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Paralegal Certification versus Paralegal Certificate Paralegal Certification and paralegal certificate are NOT the same! Confused? Don’t feel bad, you are not the only one! While these two terms sound similar, they are very different. Paralegal Certification Certifications are awarded by one of three professional organizations. While employers do not require certification, earning certification from a professional society will certainly enhance your employment opportunities. National Association of Legal Assistance (NALA) This professional organization has established standard for certification based on both education and experience. Upon taking a two day exam, paralegals would gain credentials as certified legal assistant or certified paralegal (CLA/CP). This organization is composed of over 18,000 paralegals, either by individual members or state and affiliated associations. Visit NALA
for more information, articles, books and resources. American Alliance of Paralegals Inc (AAPI) This professional organization offers the American Alliance Certified Paralegal (AACP) a certification based on at least five years of work experience as well as a set of educational criteria. Additionally, this certification needs to be renewed every two years and requires completion of continuing education credits. Visit AAPI
for more information. National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) This professional organization offers those with a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of working experience the Registered Paralegal (RP) certification. This certification requires passing of the paralegal advanced competency exam (PACE), renewal every two years as well as continuing education credits. The new PACE exam will go live on May 12, 2008 and will continue to focus on general legal issues and ethics. Visit NFPA for more information. Paralegal Certificate Paralegal Certificate Programs are certificate or diploma paralegal training programs offered by businesses, vocational schools, community colleges and universities. For more details on this type of paralegal degree as well as numerous other options for paralegal study, please visit Paralegal Education.
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