Membership Renewals

MALA now allows its members to self-report CLE compliance inside their membership profile.  If you would like to use a CLE log to continue to maintain your records of CLE attendance, please feel free to use this form.

Membership Renewal Form and CLE Report.pdf

There is not need to upload this document to your profile, this is just for your records.

If you are renewing online

• visit:  malanet.org/join-us 
  
• From there you can select your membership level, sign-in to your account, and process your renewal information, payment, and log your CLE hours. 
• If you need additional assistance, please reach out to a Board member or email us at mala@malanet.org

If you are renewing via mail

• Print the membership renewal form, fill it out, and mail it to MALA with a check for your renewal fees. 
• If you need additional assistance, please reach out to a Board member or email us at mala@malanet.org

What is a Paralegal

NALA

The National Association of Legal Assistants (and the ABA's Standing Committee on Paralegals) defines a paralegal as a person qualified by education, training, or work experience and are employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity to perform specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. In a law firm setting, a paralegal’s time spent on substantive legal work is often billed to clients at a lower rate than the market rate. This distinguishes paralegals from other non-lawyer staff members. As a general rule, paralegal time spent on administrative or clerical functions is not billable.

Mont. Code Annotated § 25-10-305

Paralegal defined -- use of title. 

(1) As used in 25-10-304 and this section, "paralegal" means a person qualified through education, training, or work experience who is employed or retained to perform, under supervision by a licensed attorney, substantive legal work that:

  (a) requires a substantial knowledge of legal concepts; and

  (b) in the absence of the paralegal, would be performed by an attorney.

(2) An individual may use the title "paralegal" if the individual:

  (a) has received an associate's degree in paralegal studies from an accredited institution or a baccalaureate degree in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university;

  (b) has received a baccalaureate degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university and has completed not less than 18 semester credits of course work offered by a qualified paralegal studies program;

  (c) has received certification by the national association of legal assistants or the national federation of paralegal associations;

  (d) has received a high school diploma or its equivalent, has performed not less than 4,800 hours of substantive legal work under the supervision of a licensed attorney documented by the certification of the attorney or attorneys under whom the work was done, and has completed at least 5 hours of approved continuing legal education in the area of legal ethics and professional responsibility; or

  (e) has graduated from an accredited law school and has not been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law by any jurisdiction.

(3) A person may not practice as a paralegal except under the supervision of a licensed attorney and is prohibited from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

Scholarships

MALA offers scholarships to promote the Certified Paralegal (CP) and Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) designations.   

The Professional Development Committee will review CP and ACP scholarship applications, and award these scholarships on a first-come, first-serve basis throughout MALA’s fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). Scholarships will be presented at MALA’s quarterly telephonic business meetings and at the Annual Meeting. Scholarship recipients will be notified of the date and time when their scholarship will be awarded and must either must be present at the meeting to accept the scholarship or write a letter of acceptance to be read at the meeting.  For additional information, please see:

CP and ACP Awards Criteria.pdf

CP Award Application.pdf

ACP Award Application.pdf