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PACE - Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam
What is PACE?
PACE was developed by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) to create a professional level of expertise by which paralegals throughout the nation can be evaluated. NFPA retained Professional Education Systems (PES), a respected testing company, to assist attorneys, paralegals, and paralegal educators in developing the exam, which covers five domains of paralegal tasks. To ensure that examination results are valid, the examination is administered independently by PES. It is a four-hour exam which can be taken in your own time frame at any one of 950 Prometric/Sylvan Learning Centers.
To take PACE, paralegals must have the following combination of education and practical experience:
- An associate’s degree in paralegal studies obtained from an institutionally accredited and/or American Bar Association approved program and six (6) years substantive paralegal experience OR
- A bachelor’s degree in any area obtained from an institutionally accredited school and three (3) years substantive paralegal experience OR
- A bachelor’s degree and completion of a paralegal program with an institutionally accredited school (the paralegal program may be included in the bachelor’s degree) and two (2) years substantive paralegal experience OR
- Four (4) years substantive paralegal experience completed on or before December 31, 2000.
Paralegals who have successfully completed PACE are entitled to use the designation “RP”, showing they are a PACE Registered Paralegal.
In order to maintain the RP credential, the PACE Registered Paralegal must take a minimum of twelve hours of continuing education in a legal or specialty field every two years, with at least one hour of the twelve in legal ethics.
Ways to Prepare for PACE
- PACE Study Manual*
- PACE Review Course
- PACE Study Groups (contact PACE Ambassador)
- PACE Overview Video*
- PACE on-line practice exam*
- On-line Study Courses
- Study Alternate Reference Sources
- Study from Paralegal textbooks from paralegal programs
- Study from class notes from paralegal program
*For more information and costs, visit NFPA’s website.
For further information about PACE (application, fee, study materials, CLE requirements and renewals) visit the NFPA website - click here. You may also contact PAP’s PACE Ambassador, Barbara I. Nield, RP by email (bnield@schnader.com) or by phone (215-751-2101).
ONLINE PACE REVIEW COURSE
The PACE Review Course is an on-line class offered by American Institute for Paralegal Studies (AIPS) which runs for seven weeks. The class includes discussion questions, e-lectures, assignments and readings in the PACE study manual each week covering one unit a week for a total of 7 units. An instructor posts the questions and leads the discussion and is available each day of the course. Average number of hours spent is about 2-3 hours per week. A mock test of PACE exam is given during the seventh week on the computer. Tuition cost for this 7 week course is $395.00 plus cost of PACE Study Manual. AIPS also offers CLE’s for paralegals. For more information and registration form, please visit the PACE page on NFPA website at www.paralegals.org.
Courses Scheduled for 2010:
- January 18, 2010
- March 8, 2010
- April 19, 2010
- June 7, 2010
- July 19, 2010
- September 13, 2010
- October 18, 2010
AIPS also offers CLE’s for paralegals. You do not have to be an RP to take a CLE class. The classes are open to all paralegals. This is an easy way to learn about another area of law and not as time consuming. In addition, some of these CLE’s might be useful to paralegals studying for PACE who just need a refresher in a few areas or those that do not want to pay for the full on-line course.
For more information and registration form, please visit the PACE page on NFPA website at www.paralegals.org
CONGRATULATIONS TO PACE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS!!
PACE Scholarships were awarded at PAP’s Education Conference on November 13, 2009 and at the bimonthly luncheon on March 9, 2010. Congratulations to Kimberly Walker and Maryanne Ebner. Kim is a paralegal at Berger & Montague, P. C. and Maryanne is a Senior Paralegal and Department Administrator of the Employment Law Group at Spector Gadon & Rosen, PC.
PACE CLE Guidelines
To maintain your PACE credential you must take 12 CLE credits, including one in ethics, within two years of your passing the exam. The same requirement for CLE credits is required every two years thereafter. You can use up to three CLE credits (not used in the previous PACE registration) if they were obtained in the previous six months prior to your last renewal. Ethics cannot be included in the carry-over CLE credits. For standards of the PACE criteria, see NFPA website.
If you are looking for last minute CLE’s for renewal purposes, please check the NFPA website (www.paralegals.org) for on-line classes. There are other on-line vendors who offer CLE’s, including IPE and West.
AIPS also offers CLE’s for paralegals. You do not have to be an RP to take a CLE class. The classes are open to all paralegals. This is an easy way to learn about another area of law and not as time consuming. In addition, some of these CLE’s might be useful to paralegals studying for PACE who just need a refresher in a few areas or those that do not want to pay for the full on-line course.
For more information and registration form, please visit the PACE page on NFPA website at www.paralegals.org.
PAP Members who are RPs:
- Cynthia Ely, RP, Schwenksville, PA (10/28/97)
- Barbara I. Nield, RP, Philadelphia, PA (12/4/00)
- Donna Colarulo, RP, Haddonfield, NJ (10/13/01)
- Donna McConnell, RP, Logan Township, NJ (7/1/03)
- Valerie Dolan, RP, Philadelphia, PA (5/7/04)
- Sharon DeNofa, RP, Philadelphia, PA (5/18/07)
- Robert Hrouda, RP, Philadelphia, PA (4/26/08)
- Judy Stouffer, RP, Elkins Park, PA (8/4/08)
- Elizabeth Montanti, RP, Stow Creek Township, NJ (9/4/08)
- Vivian Luckiewicz, Collingswood, NJ (6/6/09)
PACE SCHOLARSHIP
At least two PACE Scholarships valued at $325 will be awarded each year at the March and September bimonthly luncheons. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, you must be a PAP member, meet the education/experience requirement and are committed to taking PACE within one year. Entry forms are to be completed and returned to Barbara Nield, RP, Pace Ambassador, at least one week prior to the date of drawing. You do not need to be present at the time of the drawing to win. Click here for entry form.
PACE STUDY GROUPS
Please contact Donna McConnell, RP at dmcconnell@postschell.com if you would like to join a PACE study group.
RP LISTSERV
This is a listserv dedicated to PACE Registered Paralegals. RP’s can use this listserv as a format for networking, to find answers to work projects and share ideas with each other. There is a link to sign up for this listserv on NFPA’s homepage. This link will remain up for a limited time and then be relocated to the page where you sign up for the other listservs offered by NFPA.
PACE STUDY LISTSERV
NFPA 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)YourFirstName YourLastName
Example: subscribe PACEStudy Jane Doe
RP ADDRESS CHANGE
Please be sure to submit change of address to NFPA. Change of address form is available on PACE page on the NFPA website at www.paralegals.org.
PACE AMBASSADOR
Barbara I. Nield, RP
Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, LLP
1600 Market Street, 32nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-751-2101
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