Registration and renewals for the 2024 Membership year are open. If you have questions or need technical assistance with the online application, please contact our Director of Member Relations at memberrelations@kypa.org.

A.   Types of Membership, Qualifications and Eligibility

1.  Active Members. Any paralegal who is currently employed as a paralegal performing substantial legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney who lives or works within the Commonwealth of Kentucky AND meets one of the criteria outlined below shall become an Active member of the KPA upon acceptance of his/her application for membership and payment of dues. Active members shall be entitled to one vote on all matters before the KPA membership and shall be eligible to serve as an Officer or Director of the KPA.

(a)   A bachelors degree, associate’s degree or post-baccalaureate certificate in Paralegal Studies from a program approved by the American Bar Association (“ABA”) or a Paralegal Studies program that is not ABA approved but meets the substantive legal studies requirements pursuant to the ABA guidelines; OR

(b)   A bachelor's degree in any field AND one (1) year of full-time work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney. Said experience must be attested to by the paralegal’s supervising attorney and verified by the Membership Committee; OR

(c)   An associates degree in any field AND completion of twenty-four (24) substantive legal credit hours within an ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program or a Paralegal Studies program that is not ABA-approved but meets the substantive legal studies requirements pursuant to the ABA guidelines AND one (1) year of full-time work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney. Said experience must be attested to by the paralegal’s supervising attorney and verified by the Membership Committee; OR

(d)    As of the date of the application, a minimum of five (5) years work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney. Said experience must be attested to by the paralegal’s supervising attorney(s) and verified by the Membership Committee.

2.   Associate Members. Any person who would otherwise meet the requirements for Active membership who meets one (1) or more of the exceptions outlined below shall become an Associate member of the KPA upon acceptance of his/her application for membership and payment of dues. Associate members shall not be entitled to vote on matters before the KPA membership and shall not be eligible to serve as an Officer or Director of the KPA.

(a)   Does not live or work within the Commonwealth of Kentucky; OR

(b)   Is not currently employed as a paralegal or performing substantial legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney; OR

(c)   Has not met the minimum of one (1) year full-time work experience as a paralegal performing substantive legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney required under A(1)(b) or A(1)(c); OR

(d)   Has not met the minimum of five (5) years full-time work experience as a

paralegal performing substantive legal tasks under the supervision and direction of a licensed attorney required under A(1)(d); OR

(e)   Any current or former KPA Active member that no longer meets all of the Active membership requirements, including paralegals retiring from the paralegal field, shall continue as an Active member for the remainder of the membership year.

3.   Student Members. Any student enrolled in a Paralegal Studies program that would allow them to meet the qualifications for Active membership upon completion of such program shall become a Student member of the KPA upon acceptance of his/her application for membership and payment of dues, if any. Student members shall not be entitled to vote on matters before the KPA membership and shall not be eligible to serve as an Officer or Director of the KPA

4.   Adjunct Members. Any paralegal program director or educator of an ABA approved paralegal program or a paralegal studies program that is not ABA approved but meets the substantive legal studies requirements pursuant to the ABA guidelines shall become an Adjunct Member of the KPA upon acceptance of his/her application, approval of the KPA Board of Directors and payment of dues, if any. Adjunct Members shall not be entitled to vote on matters before the KPA membership and shall not be eligible to serve as an Officer or Director of the KPA.

5.   Sustaining Members. Any attorney, law firm, business entity, educational institution or Bar Association that shares the goals and purposes of the KPA set out in Article II of the Bylaws shall become a Sustaining Member of the KPA upon acceptance of his/her/its application for membership, payment of dues and approval of the KPA Board of Directors. Sustaining members shall not be entitled to vote on matters before the KPA membership and shall not be eligible to serve as an Officer or Director of the KPA.

For purposes of determining membership qualifications, “paralegal” shall mean a person qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal tasks under the direct supervision of an attorney. “Substantive legal tasks” shall mean duties, tasks or functions that require legal training, and which would otherwise normally be performed by an attorney.

Any attorney who is not eligible to practice law in any state, whether by suspension or disbarment, shall not be eligible for membership in this Association.

B.   Application and Annual Dues 

1.   Application. Application for membership shall be submitted with payment of dues, if any, to the KPA. Upon determination by the Membership Committee that such application meets the necessary requirements, the application shall be approved. Any willful misstatement in the application shall be grounds for rejection of the application or for expulsion of the member if the application has previously been approved.

2.    Annual Dues. The Board of Directors shall determine the annual dues of the KPA for Active members, Associate members, Student members, Adjunct members and Sustaining members.

Membership dues are non-fundable dues and shall be payable to the KPA in January of each year and shall be in effect until December 31 of that same year. Dues for membership renewal must be postmarked by January 31 to maintain continuous membership in the KPA. The Board of Directors shall have discretion in charging late fees for dues paid after January 31.

Additional provisions regarding KPA membership, including Admission, Termination, and Reinstatement, are contained in Article III of the Kentucky Paralegal Association's Bylaws.