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Congratulations you are now Certified! Now what? 

The In-house Counsel Certified (ICC) designation is valid for one year from the month that a candidate passes the final assessment of the certification program. ICC credential-holders maintain certification by engaging in continuing legal professional development (CLPD) activities related to the skills and competencies noted in the certification program's curriculum.

 

Requirements

 

Continuing Legal Professional Development (10 hours minimum annually)

A minimum of four (4) hours must pertain to education in any of the following categories:

Stakeholder relationships
Law department management
Legal services

The remaining education hours may be of any substantive areas of law towards fulfilling the total of 10 hours annual requirement (for example, ethics, employment law, intellectual property, data privacy, etc.)

Annual Fee
Certificants pay an annual fee of US$ 95 for ACC members and US$150 for non-members. The Program currently accepts all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express). The certification maintenance fee is not refundable.

Lapse Status
Lapse individuals can reinstate certification within 12 months by completing continuing education requirements and paying a reinstatement fee: $150 for ACC members, $200 for non-members. This fee covers the renewal and a late charge. The original renewal deadline and requirements remain unchanged. 
 

Contact certification@acc.com for additional assistance.

Renewal Deadlines

Once a candidate passes the certification assessment, their certification cycle begins the following day and ends on either June 30th or December 31st of the following year, depending on when they obtain their credentials. See below: 

a)    If the certificant passes the assessment during the first semester of the year (January to June), their cycle ends on June 30th of the following year.

b)    If the certificant passes the assessment during the second semester of the year (July to December), their cycle ends on December 31st of the following year.

Certificants who fail to comply with the certification maintenance requirements will automatically lapse 30 days after the conclusion of the cycle.

Core Competencies Descriptions

STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS 

  • Navigating the corporate structure through increased emotional intelligence, leadership, and people management skills.
  • Increase emotional intelligence through developing active listening and empathy.
  • Identify relevant stakeholders and their fiduciary duties within and outside the corporation.
  • Positioning in-house counsel (the role and the person) as a key contributor in the overall commercial operation.
  • Encourage business partners to seek the advice of in-house counsel.
  • Collaborating with other departments (e.g., sales, human resources) to proactively address risk  

LAW DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT  

  • How to run an effective law department based on current best practices.
  • The role of in-house counsel.
  • Specific skills:
    • Translating legal knowledge into business solutions.
    • Employee training
    • Strategic planning 
  • Skills relate to creating value for—and demonstrating value to—the greater organization.
  • Awareness of how the legal department impacts the organization’s bottom line.
  • Approach attorney-client privilege, whether in a common law or civil code Jurisdiction 

LEGAL SERVICES 

  • The focus here is not to teach substantive law. Rather, the curriculum provides a framework for delivering informed legal policy and for helping to protect the organization from legal liability. 
  • Specific topics on HOW TO deliver advice, policy, etc. on the following topics (not the law/legal topics being delivered/applied):  
    • Ethics and compliance training 
    • Negotiation 
    • Risk management 
  • Managing outside counsel and legal service providers 
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