The Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations (Keystone Alliance) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization, formalized in 1995 from groundwork laid in the 1980's by paralegal associations in Pennsylvania. The Keystone Alliance helps its members by (1) providing a statewide voice for paralegals in Pennsylvania; (2) maintaining a statewide communications network among paralegal associations and other members of the legal community; (3) advancing, fostering and promoting the paralegal profession in Pennsylvania; and (4) monitoring developments in the paralegal profession.

The Pennsylvania Certified Paralegal Program (the Program) is a voluntary certification program that is regulated through the Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations. The Program challenges paralegals to meet the minimum level of qualifications under certain educational and employment requirements. It is the hope of the Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations that the Program will become the standard for hiring and/or promoting paralegals. 

The Program provides the following benefits:

• The Program certifies that the credentialed paralegal is qualified by education, work experience and training and has the knowledge, skill and proficiency to perform substantive legal work;
• The Program certifies that the credentialed paralegal has knowledge of legal concepts and ethics;
• The Program certifies that the credentialed paralegal is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity to work under the direction of a lawyer or pursuant to state statute;
• The Program demonstrates a paralegal’s commitment to the paralegal profession;
• The credential paralegal is required to take continuing legal education courses and therefore keeps current in the legal field; and
• When choosing employment, the hiring process becomes easier as the paralegal’s credentials are already verified through the Program.

Want to learn more about how to become a Pa.C.P.?  Click here

Click here for a list of PPA members who have earned the Pa.C.P. designation.