NALS Study Groups & Online Study Groups

Study Groups

A study group is an informal way to prepare for certification. Study groups should be formed separately for each certification and may or may not utilize current PPs, PLSs, attorneys or judges to present materials. You may use the information listed under the Legal Training Courses as a guide for establishing a study group but remember that this is a study group, not a course of study.

No final examination is given, no attendance records are kept, and no certificates of completion are given by NALS.

When establishing a study group for a particular certification, obtain the Resource Manual for that certification from the NALS Resource Center. Each Resource Manual contains all of the information necessary for taking the examination, including a detailed syllabus of the topics that should be covered to prepare for the exam, candidate requirements, a list of current references and ordering information, study tips, deadlines, and application for the exam.

A chapter member might chair the study group, acting as coordinator of the study group’s activities. Times and location of study group meetings should be decided along with a schedule for covering syllabus topics. All attendees should order reference books directly from the publishers. If meetings are to be run by a PP, PLS, attorney, or judge, that individual must have the current reference material available to them. Additionally, the chair/coordinator should remind the attendees of exam application deadline dates. Finally, for maximum benefit, the study group should end just prior to the taking of the examination for which the group prepared.

Once the examination results have been received, a chapter might present each successful candidate at a monthly meeting with the chapter’s own certificate of achievement to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of accepting the challenge of certification.

NALS Online Study Group

NALS has responded to the requests of its members to provide more education online by establishing the Online Study Group (“OLSG”). Intended to meet the needs of those who are not able to attend a study group in their own area, the OLSG is free and open to members and nonmembers alike. No prior registration is required. The OLSG will be held in the NALS Online Learning Center once a week for 8 weeks ending prior to the March and September certification exams. Check the NALS website for the date and time. Each class is 1.5 hours in length and each attendee will be able to download a CLE certificate for 1.5 hours.

All OLSG classes are geared toward the newest exam. Class discussion and all questions are annotated to the current edition of all reference books used for the PP certification exam. Though challenging to those studying for the PLS and ALS exams, the OLSG classes still will be helpful as an additional study tool. Information for ordering references are available on the NALS website.

The weekly assignments will be posted on the NALS website, and students will be expected to have completed the assignments before coming to class. Two NALS members will moderate the session each week. The moderators will provide questions on the assigned material, lead discussions, and answer questions.

An assignment schedule will also be posted to the website so that students can check the topics or chapters to be discussed that week.

For more details about the Online Study Group, read the Guidelines for Students and Guidelines for Moderators posted on the website.