Alphabet Soup

“EC, CEC, PRC and XY&Z”

Have you been confused by any of the initials you hear being floated around at Conference? Initials such as: “EC,” “CEC,” “PRC,” “LSS” and “CCLS”? Do you ever feel like you are sinking in a big bowl of alphabet soup? Well, here is a breakdown and description of those initials you might have heard around the LPI world.

EC: Executive Committee. The Executive Committee consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Executive Advisor. These are the individuals who run the day-to-day business of LPI.

CEC: Continuing Education Council. The members of the Continuing Education Council are the Educational Program Coordinator, Editor-in-Chief, California Certified Legal Secretary Chair, Legal Professional Training/Seminar Chair, Legal Procedure Chair, Legal Specialization Sections Coordinator, and Webinar Chair. The CEC oversees all of the educational programs offered by LPI, including seminars at quarterly conferences, legal secretary training, preparation for the CCLS Exam, providing updates from courts, and maintaining LPI’s MCLE provider status with the State Bar. The CEC also works closely with the LSS and PRC to offer assistance with their respective duties.

PRC: Publications Revision Committee. The PRC consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Editor of the Legal Professionals Handbook, the Editor of the Law Office Procedures Manual, and six Assistant Editors. These individuals are responsible for updating these two publications, as well as the LOPM Instructor Guides, which are used by instructors using the LOPM in teaching classes.

LSS: Legal Specialization Sections. The LSS is comprised of an LSS Coordinator and six Section Leaders, offering workshops at each LPI conference in Civil Litigation, Transactional, Criminal and Family Law, Federal Law, Law Office Administration, and Probate and Estate Planning. In addition to the workshops, the LSS publishes a quarterly newsletter for its members with informative articles in each of these areas.

CCLS: California Certified Legal Secretary. The California Certified Legal Secretary is a program sponsored by LPI, providing advanced certification for legal secretaries, paralegals, and other legal professionals who have been employed as such for a minimum of two years. The 8-hour exam covers California Legal Procedure (civil litigation, family law, probate, real estate, corporate), Legal Terminology, Legal Computations, Skills, Ability to Communicate Effectively, Reasoning & Ethics, and Law Office Administration. The CCLS Certifying Board is the autonomous governing board for the program, and writes and proctors the CCLS exams, as well as the administrators of the program. The CCLS Chair conducts workshops at
LPI’s quarterly conferences, as well as two On-Line Study Groups each year to prepare examinees for the exam.

BLST: Beginning Legal Secretary Training. The Legal Professional Training/Seminars chair conducts multiple online BLST classes each year designed to train those who are new to the legal profession, and as refreshers for those who are experienced.

LSRG: Legal Secretaries Reference Guide. The LSRG is one of LPI’s publications and is designed as a primer for legal secretaries and other legal professionals. The LSRG provides the basics of pleadings, discovery, office conduct, and much more. The LSRG is also used as the text for the BLST classes. The LSRG is edited by the legal Professional Training/Seminars chair, with the help of the CEC.

LOPM/LPH: Law Office Procedures Manual / Legal Professionals Handbook. The LOPM and LPH are LPI’s other publications. The LOPM is a single-volume book that provides steps to completing various tasks that legal professionals face every day, such as preparing and filing a complaint or incorporating a new company. The LPH is a two-volume book that provides more in-depth information regarding various areas of law. The LOPM and LPH are edited by the PRC and are published by The Rutter Group.

LSA/LPA: Legal Secretaries Association / Legal Professionals Association. All local associations are either designated as an LSA or LPA, based on the preference of each individual association. There is no difference in the membership or the rights of an LSA or LPA.

I hope this helps to make sense of your bowl of alphabet soup!

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