About the Program | Development Steps | View the Plan and Progress | Certification versus Certificate | Donate Today

With a mission to establish global standards for the litigation support profession through collaboration, education and certification, ALSP is dedicated to advancing the profession and contributing to the career development of practitioners around the world.                                                                                

How is certification different from a certificate program?

CERTIFICATION	CERTIFICATE
Indicates mastery/competency as measured against a defensible set of standards, usually by exam	Indicates completion of a course or series of courses with specific focus; different from a degree-granting program
Results from assessment process	Results from educational process
Requires professional experience	For newcomers as well as experienced professionals
Awarded by a third-party, standard-setting organization (ALSP)	Awarded by product/service companies or educational programs
Standards set through a defensible, industry-wide process that results in an outline of required knowledge and skills	Course content is set a variety of ways: faculty committee, instructor and occasionally through defensible analysis
Results in a designation to use after one’s name	Usually listed on a resume detailing education
Has ongoing educational requirements; holders must demonstrate they continue to meet requirements	Is the end result; demonstrates knowledge of course content at the end of a set period in time