Illinois Paralegal Association

What Illinois Paralegal Association does

The Illinois Paralegal Association (IPA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association incorporated in Illinois in 1973 (founded November 1972 as the Chicago Association of Paralegal Assistants, renamed in January 1976). Headquartered at P.O. Box 452, New Lenox, Illinois, IPA serves practicing paralegals, paralegal students, part-time and emeritus paralegals, law firms, and educational institutions across Illinois through six membership tiers priced $50–$175 annually. Its core offerings include Spring and Fall Education Conferences delivering NALA-approved CLE credit, a monthly newsletter (The Lookout) and triannual magazine (Outlook), a three-month mentorship program for newly hired paralegals, a Code of Ethics and Paralegal Programs directory, and the $1,000 Patricia Murphy Coleman Memorial Scholarship.

IPA operates on a subscription/dues-based revenue model supplemented by conference registration fees, publication distribution, and modest scholarship-pin fundraising ($10/pin) and corporate sponsorship. The organization is governed by an 11-member elected Board of Directors with a long-tenured Executive Director (Yvonne Kriss, in role since June 1, 1999). Operational technology is limited to ClubExpress, a third-party SaaS membership management platform that handles online sign-up, renewal, event registration, and communications; there is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capabilities, and no API offerings.

IPA is a member affiliate of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA, 52 associations nationwide), adopts NALA's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and maintains referral relationships with the American Bar Association (ABA) and the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE). It pursues strategic partnerships such as Wills for Heroes clinics (with the Chicago Bar Association at the Chicago Police Department) and secures event sponsorships from legal-tech vendors including Planet Depos, InfoTrack, Proof Legal, Alliance Corporate Solutions / Universal Registered Agents, and Proceed Legal. Marketing and member acquisition rely on community-led channels — social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram), the ipaonline.org website, email/newsletter outreach, conferences and section meetings, and member referrals.

Name

Illinois Paralegal Association

Legal name

Illinois Paralegal Association

Website

https://ipaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Paralegal Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1972 that serves Illinois paralegals through six membership tiers ($50–$175/yr), NALA-approved CLE conferences, publications, mentorship, and the Patricia Murphy Coleman Scholarship, affiliated with NFPA, NALA, ABA, and AAfPE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

Keywords

• Professional association membership
• Continuing legal education
• Paralegal professional development
• Legal networking events
• Professional ethics standards

Headquarters

HQ city

New Lenox

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from six membership categories (Regular, Associate, Emeritus, Student, Sustaining, Educational Institution) ranging from $50 to $175 per year, providing the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Education Conferences: Spring and Fall Education Conferences offering CLE-approved sessions on various legal topics. Members receive discounted rates compared to non-members. Revenue generated through registration fees.
3. Publication Subscriptions: Members receive subscriptions to The Lookout (monthly newsletter) and Outlook magazine (published up to three times per year) as part of membership benefits.
4. Scholarship Fundraising: Annual scholarship pin sales at $10 per pin, with proceeds going directly to the Patricia Murphy Coleman Memorial Paralegal Scholarship fund. Also accepts monetary donations and sponsorship contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Illinois Paralegal Association (IPA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association serving paralegals in Illinois. It sells annual memberships across six categories (Regular, Associate, Student, Emeritus, Sustaining, and Educational Institution), and delivers member benefits including the monthly The Lookout newsletter, Outlook magazine, semi-annual CLE-approved Education Conferences, a structured three-month mentorship program, Code of Ethics guidance, and the Patricia Murphy Coleman Memorial Paralegal Scholarship.

Product overview

The Illinois Paralegal Association operates a website-based membership services platform offering professional resources, networking opportunities, and educational programs for paralegals in Illinois. The organization provides The Lookout monthly newsletter, the Outlook magazine (published up to three times per year), an annual scholarship program ($1,000 Patricia Murphy Coleman Memorial Scholarship), a directory of ABA-approved and AAfPE member paralegal programs, and a comprehensive event calendar featuring education conferences, section meetings, and social networking events. The membership portal supports multiple membership categories with varying benefits and pricing ($50-$175 annually). The platform is built on ClubExpress membership management software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IPA Membership (Regular, Associate, Student, Emeritus, Sustaining, Educational Institution)
• Spring and Fall Education Conferences
• The Lookout Newsletter (monthly) and Outlook Magazine
• Patricia Murphy Coleman Memorial Paralegal Scholarship
• Paralegal Programs Directory Comprehensive listing of Illinois paralegal education programs, including ABA-approved and AAfPE member institutions, provided as a public resource on the IPA website.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wills for HeroescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2026Volunteer partnership where IPA members participate in Wills for Heroes clinics providing legal services to first responders. Clinics held at Chicago Police Department.
• Chicago Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2026Collaborative partnership for Wills for Heroes clinics, combining resources to provide free estate planning documents (wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives) to first responders.
• Proceed LegalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 September 2026Event sponsor for the South Suburban Section In-Person Networking Social (September 24, 2026) at Country Club Social, providing pizza from Pizza Al Farfalla.
• Planet DeposminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 August 2025Event sponsor for the 2025 Savannah Bananas game (August 15, 2025), providing suite access for IPA members. Also sponsored the 2023 Paralegal Day event at Offshore Rooftop.
• Alliance Corporate Solutions LLC/Universal Registered AgentsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 June 2024Exclusive sponsor for the 2024 White Sox Outing event (June 26, 2024) with Los Angeles Dodgers.
• InfoTrackminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 September 2023Sponsor of the 2023 Paralegal Day celebration event at Offshore Rooftop.
• Proof LegalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 September 2023Sponsor of the 2023 Paralegal Day celebration event at Offshore Rooftop.
• National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPA is a member/affiliate of NFPA, which is comprised of 52 paralegal associations throughout the United States. IPA also abides by NALA's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
• NALA - The Paralegal AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPA abides by NALA's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Education Conferences offer CLE credit hours approved by NALA.
• American Bar Association (ABA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPA provides information about ABA-approved paralegal programs and references ABA resources for paralegal education guidance.
• American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPA provides information about AAfPE member paralegal programs. Many Illinois programs hold AAfPE membership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York State Paralegal Association (NYSPA): State-level paralegal association serving New York. Comparable as a peer affiliate with similar CLE conference, membership tier, and Code of Ethics structures as IPA.
• American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE): AAfPE is the academic counterpart organization for paralegal programs, with which IPA has a formal resource partnership. Comparable as a membership association serving the same paralegal ecosystem from the education-side.
• National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA): The national umbrella organization of which IPA is an affiliate. NFPA represents 52 state and regional paralegal associations, sets Model Code of Ethics, and offers professional credentialing, making it the most direct comparably-structured peer for IPA.
• Texas Paralegal Association: A peer state-level NFPA-affiliate association serving Texas paralegals with CLE conferences and membership tiers. Highly comparable in structure, mission, and offerings to IPA, with larger potential membership scale.
• California Alliance of Paralegal Associations (CAPA): Another state-level NFPA affiliate serving California paralegals. Comparable as a peer affiliate operating under the same NFPA framework with CLE, publications, and section meetings.

Regional players

• Illinois State Bar Association: The mandatory bar association for Illinois attorneys and a natural adjacent audience for IPA's paralegal members. Comparable as a statewide Illinois professional legal association operating in the same regulatory and networking ecosystem.
• Chicago Bar Association: IPA's strategic co-development partner for Wills for Heroes clinics in Chicago. Comparable as a regional legal professional association with overlapping membership base and CLE programming in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association (ABA): National bar association whose approved paralegal program list IPA references. Comparable as a much larger incumbent professional association serving the legal ecosystem in which IPA operates.
• NALA - The Paralegal Association: The largest national paralegal association in the US, providing CP/CRP certification, a Code of Ethics that IPA adopts, and national CLE. Comparable as the incumbent counterpart to IPA at the national level.

Others

• Wills for Heroes: IPA's core strategic partner. A nonprofit civic program providing free estate planning to first responders, in which IPA members volunteer. Comparable as a thematic peer organization in the legal-services-nonprofit ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TweetIPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Illinois-Paralegal-Association-196577851345
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-paralegal-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/ipaonline/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Paralegal Association