Join AAPi - Access Membership Information and Applications

A. ACTIVE MEMBERS. Active membership carries full voting privileges and is open to any individual who resides in the State of Alabama, is actively employed as a paralegal full-time, part time (ten (10) hours or less per week), or by contract in the State of Alabama, works under the supervision of a licensed practicing attorney or member of the judiciary, and meets at least one (1) of the following qualifications:

(1) Any individual who has successfully completed the Certified Paralegal (CP) examination of NALA;

(2) Any individual who holds a bachelor’s or associate degree in Paralegal Studies from an ABA-approved paralegal program;

(3) Any individual who holds a bachelor’s or associate degree in Paralegal Studies from a paralegal program which is institutionally accredited but not ABA-approved, and which requires not less than the equivalent of sixty (60) semester hours of classroom study of which at least fifteen (15) semester hours are substantive legal courses PLUS at least six (6) month’s work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks;

(4) Any individual who has graduated from a paralegal certificate program requiring a minimum of 24 credit hours for completion PLUS at least one (1) year’s work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks;

(5) Any individual who has received a bachelor’s or associate degree in any field, PLUS at least two (2) year’s work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks; or

(6) Any individual who has a minimum of five (5) year’s work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks under the supervision of a licensed, practicing attorney, and whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a paralegal.

B. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. Associate membership is a non-voting membership and is open to any individual who meets at least one (1) of the following qualifications:

(1) Any individual who is currently employed as a paralegal but has not yet satisfied the requirements for Active membership;

(2) Any individual who meets the requirements for Active membership but is not employed at the time of application;

(3) Any individual who has graduated from a paralegal studies program but has not yet satisfied the work experience requirements for Active membership; or

(4) Any individual who is directly involved in the supervision of paralegals, including law office managers and administrators.

C. STUDENT MEMBERS. Student membership is a non-voting membership and is open to any individual who is a student in good standing in any accredited university, college, junior college, or other post-secondary institution pursuing a course of study as a paralegal as attested by the director of such school, provided that the student is not employed on a full-time basis as a paralegal.

D. PATRON MEMBERS. Patron membership is a non-voting membership and is open to any lawyer, firm, agency, association, corporation, educational institution, or other entity endorsing the paralegal concept or involved in the promotion of the paralegal profession who expresses interest in giving added support to the goals and programs of the Association by paying such annual membership dues as may be set by the Board.  Patron members may choose one employee to be designated as their representative.  Patron membership is not open to businesses that would otherwise qualify as a sponsor or vendor (i.e., businesses trying to sell products or services to paralegals or their law firms).

E. DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS. Distinguished membership is a non-voting membership that is made up of two groups, Emeritus and Retired, and is open to any individual who meets the stated qualifications, as follows:

(1) EMERITUS:  Emeritus membership is open to any individual who meets ALL of the following qualifications:

(a) Individual shall be a former active voting member in good standing of the Association for at least ten (10) years;

(b) Individual shall have served either as an officer or as a committee chair of the Association for at least two (2) years;

(c) Individual shall have been a retired paralegal or a retired paralegal working part-time (ten (10) hours or less per week) at the time of the application for Emeritus membership status and shall be retired or part-time at every annual membership meeting thereafter.  If the individual is retired and employed part-time as a paralegal, and the individual works more than ten (10) hours per week, the Emeritus membership status shall convert to an Active membership status, and Active membership dues are payable for the next renewal period;

(d) Individual shall submit a membership information update form during each yearly membership renewal period to maintain Emeritus membership status; and

(e) Application for Emeritus membership must be submitted to the Second Vice President-Membership on the first membership renewal after retirement and confirmed by the Board.

(2) RETIRED:  Retired membership is open to any individual who meets ALL of the following qualifications:

(a) Individual shall be retired from the paralegal profession; and

(b) Individual shall be a former active voting member in good standing of the Association for at least ten (10) years.