.0118 Certification Committee

(a) The board shall establish a separate certification committee. The certification committee shall be composed of seven members appointed by the board. At least two members of the committee shall be lawyers, licensed and currently in good standing to practice law in this state, and two members of the committee shall be certified paralegals. The remaining members of the committee shall be either lawyers, licensed and currently in good standing to practice law in this state, or certified paralegals. The paralegals appointed to the inaugural committee shall be exempt from the certification requirement during their initial term but each such member shall be eligible, during the shorter of such initial term or the alternative qualification period, for certification by the board upon the board's determination that the committee member meets the requirements for certification in Rule .0119(b).

(b) The chair of the Board of Paralegal Certification shall appoint one member of the committee to serve for a one-year term as chair of the committee and one member of the committee to serve for a one-year term as vice chair of the committee. The chair and vice chair may be reappointed to multiple terms in these positions.

(c) Members shall hold office for three years, except those members initially appointed who shall serve as hereinafter designated. Members shall be appointed by the board to staggered terms and the initial appointees shall serve as follows: two shall serve for one year after appointment; two shall serve for two years after appointment; and three shall serve for three years after appointment. Appointment by the board to a vacancy shall be for the remaining term of the member leaving the committee. All members shall be eligible for reappointment to not more than one additional three-year term after having served one full three-year term, provided, however, that the board may reappoint the chairperson of the committee to a third three-year term if the board determines that the reappointment is in the best interest of the program. Meetings of the certification committee shall be held at regular intervals at such times, places and upon such notices as the committee may from time to time prescribe or upon direction of the board.

(d) The committee shall advise and assist the board in carrying out the board's objectives and in the implementation and regulation of this plan by advising the board as to standards for certification of individuals as paralegals. The committee shall be charged with actively administering the plan as follows:

(1) upon request of the board, make recommendations to the board for certification, continued certification, denial, suspension, or revocation of certification of paralegals and for procedures with respect thereto;

(2) draft and regularly revise the certification examination and

(3) perform such other duties and make such other recommendations as may be delegated to or requested by the board.

History Note: Statutory Authority G.S. 84-23

Adopted by the Supreme Court October 6, 2004

Amendments Approved by the Supreme Court: March 2, 2006; March 6, 2014; September 20, 2018