If you prefer to send your renewal application by mail, you may download the application here and the Supporting Documentation Requirements here and mail it to:  Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations, P.O. Box 344, Pittsburgh, PA  15230.

PLEASE NOTE:

• The downloadable pdf form contains all the instructions for submission by mail.
• Please assist us with our scanning process by avoiding the use of staples, metal or plastic bindings, 3 ring binders, metal fold-over straps, etc. One large binder clip or a rubberband is preferred as your entire submission (application, supporting documentation and a copy of your check) will be scanned in as a single document to be emailed to the Credentialing Committee.
• Our reviewers have the right to reject applications that are deemed to be too voluminous. Keep in mind that our reviewers are volunteers who work as full time paralegals. Be sure you understand what documentation needs to be included so that our reviewers are not inundated with large volumes of unnecessary documentation.

• Before beginning the online application process, be sure to read all instructions carefully and have all required documentation ready to upload. You will not be able to save an incomplete submission, and only complete submissions will be forwarded for processing.
• Please allow up to 45 minutes to complete the process, although you should be able to complete it in much less time if your information and documentation are well organized and readily available.
• If paying online, do not leave the application page. The link should open a new browser window when clicked on. If for some reason your browser does not support automatically opening a new browser window, right click on the highlighted payment link and choose “Open in new window” or “Open in New Tab” from the dropdown menu.  After opening the link in a new tab or window, complete your application by uploading any required supporting documents and submit your application.
• This electronic form allows for a digital signature and uploading of the required CLE Reporting Form and associated supporting documents. (See Supporting Documentation below for specific requirements.)
  • If you are unable to sign digitally, download the Affirmation of Applicant page here. Once you have signed the Affirmation, you can either attach it as part of your electronic submission or mail it along with your check or money order. (See “Fees” below.)
  • If you have not yet completed the CLE Reporting Form, you can download it here. The completed CLE Reporting Form must be included with your electronic submission.

Please note that the Keystone Alliance does not accept payments online. Your check or money order for the appropriate fee should be made payable to Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations and mailed to:  Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations, P.O. Box 344, Pittsburgh, PA  15230.  Please note that this fee is non-refundable. Applications will not be processed until payment is received.

• $25.00 non-refundable renewal application fee for members of a Keystone Alliance member association.
• $100.00 non-refundable renewal application fee for applicants not affiliated with a Keystone Alliance member association.

Keep in mind that our reviewers are volunteers who work as full time paralegals. Be sure you understand what documentation needs to be included so that our reviewers are not inundated with large volumes of unnecessary documentation. Our reviewers have the right to reject applications that are deemed to be too voluminous.

Preapproved Presentations

If the Pa.C.P. attends a course, seminar or program which has been preapproved for CLE credits by the Keystone Alliance or one of its preapproved providers (NFPA, NALA and PBI), the Pa.C.P. may only need to submit his or her Proof of Attendance at the time of renewal.

However, note that the said Proof of Attendance must specifically include the following information:

• participant’s name (i.e., your name);
• the title of the presentation;
• the name of the speaker(s);
• the number and type (substantive or ethics) of CLE credits for which the course, seminar or program was preapproved;
• the date and location of the presentation; and
• the name of the entity (Keystone Alliance, NFPA, NALA or PBI) which preapproved the CLE Credits.

If the Proof of Attendance form provided does not contain all of the information listed above, you will need to submit the flyer, course brochure or course description to supply the missing information.

If the provider does not offer a Proof of Attendance form for non-attorneys, please use the Proof of Attendance form available in the Legal Resources Section of the website. This form must be completed by you and signed by the program moderator or by your supervising attorney or office manager. When using this Proof of Attendance form, you must attach a copy of the course or program description which sets forth the program information indicated above.

CLE Credits Sought at Time of Renewal

Additional documentation is required for any courses, seminars or programs which were not preapproved for CLE credits by the Keystone Alliance or a preapproved provider. The type of documentation required will vary depending upon the source of the requested credits as follows:

Courses/Seminars/Programs

• When applying for CLE credit hours for seminar/courses attended, the Pa.C.P. must submit the following:
• a description of the seminar topic and a copy of the agenda or an outline of the presentation*;
• a copy of each speaker’s bio or resume which indicates his or her relevant qualifications;
• for conferences which feature multiple breakout sessions, a copy of the seminar brochure or agenda which provides a detailed timeline of each segment of the conference including lunch and breaks; and
• a copy of your proof of attendance** which indicates the number of hours attended.

*If the speaker does not provide an outline or agenda, the Pa.C.P. should take notes throughout the presentation so that an outline can be drawn up and submitted with your renewal application. Please do not send a complete copy of a Power Point presentation or similarly voluminous documentation.

** If the provider does not offer a Proof of Attendance form for non-attorneys, please use the Proof of Attendance form available in the Legal Resources Section of the website. This form must be completed by you and signed by the program moderator or by your supervising attorney or office manager.

• CLE credit hours shall not be granted for less than thirty (30) minutes of instruction.
• There is no restriction on the number of CLE credit hours which may be obtained in this manner.

College Courses

• When applying for CLE credit hours for college courses, the Pa.C.P. must submit the following:
• a copy of the course title and description;
• a list of faculty names and credentials;
• the course syllabus;
• for ethics credits based upon an ethical component of the course, proof of the time dedicated to ethics (this may be indicated in the course syllabus, or the Pa.C.P. may need to obtain additional documentation including but not limited to a signed statement from the instructor);
• a copy of your final grade (a passing grade of B or better is required in order to obtain CLE credit).
• CLE Credits will be awarded on an hour-per-hour basis for college courses which consist of substantive and/or ethical legal topics up to the 10-hour minimum requirement for substantive credits and up to the 2-hour minimum requirement for ethics credits. In order to qualify for ethics credits, the course must specifically address ethical issues or must contain a component which specifically addresses ethical issues.
• There is no restriction on the number of CLE credit hours which may be obtained in this manner.

Self Study Programs

• When applying for CLE credit hours for self study programs, the Pa.C.P. must submit the following:
• a copy of the promotional brochure;
• the course outline;
• a list of faculty names and credentials;
• sample exam questions;
• a copy of your final test score indicating a grade of B or better; and
• the certificate of completion.
• A self study program is a course of study in which the Paralegal is self-directed, i.e., working at his/her own pace without direct supervision or attendance in a classroom. The self study program must include a final examination consisting of a minimum of ten (10) test questions for each CLE credit hour. The paralegal must correctly answer 80% of the questions to receive CLE credits. The number of CLE credits awarded is at the discretion of the Credentialing Committee based upon the following criteria:
• listening and/or viewing time for audio, video, CD, DVD and/or on-line mediums;
• written materials including books and seminar manuals which will be assessed at 50 pages per hour; and
• the test score on the final examination.

NOTE: Self-study programs are not CLE seminars taken on-line instead of in person.  On-line seminars are included in Courses, Seminars, and Programs.

• A maximum of three (3) CLE credit hours may be obtained in this manner.

Teaching, Speaking Or Guest Lecturing

• When applying for CLE credit hours for teaching, speaking or guest lecturing, the Pa.C.P. must submit the following:
• a copy of the course advertisement or seminar brochure;
• a description of the seminar topic, including areas of substantive law or professional issues to be presented; or a copy of the seminar outline or agenda;
• a copy of the speaker’s resume or description of the speaker’s relevant qualifications;
• if offered, the number of credits available to attendees; and
• number of hours/minutes of the engagement.
• The number of CLE credit hours to be awarded in this category will be based upon the length and content of the presentation and may include credit hours for preparation time. The number of CLE credits awarded for preparation time will be up to two times the number of CLE credits which would be awarded to an attendee, but the total number of CLE credits awarded to the speaker may not exceed the maximum number of CLE credits which may be awarded in this category. The number of CLE credits awarded is at the discretion of the Credentialing Committee.
• A maximum of five (5) CLE credit hours may be obtained in this manner. CLE credit is provided only one time for any seminar/course presentation.

Publishing Articles

• When applying for CLE credit hours for publishing an article, the Pa.C.P. must submit the following:
• the article(s) for consideration;
• proof the article was published; and
• the date of publication.
• The number of CLE credit hours to be awarded in this category will be based upon the length and content of the article. The number of CLE credit hours granted is at the discretion of the Credentialing Committee. To receive credit, the article must be published during the Pa.C.P.’s Certification Period.
• A maximum of two (2) CLE credit hours may be obtained in this manner.

• It is the Applicant’s sole responsibility to redact his or her social security number and month/day of birth from all documentation submitted.
• IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SUBMIT ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS AND FEES. IF YOUR APPLICATION AND/OR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ARE INCOMPLETE, YOUR APPLICATION MAY BE REJECTED.
• Contact Information:
  • The Keystone Alliance relies solely on email communications for the delivery of pertinent information to its Pa.C.P.’s. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Pa.C.P. to ensure that the Keystone Alliance has his or her most current email address.

  Timeframe for Submission of Renewal Application:

  • Standard Timeframe: The Pa.C.P. shall make every effort to submit the renewal application no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days prior to the Pa.C.P.’s anniversary date.
  • Grace Period: Applications may be submitted up to 15 days following the Pa.C.P.’s anniversary date before incurring late fees.
  • Late Fees: Late fees shall be incurred for renewal applications received more than 15 days after the Pa.C.P.’s Anniversary Date. A late fee shall be incurred for each 30-day period following the grace period set forth above for up to 90 days following the grace period. Renewal applications may not be submitted more than 90 days after the grace period. Late fees shall be assessed as follows:
    • $5.00 for each 30-day period for members of a Keystone Alliance member association (maximum late fee – $15.00).
    • $10.00 for each 30-day period for applicants not affiliated with a Keystone Alliance member association (maximum late fee – $30.00).

  Application for Extension:

  • In the event the Pa.C.P. is unable to complete the required number of CLE credits within the credentialing period, the Pa.C.P. may apply for a 30-day extension in which to complete the remaining CLE credits, subject to all applicable fees as set forth in the Application for Extension available in the Legal Resources Section of the website.

  Veracity of Documents Submitted for Renewal:

  • The Pa.C.P. shall be responsible for the veracity of the documents submitted at the time of renewal and shall be held accountable for same.
  • It is the Applicant’s sole responsibility to redact his or her social security number and month/day of birth from all documentation submitted.
  • It is the Applicant’s sole responsibility to submit all required documents and fees. If your application and/or supporting documents are incomplete, your application may be rejected.

  Carry-forward Credits:

  • If, at the time of renewal, the Pa.C.P. is approved for substantive CLE credits in excess of the 12 minimum CLE credits required for renewal approval, the Pa.C.P. may be awarded up to 3 substantive carry-forward CLE credits. The number of carry-forward credits, if applicable, shall be reflected on the Pa.C.P.’s new wallet card issued at the time of renewal. The Pa.C.P. should retain an extra copy of the wallet card showing the carry-forward credits, as you will need to provide this copy as supporting documentation of your carry-forward credits when you next renew.
  • Ethics credits may not be carried forward as ethics credits but may be carried forward as substantive credits.
  • The carry-forward credits reflected on the Pa.C.P.’s wallet card shall expire at the end of the Pa.C.P.’s then-current credentialing period. It shall be the responsibility of the Pa.C.P. to list those carry-forward credits on the CLE Reporting Form at the time of renewal in order to ensure that the credits are applied. A copy of the wallet card indicating the number of carry-forward credits shall be attached to the renewal application as supporting documentation of the carry-forward credits.

  Failure to Make Application for Renewal:

  • Any Pa.C.P. who fails to make application for renewal of the Pa.C.P. Credential as set forth above shall forfeit the privileges associated with use of the Pa.C.P. Credential. The non-renewing Pa.C.P. shall be notified via email by the Credentialing Committee Chairperson on or after ninety (90) days following the Pa.C.P.’s Anniversary Date.

• The Credentialing Committee makes every effort to complete its review process within 30 days of receipt of an application or renewal application. All work is performed by volunteers who are employed as full-time paralegals. Please allow up to 45 days for a response in consideration of mailing delays, work loads, vacation schedules, etc. If you do not receive a response within 45 days, you may request a status report by emailing the Credentialing Committee Chairperson at CredentialingChair@keystoneparalegals.org.
• If your application is approved, you will receive an approval letter attaching your new wallet card.
• If your application is denied, you will receive a denial letter advising you of your right to appeal within 45 days and enclosing the necessary forms and instructions for submitting the appeal.