News and Events page for more information.

Maryland Association of Paralegals Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) Scholarship Information

The Maryland Association of Paralegals is pleased to announce that this year we, along with Courthouse Copy Service, will offer two (2) PACE scholarships to eligible paralegals as follows:

1. All MAP scholarships are awarded without regard to race, color, creed, sex or age.

2. Those interested must provide a letter certifying that you are eligible to sit for PACE and that you will sit for the exam within one year.

3. The winners will be chosen by a drawing.

4. Each scholarship will be for $350.  This amount covers the cost of the PACE Study Manual ($75 plus S&H) and the Exam Fee ($225).

5. The scholarships will be awarded at MAP’s Annual Paralegal Day Meeting in May.

Please provide a letter stating that you are eligible to sit for PACE and your willingness to sit for the Exam within one year to:

Maryland Association of Paralegals, Inc.
Lois M. Shaw, RP
c/o Erickson – Legal
701 Maiden Choice Lane
Baltimore, Maryland 21228

All letters must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2009.

Eligibility Requirements to sit for PACE:

• An associate degree in paralegal studies obtained from an institutionally accredited and/or ABA approved paralegal education program; and six (6) years substantive paralegal experience; OR
• A bachelor’s degree in any course of study obtained from an institutionally accredited school and three (3) years of substantive paralegal experience; OR
• A bachelor’s degree and completion of a paralegal program with an institutionally accredited school, said paralegal program may be embodied in a bachelor’s degree; and two (2) years substantive paralegal experience; OR
• Four (4) years substantive paralegal experience on or before December 31, 2000.

If you have any questions regarding the eligibility requirements, please contact Lois M. Shaw, RP at 410-402-2353 or via email at lois.shaw@erickson.com

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For more information about PACE, please visit our PACE section.

PACE Application Process - From Applicant to Registered Paralegal

Step 1 - Order the Application
Applications can be ordered through NFPA's website, or by calling NFPA at (206) 652-4120.

Step 2 - Gathering supporting documentation
Obtain proof of education (if qualifying through education and experience). Provide a copy of the Bachelor's degree diploma and/or paralegal certificate. If your paralegal education is embodied in the Bachelor's degree, and the diploma does not state it is in paralegal studies, you must provide a transcript. To see if your school is an accredited school, check the school to see which agency has accredited the school and then go to www.paralegals.org/PACE. This site lists the recognized accrediting agencies.

Letter from employer(s) verifying number of years of experience. Realize you may need to go back to prior employers.

Letter of reference from a member of the legal community (on letterhead) who is familiar with your paralegal experience. An attorney, court officer or PACE Registered Paralegal can write this letter.

Note that the last two requirements can be achieved with one letter. If you cannot meet the above requirements you can apply for a waiver to the PACE Standards Committee by mailing your request to the PACE Coordinator, 2517 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 200, Seattle, Washington 98102.

Step 3 - Complete application
You should read the candidate handbook in total. Call or email NFPA if you have questions.

Step 4 - Send application and supporting documentation to PES.
Use the checklist to make sure you send everything that is requested. Incomplete applications will be returned and you will be required to submit an additional processing charge of $25.00. Payment can be by cashier or certified check, VISA or Mastercard.

Step 5 - Receive notice from PES that you are an eligible candidate.
This process takes approximately 20 business days.

Step 6 - Call Prometric/Sylvan Technology Centers and schedule an exam date and time.
The candidate eligibility letter you receive from PES will have a toll free number for you to call to schedule the exam appointment. Saturday appointments are not guaranteed. As soon as you receive your candidate eligibility letter, call Prometric/Sylvan Technology Centers. You have 90 days to take PACE. The 90 days start from the date of PES' letter indicating eligibility.

Step 7 - Take the test on the scheduled date
You should show up at least 15 minutes to a half hour before the scheduled test time. You will have 4 hours to answer 200 multiple choice questions. You may take breaks, but they are included in your 4 hour test time.

Step 8 - Receive test results
Results are instantaneous.

Ways to Prepare for PACE

• PACE Study Manual ($75.00 plus S/H)*
• PACE Candidate's Handbook ($25.00* which will be applied to the registration fee)
• PACE Review Course ($395.00) May register through www.paralegals.org
• PACE Overview Seminar - (cost vary) sponsored by local associations
• PACE Study Groups - (free) sponsored by local associations
• PACE Overview Video ($35.00)*
• Study Alternate Reference Sources (cost vary). See Study Manual and/or Candidate's Handbook for list.
• Study from Paralegal textbooks from paralegal programs. (cost vary)
• Study class notes from paralegal program (free).
• PACE practice exam - now available at www.paralegals.org.

* May be ordered through homepage: www.paralegals.org or by calling NFPA

Important Information from PACE Ambassadors' Newsletter

Correct Use of the RP Credential
Amnesty Program Reminder
AIPS Courses
Continuing Legal Education for RP's
Renewals
PACE Study Listserv
RP Testimonials

CORRECT USE OF THE RP CREDENTIAL
The correct use of the RP credential would be to either add RP after your name, or to add PACE Registered Paralegal^® after your name. R.P. (with the periods) is NOT correct, and “Registered Paralegal” is NOT correct.   Please read the following article prepared by Maggie Haase, RP, NFPA Intellectual Property Coordinator.

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Proper Use of NFPA Trademarks & Service Marks Pertaining to PACE
by Maggie Haase, RP

The Certification Mark, PACE REGISTERED PARALEGAL^®, has been federally registered.  Each time that it is used, it should be used as shown above with the R within a circle.  An example is: when you sign a letter, in the signature portion of the letter, you would use:

Margaret Haase
PACE Registered Paralegal^®

The term “RP” is also a registered trademark of NFPA. If you use this term after your name - Margaret Haase, RP^®, you also need to have the R within the circle.  Any association who uses these terms, such as in brochures promoting PACE, should be very careful to include the R within the circle with these terms.

Please be certain to include the TM when you use this mark. When it is finally allowed by the Trademark Office, you will use an R within a circle instead of the TM as shown.  Finally, the term PACE™ is also a trademark of NFPA and should be use with the TM designation as shown.

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AMNESTY PROGRAM REMINDER
The PACE Standards Committee has approved a one-time amnesty period effective immediately through the end of April, 2009. Please go to the NFPA website at www.paralegals.org and go to the PACE/RP section for details

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AIPS COURSES
 Dates for the 2009 AIPS PACE on-line review courses are:

• January 19, 2009
• March 9, 2009
• April 20, 2009
• June 8, 2009
• July 20, 2009
• September 8, 2009
• October 19, 2009
• November 2, 2009

The price of the course remains at $395. Registration is through NFPA’s website (www.paralegals.org), and then by clicking on the PACE link.

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CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION FOR RP’S
If you are looking for last minute CLE’s for renewal purposes, please check NFPA’s website (www.paralegals.org) for on-line classes. In addition, AIPS also offers on-line classes. There are many other on-line CLE vendors, including IPE and West. No RP should have to use the excuse that “there are no CLE events offered in my area.” Most of these on-line CLEs are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can take them at whatever time is convenient.

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RENEWALS
Please use the following chart to help you remember which month your renewal application is actually due:

If you have a CLE that requires approval by the NFPA CLE Coordinator, that approval request must be submitted to NFPA before the month your RP credential renewal is due. Please do not submit CLE approval requests along with your RP credential renewal. If you are not sure whether or not a seminar or other CLE requires NFPA approval in order to be acceptable for your RP renewal, please contact Suellen Honeychuck, RP at shoneychuck@shoun.com for clarification.

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PACE STUDY LISTSERV
NFPA also provides a listserv for those who are studying for PACE. Anyone studying for PACE can sign up as follows:

• send an email to >imailsrv@list.paralegals.org
• in the message BODY (not the subject line), type > subscribe (the listserv name)

To send a message out on YourFirstName YourLastName example: subscribe PACEStudy Vickie Newman the list serve, use the following e-mail address: PACEStudy@list.paralegals.org.

The PACE Study Listserv is another benefit available to those who are studying for PACE, or even thinking of studying for PACE. It is monitored by the PACE Coordinators. This is a way for NFPA to provide support and encouragement to those who are studying for PACE. At the very least, it will let you know that you are not alone in studying and can be an additional way to provide support during the study process.

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RP TESTIMONIALS
The editor of the Reporter, Dan O’Leary, is looking for PACE testimonials to use in the newsletter during the year.  If you are interested in writing a testimonial of your PACE experience, please use the following template of guideline questions.  Please send your testimonials directly to Dee Dee Lantz, RP, Public Relations PACE Coordinator at dlantz@mwsgw.com. You may see your testimonial in an upcoming issue of the Reporter.

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RP TESTIMONIAL TEMPLATE

The things I think people would like to know would include:

1. A little history about yourself, including how long you have been in the legal profession.  This information gives people something to identify with and compare it to their own history.

2. What type of legal experience do you have?  Here--so many people worry about whether they know enough information about the various areas the PACE covers.  If you describe what you have been doing, i.e., real estate or probate---again readers can get the idea that they too can take PACE.

3. What were your study habits?  Did you participate in a Study Group? If so, was it sponsored by your Association?  How long did you study? What study materials did you use?

4. Why did you take PACE?  What was your motivating factor?

5. Was there anything they learned about yourself while preparing for PACE?

6. What effect has becoming an RP had on your employment, if any?  (Did it get you more recognition, praise, money, etc.)

7. Did you have any conceptions about PACE that you learned were untrue?

8. What do you feel was the most valuable thing you learned during the process that you did not know before?

9. What does being an RP mean to you?

10. Do you recommend PACE to others?  If so, why?

Thank you for considering this request for a testimonial.  I am excited about letting others know about your experience.

Lois M. Shaw, RP^®
PACE Ambassador
Lois.Shaw@erickson.com