The Philadelphia Association of Paralegals

The Philadelphia Association of Paralegals (PAP) was formed in 1973 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the paralegal profession. The membership is comprised of practicing paralegals, students, individuals, schools, law firms and other organizations. PAP is a charter member of The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) which has over 17,000 members nationwide. NFPA allows PAP and its members to be involved in the formation of policies affecting the paralegal profession and to stay informed of developments on a national scope.

Since its inception, PAP has continued to promote its established purposes, which are the following:

Promotion and maintenance of high standards in the paralegal profession.
Fostering creative expansion of paralegal roles.
Offering and encouraging continuing education to paralegals.
Informing members of all developments in the paralegal profession.
Promoting the education of employers and consumers in the use of paralegals and their role in the delivery of legal services.
Establishment and maintenance of mutually beneficial relationships with local, state, and national bar associations.
Communicating with other paralegal associations.
Providing service to the legal consumer and the legal community under the supervision of an attorney.

The Philadelphia Association of Paralegals strives to meet the needs of Philadelphia area paralegals and provide as much information as possible to its members through its quarterly newsletter, The Philadelphia Forum, by printing PAP information weekly in The Legal Intelligencer, the local legal newspaper, and through its committees and bimonthly luncheons.

The Board of Directors oversees the activities of the committees and leads the Association in promoting paralegals and the paralegal profession in the Philadelphia area. The Board of Directors is comprised of the officers of the Association and general Board members. Members of the Board of Directors are elected by the general membership to manage the business of PAP. Officers are then elected by the Directors. The offices of the Association are President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer.

Keystone Alliance
http://www.keystoneparalegals.org

The Philadelphia Association of Paralegals is also a member of the Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations. Keystone Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit organization, formalized in 1996, from groundwork laid in the 1980's by paralegal associations in Pennsylvania. The Alliance provides a state-wide voice for paralegals in Pennsylvania, monitors development in the profession and promotes the profession in Pennsylvania. Member associations of the Keystone Alliance include: - Central Pennsylvania Paralegal Association - Chester County Paralegal Association - Lancaster Area Paralegal Association -Lycoming County Paralegal Association -Montgomery County Paralegal Association -Philadelphia Association of Paralegals -Pittsburgh Paralegal Association - York County Paralegal Association.

The common thread connecting all activities and services offered to the members of PAP is that they are all organized, supported and operated by and through PAP's committee system. The membership application and renewal process, the bimonthly luncheons, the bimonthly newsletter and the Job Bank services are some of the activities and services our members organize. PAP's committees hold monthly lunchtime meetings and are involved in organizing, establishing and creating numerous events and activities throughout the year. Involvement in one committee requires a time commitment of one hour per month. PAP encourages and welcomes all members to get involved. Volunteering time enables members to experience the satisfaction of contributing to their professional association. Committee participation gives PAP members the opportunity to network with other area paralegals. Furthermore, working on various committees contributes to the growth and professionalism of the paralegal field. The following is a brief summary of each committee's primary objectives:

Education Committee

The primary task of the Education Committee is to organize the annual Education Conference, which is generally held in the fall. The conference offers a luncheon with a keynote speaker and a variety of educational seminars. This committee also oversees legal specialty sections/subcommittees in the following areas:

Financial Reorganization/Real Estate

Employee Benefits

Estates and Trusts

Intellectual Property

Litigation

Immigration

Medical/Legal Issues

Family Law

Worker's Compensation

The Association is open to the formation of other specialty sections/subcommittees proposed for other practice areas. These specialty sections/subcommittees hold "brown bag lunches" on a regular basis to allow paralegals to network, share concerns and challenges, and exchange ideas and best practices.

Member Services Committee

The Member Services Committee recruits and maintains PAP's membership. They perform this function by distributing applications to prospective members, reviewing completed applications, speaking with members and non-members about the benefits of membership, and providing members with information regarding the various PAP committees and their functions.

National Affairs Committee

Paralegals need to be aware of the national issues affecting the paralegal profession. PAP's National Affairs Committee assists the Association's members by keeping them updated on issues such as unauthorized practice of law, regulation, testing and certification, and exempt/non-exempt issues. The committee is chaired by PAP's Primary Representative to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations. The Primary and Secondary Representatives attend NFPA's conferences and meetings on behalf of PAP. The committee holds monthly meetings and informs the general membership of many issues facing the paralegal profession.

Newsletter Committee

For many PAP members, the Associations newsletter, The Philadelphia Forum, is their primary contact with the Association. The newsletter is published quarterly, and contains information about paralegal events and activities, both local and national. This committee welcomes members to assist in the preparation of the newsletter and seeks writers for articles and photographers to cover events of interest to the paralegal community. This committee meets on a monthly basis.

Professional Development Committee

This committee was founded in 2000 and has established contact with paralegal programs, colleges, law firms and legal placement agencies to promote the paralegal profession. The committee sends paralegals to area schools, colleges, and paralegal programs to speak about the paralegal profession. The committee also focuses on key issues facing the profession, such as educational opportunities, salary issues, the PACE exam offered by NFPA, and promoting better utilization and development of paralegals. The committee organizes several events throughout the year, including the annual Student Forum and the Joan Weldon Scholarship award.

Pro Bono/Community Service Committee

The Pro Bono/Community Service Committee gives PAP members the opportunity to participate in volunteer activities both within and outside of the legal field. Committee members may lend their services to the Homeless Advocacy Project, the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, Habitat for Humanity and various other charitable organizations. This committee welcomes the Philadelphia legal community in general, and PAP members in particular, to join them in these activities. The committee also works to provide information on Pro Bono and Community Service opportunities to members of PAP.

Programs Committee

Anyone who has ever attended one of PAP's bimonthly luncheons has seen the results of the work of the Programs Committee. The committee organizes these luncheons and arranges for the luncheon speakers. In addition, the committee also coordinates other social and networking events throughout the year, such as Happy Hours and PAP's Holiday Party. The Programs Committee welcomes new committee members to work with them in planning luncheons and other events for PAP.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee

The primary function of the Public Relations and Marketing Committee is to disseminate information and promote the activities of PAP and the paralegal profession to the Philadelphia legal community. This committee provides articles for the "Paralegals" column that appears every third Thursday in The Legal Intelligencer. Other activities include working with the Professional Development committee on the Joan Weldon Scholarship award each year, and holding an annual awards presentation for PAP committee members who have made a major contribution to the success of the Association. The Public Relations and Marketing Committee also performs special projects for PAP, such as the development and maintenance of the PAP website and the handling of the Association's marketing efforts each year.

If you are interested in joining a Committee, indicate the name of the Committee on the Membership Application or write to us at PAP headquarters, P.O. Box 59179, Philadelphia, PA 19102-9179, or email us at philaparalegals@verizon.net or call us at (215) 255-8405, for more information.