Is there a financial incentive to becoming a Certified or Registered Paralegal?

There is no such thing as a licensed paralegal; rather, paralegals can be registered or certified. Though certification or registration is voluntary in most states, it prepares a paralegal to work in the legal profession. It may also increase the likelihood of a paralegal’s hire, promotion, or salary increase.

There are three types of paralegal certification:

· The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) offers a two-day examination for those paralegals who meet the education and experience standards. Those who pass the examination are designated as Certified Legal Assistants (CLA) or Certified Paralegals (CP).

· The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) administers a four-hour Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) to those paralegals who meet the required education and experience criteria. Paralegals who pass this exam earn the title of Registered Paralegal (RP).

· The American Alliance of Paralegals (AAPI) offers certification to those paralegals with five years of work experience, who also meets certain education requirements. There is no examination involved with this certification.

Becoming a Certified or Registered Paralegal can be financially rewarding. These types of paralegals will command a higher salary in companies that are members of NALA or NFPA. The increase of salary will also be faster than those paralegals that have not went through the certification programs.

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