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The Florida Bar
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Common Questions About Continuing Education Credits And Posting Credits
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Q: What is the continuing education (CE) requirement for FRPs?
A: As a Florida Registered Paralegal, you must meet the following continuing education requirement:
SUBCHAPTER 20-6 CONTINUING EDUCATION
RULE 20-6.1 GENERALLY
The rule requires that you have 30 total hours of continuing education each cycle. Your total hours will appear as “General” on the website when you enter credits or check your hours. 5 of the 30 hours must be in ethics or professionalism. You still need 30 total hours. In other words, your “General” column must equal 30. The Ethics/Professionalism column must equal 5. You do not add General + Ethics/Professionalism to determine total number of hours.
Failure to meet the CE requirements will result in termination of your Florida Registered Paralegal status.
Q: Do I have to meet the Basic Skills Course Requirement that members of The Florida Bar have to meet?
A: No, as you are not a member of The Florida Bar, you do not have to meet the Basic Skills Course requirement. This means you are not required to take Practicing with Professionalism or three basic level Young Lawyers Division courses.
Q: How do I post my continuing education credits?
A: Go to www.floridabar.org/frp and click on How to Post Continuing Education Credit. That link will take you to the instructions.
Q: I made a mistake in an entry. Can I delete it or correct it?
A: No. Just as with Bar members, you do not have edit capability. We can delete your entry. We cannot correct it or enter the correct information. If you need an entry deleted, please send an e-mail to frp@flabar.org. Please include your FRP number and the name and date of the course. We will delete the course. You will need to reenter it. Please note, there may be a delay between the deletion of the entry and the course being deleted from your on-line record. Just keep on checking your CE history and reenter the course when it has been deleted.
Q: I took a NALA/NFPA course that was 7 hours long. 5 hours were ethics credit and 2 were general credit. How do I enter the course?
A: You enter the total number of hours for the course under General. You enter the number of hours given as ethics credit under Ethics. Therefore, enter 7 as General and 5 as Ethics. The total given for the course will be 7, with 5 ethics credit.
Q: I took a course and the vendor told me that it was approved by The Florida Bar and gave me a course number. When I went to put the course number in on the website to post my credits, it said the course number was not valid. What does this mean and what do I do?
A: It means that the course has not been approved by The Florida Bar. You will need to contact NALA or NFPA about getting approval for the course and enter it as a NALA or NFPA course.
Q: How do I know whether a course has been approved for credit by The Florida Bar?
A: Courses sponsored by The Florida Bar are listed on the bar's website, www.floridabar.org. Click on CLE at the top. If the course is sponsored by someone other than The Florida Bar, you will have to contact the course provider to determine whether their course has been approved by The Florida Bar. If it has, it will have a Florida Bar course number.
Q: I took a course given by XYZ. Can I get credit for it?
A: If the course has been approved for credit by The Florida Bar or by NALA or NFPA, you can get CE credits for attending the course. The Florida Bar will not be approving courses for FRPs and you cannot obtain Florida Bar credit after the fact. In other words, the course must have already been approved before you take it. Courses sponsored by The Florida Bar are listed on the bar's website, www.floridabar.org. Click on CLE at the top. If the course is sponsored by someone other than The Florida Bar, you will have to contact the course provider to determine whether their course has been approved by The Florida Bar. If it has, it will have a Florida Bar course number. You will have to contact NALA or NFPA to determine whether the course has been approved. Again, the sponsor will usually have this information.
Q: How do I know when my cycle starts and ends?
A: You will be assigned a 3 year reporting cycle. The reporting cycle can be found on your record on the website and on your address label on the Bar News. Your cycle may not begin on your actual registration date and it may run more than 3 years. Your cycle will never run less than 3 years. The reporting cycle is assigned by the computer and is staggered. Courses taken prior to your registration date cannot be used toward the continuing education requirement. It is your responsibility to keep track of your continuing education hours. You must enter your continuing education hours on The Florida Bar's website, www.floridabar.org. Hours mailed to The Florida Bar will not be recorded.
Q: I know that I must complete 30 hours of CE during my 3 year reporting cycle. If I take more than 30 hours will the extra hours roll over to the next reporting cycle?
A: No, they will not. Once you have met your CE requirement within your cycle, it is not necessary to post additional credits.
Q: Can I use the excess credits for my next reporting cycle?
A: No. You will only get credit for courses you took in your reporting cycle. For example, if your reporting cycle runs from March 8, 2009 - March 8, 2011, your next cycle will begin March 9, 2011. Assume that you completed your CE requirement on January 3, 2011, but took another course on February 8, 2011. You could not use that course for your new reporting cycle as the cycle does not start until March 9, 2011.
Q: I just attended a Florida Bar seminar and was told at the end of the seminar that my credits would be automatically posted. I have checked my CE history and don’t see the course posted. What happened?
A: If you attend a Florida Bar seminar your credits will not be automatically posted. You will need to post your credits via the website.
Q: If I take a course offered by The Florida Bar for attorneys, can I get CE credit for the course?
A: Yes. As an FRP you can take any course offered by The Florida Bar for attorneys and get CE credit for it. You will find a list of the courses on the Bar’s website. Click on CLE at the top. The Florida Bar offers several free or low cost webinars you may use towards your CE requirement. To find available those courses from the CLE page click on Online Courses. Then click on Catalog of Courses. Scroll down until you see Discounted or Reduced Price CLE Programs. That link will take you to the programs.
Q: Can I watch DVDs or listen to CDs/tapes my attorney has purchased?
A: Yes. You need to make sure the course has not expired. The expiration date is on the program.
What is the continuing education (CE) requirement for FRPs?
How do I post my continuing education credits?
I made a mistake in an entry. Can I delete it or correct it?
How do I know whether a course has been approved for credit by The Florida Bar?
I took a course given by XYZ. Can I get credit for it?
Do I have to meet the Basic Skills Course Requirement that members of The Florida Bar have to meet?
How do I know when my cycle starts and ends?
Can I use the excess credits for my next reporting cycle?
I just attended a Florida Bar seminar and was told at the end of the seminar that my credits would be automatically posted. I have checked my CE history and don’t see the course posted. What happened?I just attended a Florida Bar seminar and was told at the end of the seminar that my credits would be automatically posted. I have checked my CE history and don’t see the course posted. What happened?
If I take a course offered by The Florida Bar for attorneys, can I get CE credit for the course?
Can I watch DVDs or listen to CDs/tapes my attorney has purchased?
Q: What is the continuing education (CE) requirement for FRPs?
A: As a Florida Registered Paralegal, you must meet the following continuing education requirement:
SUBCHAPTER 20-6 CONTINUING EDUCATION
RULE 20-6.1 GENERALLY
The rule requires that you have 30 total hours of continuing education each cycle. Your total hours will appear as “General” on the website when you enter credits or check your hours. 5 of the 30 hours must be in ethics or professionalism. You still need 30 total hours. In other words, your “General” column must equal 30. The Ethics/Professionalism column must equal 5. You do not add General + Ethics/Professionalism to determine total number of hours.
Failure to meet the CE requirements will result in termination of your Florida Registered Paralegal status.
Q: Do I have to meet the Basic Skills Course Requirement that members of The Florida Bar have to meet?
A: No, as you are not a member of The Florida Bar, you do not have to meet the Basic Skills Course requirement. This means you are not required to take Practicing with Professionalism or three basic level Young Lawyers Division courses.
Q: How do I post my continuing education credits?
A: Go to www.floridabar.org/frp and click on How to Post Continuing Education Credit. That link will take you to the instructions.
Q: I made a mistake in an entry. Can I delete it or correct it?
A: No. Just as with Bar members, you do not have edit capability. We can delete your entry. We cannot correct it or enter the correct information. If you need an entry deleted, please send an e-mail to frp@flabar.org. Please include your FRP number and the name and date of the course. We will delete the course. You will need to reenter it. Please note, there may be a delay between the deletion of the entry and the course being deleted from your on-line record. Just keep on checking your CE history and reenter the course when it has been deleted.
Q: I took a NALA/NFPA course that was 7 hours long. 5 hours were ethics credit and 2 were general credit. How do I enter the course?
A: You enter the total number of hours for the course under General. You enter the number of hours given as ethics credit under Ethics. Therefore, enter 7 as General and 5 as Ethics. The total given for the course will be 7, with 5 ethics credit.
Q: I took a course and the vendor told me that it was approved by The Florida Bar and gave me a course number. When I went to put the course number in on the website to post my credits, it said the course number was not valid. What does this mean and what do I do?
A: It means that the course has not been approved by The Florida Bar. You will need to contact NALA or NFPA about getting approval for the course and enter it as a NALA or NFPA course.
Q: How do I know whether a course has been approved for credit by The Florida Bar?
A: Courses sponsored by The Florida Bar are listed on the bar's website, www.floridabar.org. Click on CLE at the top. If the course is sponsored by someone other than The Florida Bar, you will have to contact the course provider to determine whether their course has been approved by The Florida Bar. If it has, it will have a Florida Bar course number.
Q: I took a course given by XYZ. Can I get credit for it?
A: If the course has been approved for credit by The Florida Bar or by NALA or NFPA, you can get CE credits for attending the course. The Florida Bar will not be approving courses for FRPs and you cannot obtain Florida Bar credit after the fact. In other words, the course must have already been approved before you take it. Courses sponsored by The Florida Bar are listed on the bar's website, www.floridabar.org. Click on CLE at the top. If the course is sponsored by someone other than The Florida Bar, you will have to contact the course provider to determine whether their course has been approved by The Florida Bar. If it has, it will have a Florida Bar course number. You will have to contact NALA or NFPA to determine whether the course has been approved. Again, the sponsor will usually have this information.
Q: How do I know when my cycle starts and ends?
A: You will be assigned a 3 year reporting cycle. The reporting cycle can be found on your record on the website and on your address label on the Bar News. Your cycle may not begin on your actual registration date and it may run more than 3 years. Your cycle will never run less than 3 years. The reporting cycle is assigned by the computer and is staggered. Courses taken prior to your registration date cannot be used toward the continuing education requirement. It is your responsibility to keep track of your continuing education hours. You must enter your continuing education hours on The Florida Bar's website, www.floridabar.org. Hours mailed to The Florida Bar will not be recorded.
Q: I know that I must complete 30 hours of CE during my 3 year reporting cycle. If I take more than 30 hours will the extra hours roll over to the next reporting cycle?
A: No, they will not. Once you have met your CE requirement within your cycle, it is not necessary to post additional credits.
Q: Can I use the excess credits for my next reporting cycle?
A: No. You will only get credit for courses you took in your reporting cycle. For example, if your reporting cycle runs from March 8, 2009 - March 8, 2011, your next cycle will begin March 9, 2011. Assume that you completed your CE requirement on January 3, 2011, but took another course on February 8, 2011. You could not use that course for your new reporting cycle as the cycle does not start until March 9, 2011.
Q: I just attended a Florida Bar seminar and was told at the end of the seminar that my credits would be automatically posted. I have checked my CE history and don’t see the course posted. What happened?
A: If you attend a Florida Bar seminar your credits will not be automatically posted. You will need to post your credits via the website.
Q: If I take a course offered by The Florida Bar for attorneys, can I get CE credit for the course?
A: Yes. As an FRP you can take any course offered by The Florida Bar for attorneys and get CE credit for it. You will find a list of the courses on the Bar’s website. Click on CLE at the top. The Florida Bar offers several free or low cost webinars you may use towards your CE requirement. To find available those courses from the CLE page click on Online Courses. Then click on Catalog of Courses. Scroll down until you see Discounted or Reduced Price CLE Programs. That link will take you to the programs.
Q: Can I watch DVDs or listen to CDs/tapes my attorney has purchased?
A: Yes. You need to make sure the course has not expired. The expiration date is on the program.
[Revised: 11-09-2011]
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