GET TO KNOW US

Established in 1983 as the Orlando Legal Assistants, the purpose was to serve the local population of paralegals (then referred to as legal assistants)  in continued legal education, professional development and community service.  In 1995-96, Orlando Legal Assistants became CFPA and was the first paralegal association in the State of Florida to use the term “paralegal”.   CFPA was incorporated as a Florida not for profit corporation in November, 2001 and amended/updated its Bylaws in 2008.  CFPA began publishing a quarterly newsletter in 1983 and is currently publishing Volume 28 of The Focus. Approximately 2004-2005, CFPA went online with its website which has expanded to what you see today and is updated regularly with new information, calendar dates for seminars, mixers and community service events.  In 2008, CFPA went paperless and began publishing The Focus in digital format only.  CFPA has established and maintains an active presence on the web including a Twitter account, Facebook page and a profile on Linked In.    Later, The Focus became our digital e-newsletter, Carpe Diem, which is published to the membership on a bimonthly basis.

Professional Development – CFPA is a NALA Affilitated Association and as a result, provides continued legal education for its members through regularly scheduled seminars.  CFPA seminars are often co-sponsored by area law firms and/or patron members and are on a variety of topics  and events such as Law Week activities, Pathways in Law, weekend seminar retreats, brown-bag lunch hour seminars,  annual CP exam preparation (review course).  Evening seminar topics range from notary updates, maintaining/updating interview skills, family law, criminal law, litigation issues, real estate, probate, construction law, legal ethics, trial preparation and many other topics that are relevant to the paralegals in this area.

Community Service – Supporting area charities and events by sponsoring food, toy and school supply drives, fund raising for area charities.  Past and recent recipients of CFPA’s fund raising campaigns have included Walk for the Trees, Alzheimer’s Research, Breast Cancer awareness, Cystic Fibrosis foundation, Teen Court, a Gift for Teaching, Second Harvest Food Bank, Loaves & Fishes, Orlando Union Rescue Mission, XL106 Baby DJ toy drive, the Orange County Adult Literacy League, Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Home Society, Best Buddies, the Women’s Residential Resource Center, and our Annual SUPPORT THE TROOPS drive which sends food and goodies to our soldiers overseas.

Students & Networking – CFPA supports legal students (both members and non-members) with free seminars,  guest speaking to capstone classes and a scholarship program.  With nearly 200 members in the Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties of Central Florida, CFPA has a cultivated a strong relationship with area colleges and universities that offer legal studies programs including Everest, Keiser, Rollins, Seminole State, UCF, and Valencia College as well as many area attorneys, firms and judges.  CFPA supports area programs such as the Guardian Ad Litem programs in each of the 3 Central Florida counties served as well as the Teen Court programs in Orange and Seminole counties.  CFPA members enjoy such benefits of membership including job bank, monthly luncheons, quarterly membership mixers, holiday parties, Yahoo group list serv/web board, Facebook, LinkedIn and continued and regular updates to this website