Paralegal Certification

You don't necessarily need long years of education to work at a law firm. You don't even need a law degree. As a paralegal, you can work alongside qualified lawyers and do much of the legal work yourself. However, if you want to work as a paralegal, it helps to have paralegal certification. Note that this certification is voluntary and is not required by law. However, it will tell potential employers that you have achieved a certain level of legal knowledge and will greatly enhance your chances of being hired to work for a law firm.

There are several organizations that can provide paralegal certification. They include the following:

The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA): This organization offers the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) and Certified Paralegal (CP) certifications, which grant you the right to use those initials after your name to indicate your paralegal status. A prerequisite for paralegal certification by NALA is that you graduate from a legal assistant program that has the imprimatur of the National Bar Association or that is part of a recognized college-level program. (An associate's degree is sufficient to qualify.) You may also qualify with a high school degree and seven years of professional experience as a legal assistant. The paralegal certification examination requires two days to take and covers the following subjects: communications, ethics, legal research, human relations and interviewing techniques, judgment and analytical ability, and legal terminology, plus sections on substantive law and the American legal system.

National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA): This organization offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination, or PACE. Passing it allows you to use the designation RP (for Registered Paralegal) after your name. A minimum of an associate's degree in paralegal studies is required for this paralegal certification or four years of paralegal experience predating the year 2001. The test is in two parts, or tiers, the first tier concerning general legal issues and ethics. The second is on various special topics.

The National Association for Legal Professionals (NALS): The NALS offers three certifications: the ALS, the PP, and the PLS. The PP is specifically for paralegals and represents paralegal certification. To qualify for the PP, you must have five years of experience as a legal assistant, though the required amount of experience is decreased if you have another paralegal certificate or a paralegal degree.