ALA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield ALA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. When building a CLM study schedule, which approach best addresses the exam's broad domain coverage? → Allocate study time proportional to each domain's exam weight
2. A CLM candidate is asked to define 'service recovery.' The BEST definition is: → The process of restoring client confidence and satisfaction after a service failure
3. In a law firm's evaluation structure, what is the purpose of requiring an employee signature on the completed evaluation form? → To acknowledge receipt and that the evaluation was discussed, not necessarily agreement
4. Under which legal doctrine can an employer be held liable if evaluation criteria disproportionately screen out a protected class without business justification? → Disparate impact
5. Under CLM recertification rules, how many continuing education (CE) hours must a certificant earn during each three-year recertification cycle? → 30 CE hours
6. Which section of the CLM Exam covers legal ethics, compliance, and governance? → Legal Industry
7. Which methodology uses the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle? → Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
8. Which expense category typically represents the largest cost in most US law firms? → Personnel costs (attorney and staff compensation)
9. Which of the following is an example of interleaved practice, a technique recommended for professional exam preparation? → Mixing questions from different CLM domains within a single study session
10. Which document formally transfers identified risks to an outside party and is commonly used in vendor agreements? → Indemnification clause
11. After passing the CLM exam, within how many days must a candidate typically submit any remaining post-exam documentation to finalize the credential award? → 30 days
12. Which practice best demonstrates compliance with ABA Model Rule 1.15 regarding the safekeeping of client property in document management? → Maintaining client files separately and providing clients with accountings upon request
13. A CLM professional is reviewing client communication logs and finds that response times average 36 hours against a 24-hour policy. The FIRST step is to: → Analyze root causes — whether workload, tools, or awareness — before proposing solutions
14. When digitizing historical paper files, which quality control step ensures that all pages have been captured completely and legibly? → 100% page count verification and image quality check against original documents
15. Which of the following is an example of a 'value-added' client service in a law firm context? → Hosting complimentary CLEs or legal updates relevant to the client's industry
16. A firm's risk committee decides to self-insure for small, predictable losses rather than purchasing coverage for them. This is an example of: → Risk retention
17. What is the primary goal of a quality improvement program? → To continuously enhance processes and outcomes
18. Which study technique is most effective for retaining CLM terminology and concepts long-term? → Active recall through flashcards and self-quizzing
19. A CLM candidate is required to complete continuing education credits primarily to: → Demonstrate ongoing competency and commitment to professional development
20. Which of the following changes after submission would require a CLM candidate to notify ALA during the application review period? → A change in the candidate's job title that no longer reflects legal management duties
21. Which metric best measures the effectiveness of a firm's case intake screening process? → Ratio of cases that proceed past initial assessment to those ultimately generating revenue
22. Which organization administers the CLM certification process? → Association of Legal Administrators
23. Which regulatory body's rules most directly govern law firm trust account management and the risk of commingling funds? → State bar association
24. Which document management system feature ensures only the latest version of a file is used? → Version control
25. Which of the following best describes the spaced repetition principle as applied to CLM exam prep? → Reviewing material at gradually increasing intervals to strengthen memory
26. Which type of jurisdiction refers to a court's authority to hear a case for the first time? → Original jurisdiction
27. Who is generally eligible to apply for the CLM Exam? → Experienced legal administrators with managerial experience
28. Which technology allows attorneys to search the full text of scanned paper documents? → Optical character recognition (OCR)
29. A CLM certificant who fails to meet recertification requirements by the deadline will first face which consequence? → A six-month grace period with a reinstatement fee
30. What is the purpose of a professional code of ethics? → To establish standards of conduct and protect the public