Paralegals of California
Licensing Requirement in California Currently
Although California does not have licensing or certification requirements, you may want to think about obtaining either a Certified Legal Assistant Certification (CLA) or a Registered Paralegal Certification (RP) in order to outweigh other job applicants.
To become a CLA (Certified Legal Assistant) in California, you must:
- Pass a two-day exam (from Certifying Board of Legal Assistance agreed upon from National Association of Legal Assistants)
- Continue to Renew Certification
- Satisfactorily Complete 50 hours of Approved Legal Education
To renew the certification, one must pass 50 credit hours of continued legal education courses and must do so during five year time periods. Every five years, the certification should be renewed and failure to do so will result in expulsion of the title. It is possible for one to become certified as a California Advance Specialist (CAS).
To become a Registered Paralegal (RP), you must:
- Write and Pass PACE given by NFPA
- Renew Certification Every Two Years
- Prove Completion of 12 Hour Continued Legal Education Credits
Examination given by National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) must be passed so as to become a Registered Paralegal. To maintain the title, you must renew your certification every two years; to do this, you must display evidence of finishing 12 hours of valid approved continuing legal education credits over the past twenty-four months.
