CAPA Legal Education

CLA/CP Study Group Monthly Meetings ~ CLE Brown Bag CLE Luncheons

NALA Schedule Paralegal Division Schedule Continuing Education Committee

Nancy McLaughlin Scholarships

CLA/CP Study Group ~ for the NALA Certified Legal Assistant/Certified Paralegal Exams. If you are a CAPA member preparing to take the CLA/CP Exam or if you are interested in brushing up on your professional skills and knowledge as a paralegal, then consider joining with other CAPA members and section leaders to study essential paralegal topics.

The next CLA/CP exam is December 4-5, 2009 (the application deadline is October 1, 2009; the late application deadline is October 16, 2009 with an additional $25 late fee).

  Study Schedule ~ The CLA/CP study group for the December 2009 exam meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. at the offices of Hays & Owens, L.L.P., 807 Brazos, Suite 500, or at La Madeleine at the Arboretum when noted (refer to Study Schedule). Those wishing to attend, whether they are taking the exam in December or not, are welcome. Please refer to the Study Schedule for topics to be covered. Prior to each session, please read the appropriate chapter in the CLA Review Manual and go through the practice examination at the end of the chapter. Also, please prepare five "good" questions, with answers, which will be distributed at the sessions to increase our "question bank."

  Available to: CAPA Members

  Fees: No charge, except for incidental copying charges if needed.

  Printed Handouts: Some Section Leaders may have printed handouts; incidential printing costs may apply.

  Study Materials: • NALA Manual for Paralegals (5E) (out in 2009); NALA CLA Review Manual (2E); NALA CLA Study Guide & Mock Exam (4E); The Elements of Style by Strunk & White (3E) is used for the Communications section; and A Uniform System of Citation, Harvard Law Review Association, is used for the Legal Research section. Please arrange purchase of these materials independently (not provided through CAPA); available through NALA or local bookstores ~ or get together with a study partner to share expenses.

  MORE INFO: To sign up or for more information, please email studygroup@capatx.org.

CAPA Monthly Meetings ~ CLE

Most CAPA monthly luncheon meetings have a topical speaker on a legal subject which provides approved CLE credit under both NALA and TBLS. Please pick up your CLE credit slips at the monthly meetings. These are great opportunities to continue your legal education, develop new skills, and update your knowledge on changing laws, regulations, and court practices. Don't miss out while other paralegals are getting the job done at their law firms with fresher and more accurate legal education.

So join us on the last Wednesday of each month (except December) for our monthly luncheon meeting. Details can be found at http://www.capatx.org/programs.html. Click the links below for lists of CAPA's CLE programs for the current and previous four years:

2005 CLE Information
2006 CLE Information
2007 CLE Information
2008 CLE Information
2009 CLE Information

CAPA Brown Bag and Sponsored CLE Luncheons

CAPA members can take advantage of this series of CLE opportunities, held during the lunch hour. Some of the meetings are sponsored by a Sustaining Member, so lunch is provided at no cost to CAPA members (a "Sponsored CLE"). Others are true "Brown Bag" sessions. Here is the schedule of recent and upcoming Sponsored CLE and Brown Bag Luncheons.

12.03.09 12:00-1:00 pm

CLE: David McGroty, Director of Computer Forensics at Flashback Data, speaking on Document Retention vs. Document Destruction. (NALA/TBLS pending) * Location: DuBois, Bryant & Campbell, LLP, 700 Lavaca, Suite 1300, Main Conference Room. * Sponsor: Flashback Data will provide dessert and a door prize. * RSVP Info & Deadline: RSVP no later than 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, 12.02.2009, by emailing Patty McKay at brownbag@capatx.org.

Nancy McLaughlin Scholarships ~

Nancy Carmen McLaughlin, CLAS, TPS, was a very active member of CAPA and the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas (now known as the Paralegal Division) until her sudden death in 2000. To honor Nancy, CAPA awards scholarships annually. For more information, see the Nancy McLaughlin Scholarship page, or the Scholarship Application.

NALA Continuing Legal Education ~
      National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.

CLA/CP Certification ~ What is "CLA/CP Certification" for paralegals? For general information and a discussion about the various paralegal certifications (CLA/CP, ACP, TBLS, and PACE), certification processes, and testing, please review Dawn Crider's three-part Certification Examinations Overview article originally published in The Brief:
      Certification Examinations - An Overview

Click here for the current CLA/CP Exam Schedule

Exam Fees ~

• CLA/CP $250 Members / $275 Non-Members;
• Retakes $60 Per Section.

• NALA Manual for Legal Assistants (5E)
• CLA Study Guide & Mock Examination (4E)
• CLA Review Manual (2E)
• The Elements of Style, Strunk & White (3E)
• A Uniform System of Citation, Harvard Law Review Association

NALA Publications

NALA Advanced Paralegal Certification Program

NALA Home Webpage

NALA Calendar & Events

NALA Campus (Online CLE)

Paralegal Division and District 4 ~ CLE
      Paralegal Division - State Bar of Texas

The Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas also offers continuing education for paralegals and legal assistants. You can search their offerings by city or topic. For Paralegal Division CLE offerings and information, please visit their website at:

Paralegal Division CLE Offerings

Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar (TAPS) 2009 ~ October 14-16, 2009 at South Shore Harbour Resort in League City, Texas (south of Houston). Click HERE for details about TAPS 2009.

Continuing Education Committee ~

CAPA's Continuing Education Committee and Chair have many responsibilities which are critical to the professional development of our paralegal members. If you would like to join this committee, have ideas for paralegal continuing education or legal expertise you would like to share with other paralegals, please contact CLE@capatx.org.

Caro Dubois, CP, Co-Chair
DuBois, Bryant & Campbell, LLP
700 Lavaca, Suite 1300
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 685-3410
Fax: (512) 685-3411
Email: CLE@capatx.org

Patty McKay, ACP, Co-Chair (Brown Bag Seminars)
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc.
9050 Capital of Texas Highway North, Suite 390
Austin, TX 78759
Phone: (512) 617-1961
Fax: (512) 708-1757
Email: brownbag@capatx.org

CLA/CP Study Group
Jennifer Rogers, CP
Hays & Owens L.L.P.
807 Brazos Street, Suite 500
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 472-3993
Email: studygroup@capatx.org