Introduction The benefits of being associated with NALS are numerous. These benefits include a curriculum that is developed by "experts" in the legal profession, networking opportunity for the school and its students, prestige for the students and the school and an accreditation program that notifies the school's community and students of the fact that the school is dedicated to the achievement of excellence, just to mention a few. Each individual must review the positive aspects associated with affiliation with a national organization against not being affiliated. Accreditation Process Summary 1. Submit an application. 2. Do a self-study of the program. 3. Construct a self-study document. 4. Host a visit by NALS representatives. 5. Review the results of the visit.

NALS Accredited Training Courses Are you interested in becoming a legal professional - employed in a demanding profession that offers opportunities to help others and develop your skills?  Or maybe you've just started working in the legal field and want to learn more so you can maximize your potential. The educational courses listed below offer a curriculum that is developed by experts in the legal profession, and graduates are eligible for certification as ALS … the basic certification for legal professionals. The following educational institutes offer NALS accredited courses: Lawyer's Assistant School of Dallas http://www.lasdallas.com/ Metro Technology Centers http://www.metrotech.org/index.shtml program page: http://www.metrotech.org/full-time/cd-los.html Renton Technical College, Renton, Washington http://www.rtc.edu/Programs/TrainingPrograms/LegalSecretary/ Tulsa Technology Center - Peoria Campus, Tulsa, Oklahoma Legal Program www.tulsatech.com

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Application

The application is an educational organization's declaration of its intent to initiate the accreditation process. The application must be completed in full and submitted to NALS for review. NALS Education Department will review the application and determine if the educational organization merits further consideration. If further consideration is warranted, then the educational organization will be notified that it may begin the self-study process.

Materials are available from NALS that may assist an organization. Purchasing these materials does not aid or hinder the institution in the accreditation process.

If the application is denied, the educational organization will be notified of the denial and the reasons for the rejection. If the denial is for any reason other than the organization is not an educational entity, then the educational organization may reapply after a 120-day waiting period. An organization that is not an educational entity may not apply or reapply for accreditation.

The application fee is due when the application is submitted and is nonrefundable. The application fee of $125 includes The Guide to NALS Accreditation. If the application is denied for any reason, then the application fee and/or the cost of materials will not be refunded.

Each separate physical campus is considered a separate institution and requires a separate application.

Pre-Visit

Once the application has been approved, the educational organization or institution will embark on a complete self-study of its lawyers' assistant or legal secretary program.

NALS in conjunction with the educational organization, and the specific educational institution to be visited, will establish the following:

1. A due date for the self-study document.
2. A date for the visit.

Self-Study

The educational organization should conduct a complete self-study of its educational program, faculty, administration, staff and facilities. The following specific areas should be examined:

1. Faculty qualifications
2. Organization and administration
3. Resource availability
4. Completion rate
5. Outcome assessment and placement rate
6. A mission and purpose statement
7. Facilities

Cost

The educational organization is responsible for all costs associated with the accreditation process. The costs include, but are not limited to, funds required by NALS to accomplish the accreditation process.

An itemized list of potential NALS accreditation expenses to be incurred by the educational organization is as follows:

Application fee $ 125.00
NALS material (optional) $ _______

Visitation team (example of prepaid items):
Transportation expense $ _______
Hotel/motel expense $ _______
Meals and miscellaneous expenses$ _______

Visitation expense
($200/day/evaluator and $250/day/staff person) $ _______
Annual membership fee (if approved) $ 450.00
TOTAL $ _______

The actual cost will depend on the length, type of visit and the proximity to the educational organization of the evaluators and NALS Resource Center.

Policy and Procedure for NALS; Composition of the Team

The team will be composed of one NALS staff person and (a) one NALS Certified PLS evaluator if the institution's enrollment is less than 1,250 total students; (b) two NALS Certified PLS evaluators if the institution's enrollment is between 1,250 and 4,900 total students; and (c) for institutions with a student population greater than 4,900, NALS Resource Center staff will determine the size of the team based on the complexity of the institution. Two NALS members who hold the Certified PLS designation and one staff person will be used if there is no resident student population, i.e., distant learning activities and/or independent study program(s). The institution should contact NALS Director of Education for details.

Length of the Visit

The actual length of the visit will depend on the size and the configuration of the educational organization or institution. An average visit should be concluded in one or two days.

Duties of the Team

The team will be responsible for reviewing the educational institution's material prior to the visit. The evaluators review the material that was submitted by the educational institution and ensure that the institution is "doing what it said it is doing." They will talk to the teachers, staff and students. It is important that every aspect of the educational institution is examined and accurate notes are assembled. The team will complete the evaluation process during their visit. They will meet at the end of the evaluation visit to write a summary of the visit and make a recommendation. The institution will be notified by the staff member of the evaluators' recommendation. Regardless of the recommendation, the issuance or denial of accreditation does not become effective until the recommendation has been reviewed by NALS Education Committee. The accreditation or non-accreditation date will be the date of the visit.

Evaluation Process

The materials collected during the visit, the notes of the evaluators and their recommendation are assembled by the staff member and sent to every Education Committee member for review.

Accreditation Status

The NALS Education Committee recommendation is based on the facts as presented. The recommendation will be for one of four levels of accreditation. The four levels of accreditation are as follows:

1. No accreditation. This status is given when an educational institution, an educational organization or a curriculum program has a major defect in its curriculum and accreditation criteria.
2. Provisionally accredited. This status is given to an educational institution, an educational organization or a curriculum program if the visit reveals major problems in the structure of the curriculum and accreditation criteria, but the  Education Committee believes that these defects are correctable.
3. Accredited for three years. This status is given to an educational institution, an educational organization or a curriculum program if the visit reveals that the majority of the curriculum and accreditation criteria are being accomplished.
4. Fully accredited for five years. This status is given to an educational institution, an educational organization or a curriculum program if the visit reveals that all of the curriculum and accreditation criteria are being accomplished.

Appeals Procedure

An appeal can be initiated if the educational organization feels that there were extenuating circumstances associated with the evaluation. The appeal process requires that an educational organization submit its written protest of the accreditation level within forty-five (45) days of the date of the notice to the educational organization of its approved accreditation level. The appeal material, along with an analysis or summary by the staff member of the material from the site visited (with no recommendation), will be submitted to the NALS Executive Committee for a final determination.

The fee for the appeals process is $900. This fee, plus any direct expenses incurred by NALS, must be submitted with the protest.

Annual Membership

The annual accreditation fee is $450.

The annual fee entitles the educational institutions to publications offered by NALS. The school becomes a nonvoting member of NALS.

The educational organization may use NALS in its advertising when stated as follows: "The lawyers' assistant (or legal secretary) program at __________ (name of school) is accredited by NALS ." This statement is to be used only in conjunction with the program that is approved. No reference may be made to other programs. Variations are permitted provided they maintain the rationale indicated in the official statement.

NALS is a registered trademark. It is the responsibility of an educational organization and an educational institution to honor and protect it. If there are any questions, please contact NALS Resource Center.

Finale

If you are interested in pursuing this outstanding opportunity, please contact NALS Resource Center, Education Department, 8159 East 41st Street, Tulsa, OK 74145. (918) 582-5188; Fax: (918) 582-5907 or e-mail: info@nals.org.