MembershipAAfPE bylaws provide for six classifications of membership: Institutional, Associate, Affiliate, Sustaining, Individual, and Honorary.
With almost 400 members, AAfPE is the nation’s largest and continuously operating organization dedicated to promoting quality paralegal and legal studies education. AAfPE members enjoy access to a wealth of resources including:
AAfPE's membership includes hundreds of universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning throughout the United States and in Canada. Since 1981, AAfPE's member schools have trained thousands of paralegal students each year to help increase, improve, and support access to the legal system in their communities. All new applications for membership must be completed electronically using the provided application form, along with specified supporting documentation. All application material must be sent in a single email to inf[email protected]. Applications will not be processed until the non-refundable application processing fee and first year's dues are paid. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing. Membership dues are assessed on a calendar year basis and are payable by January 1 of each year. Invoices will be sent to all current members by AAfPE Headquarters staff during the fall of the preceding year. Dues may be paid by check, VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. If paying by check, submit your application and attachments electronically and send your check to: AAfPE Headquarters Credit card payments can be sent via fax to: 407-774-6440. Where new applications for membership are made part-way through the year, an allowance is made to adjust dues for the first year of membership only. Please see the pro-rated dues table for new membership applications submitted during the calendar year and base your first-year's dues remittance on this table. Please see below for more information on AAfPE's Membership Types. Member TypesInstitutional MemberInstitutional Membership is available to schools offering paralegal and legal assistant education programs that are either approved by the American Bar Association or in substantial compliance with the ABA guidelines and accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. As an Institutional Member, one representative from that school is able to vote at the annual business meeting as well as the institution receiving full membership benefits. Benefits include:
Institutional members of AAfPE exercise a voice on decisions affecting the paralegal profession.
Dues are $519.75 annually (January 1 – December 31)
Associate MemberAssociate Membership is open to all institutions that promote the purposes of AAfPE, but do not yet qualify for Institutional membership. This is a non-voting membership category. Associate Members shall demonstrate their dedication to the purposes of AAfPE by providing evidence of:
NOTE: Associate Members are prohibited from using AAfPE membership for advertisement or endorsement purposes. Benefits include:
Download the Associate membership application
Affiliate MembershipAvailable to any institution that offers a program of paralegal or legal studies education and ascribes to the policies of AAfPE, but does not qualify as an Institutional or Associate Member. This is a non-voting category. NOTE: Affiliate Members are prohibited from using AAfPE membership for advertisement or endorsement purposes. Benefits include:
Dues are $341.25 annually (January 1 – December 31)
Download the Affiliate membership application
Sustaining MembershipLaw firms, agencies, organizations, consultants, paralegals or other individuals or entities interested in paralegal education may join as Sustaining Members.
Dues are $525 annually (January 1 – December 31) Download the Sustaining Membership application
Individual MembershipIndividual memberships are for persons affiliated with a member program, as well as for individuals who have retired from, or otherwise left, a member institution so long as they remain unaffiliated with a paralegal program. Individual memberships cannot be used as a substitute for Institutional, Associate, or Affiliate membership. If an institution does not renew its membership, all individual members associated with that institution shall be notified that they will not be eligible to renew their individual memberships until the institution has renewed its membership. Individual members who become affiliated with a paralegal program at a non-member institution shall also be notified that they will not be eligible to renew their individual memberships until the institution becomes a member institution or renews its membership. This will be monitored by the President-Elect in his or her capacity as Chairperson of the Membership Committee. This is a non-voting membership category.
Dues are $31.50 annually (January 1 – December 31) Download the Individual membership application
Honorary MembershipAn honorary, emeritus status may be conferred annually upon two (2) persons who have provided outstanding service to the organization, but are no longer actively involved in paralegal education through AAfPE. Honorary membership status confers on the individual lifetime membership in the organization, a digital subscription to The Legal Educator, and a complimentary conference registration in the year in which honorary member status is awarded as well as 50% off future national conference registration fees. Nominations for Honorary membership must be supported by a letter of recommendation from two different voting AAfPE member institutions. The award is presented at the national conference. AAfPE is pleased to honor the following members who have given of their time and talent to the association:
* Deceased
**REMINDER** All new applications for membership must be completed electronically using the provided application form, along with specified supporting documentation. All application material must be sent in a single email to [email protected]. Applications will not be processed until the non-refundable application processing fee and first year's dues are paid. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing. Where new applications for membership are made part-way through the year, an allowance is made to adjust dues for the first year of membership only. Please see the pro-rated dues table for new membership applications submitted during the calendar year and base your first-year's dues remittance on this table. Membership dues are assessed on a calendar year basis and are payable by January 1 of each year. Invoices will be sent to all current members by AAfPE Headquarters staff during the fall of the preceding year. Dues may be paid by check, VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. If paying by check, submit your application and attachments electronically and send your check to: AAfPE Headquarters |