ABA Reapproval AAf PE October 2006 Reflections of

ABA Reapproval AAf. PE October 2006

Reflections of a New Commissioner

<start Disclaimer fontsize=teensy> This portion of the presentation reflects only the views of the presenter and not necessarily the views of the American Bar Association, the Standing Committee on Paralegals, the Approval Commission, or the Commissioner of Baseball <end Disclaimer>

Reflections 1: People • • Hardworking volunteers Able leadership Dedicated staff Willing to work to secure approval (reapproval) for your program

Reflections 2: Process • Periodic assessment of the Guidelines, the Commission, and the approval processes • ABA open session • Buttonholing Commissioners

Reflections 3: The Guidelines =

When the Guidelines speak with specificity, specificity is required: e. g. G-203 specifies who must be members of the advisory committee

Site Visits Sample agendas

Unsolicited commercial for ABA Approval: A Reference Manual for Paralegal Educators (Second Edition)

• Now, the rest of the program (disclaimer no longer required)

Tips for Mastering the Process

• Before beginning: – Time – Uniform Exhibits – Organize materials according to exhibit order – or hire a paralegal to do it for you!

Accounting 101 • Enrollment numbers in Exhibits 1 and 10 must agree • Total graduates in Exhibits 2 and 30 must agree • Program option numbers must agree with totals

Accounting 101 • Exhibit 4: Advisory Board membership categories • Advisory Board minutes

Assessment 101 • • Goals & Objectives Needs Assessment Paralegal Utilization Graduate Employment Graduate Satisfaction Employer Satisfaction Student Satisfaction Alternative Delivery

Accounting 102 • Exhibits 25 and 27 must agree

Faculty Meetings • Faculty meeting minutes • Faculty professional development • Faculty résumés

Admissions materials • Required statement on paralegal profession • Exhibit 30 must agree with Exhibit 2 (see Accounting 101)

Library • Electronic access to library materials • ABA-approved law school law library

The Report • Signatures • PDF copies on CD • Cute. PDF. com or Primo. PDF. com [but see disclaimer]

Now it’s Anita’s turn