Certified Legal Assistant (CLA/CP): How to Earn Your Paralegal Certification

Introduction: Why Certification Matters for Legal Assistants

The legal profession as a whole continues to be a slow but steady growth industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall growth is holding at about 4% annually for attorneys and other support staff. Paralegals, legal assistants, and legal secretaries are in high demand for solo practitioners and law firms.

Certification helps paralegals and legal assistants stand out in a crowded field. Having your certification demonstrates to potential employers that you are dedicated to the profession and have a desire to improve your standing in the field.

What Is a Certified Legal Assistant?

Before beginning the discussion of “certified” and “certification,” aspiring applicants should understand the difference between the terms.

• A certificate is awarded upon completion of a course from a school, college, or university. A certificate indicates that the holder has completed a required course load in a specific area. Legal studies or paralegal certificates are essentially educational awards.

• A certification indicates that the individual has taken and passed an organization’s qualifying exam and meets that organization's professional standards. Most certifying agencies require members to meet educational, employment, and continuing education standards to maintain certification.

The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) is the only organization whose members may call themselves “Certified Paralegals” (CPs). Other organizations have similar tests and certifications, but their members are called by different titles, such as the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), whose members use the title “CORE Registered Paralegals.”

Legal Assistant, Paralegal, and Certified Paralegal

In many offices, the distinctions between “legal assistant” and “paralegal” are sometimes blurred. In larger offices and law firms, a “paralegal” strictly supports their attorney.

Legal assistants do more legal work, case management, and client communication than legal secretaries. Paralegals handle substantive legal work, such as drafting pleadings and memos, performing legal research, and preparing evidence and witnesses for trial.

If you find that your job description says “legal assistant” but your job duties include substantive legal work, you may want to consider a paralegal certification to solidify your position in the firm.

Certification Options in the U.S.

There are several highly respected paralegal and legal professional organizations in the U.S. that certify members and maintain rosters. Paralegals can belong to all of them if they wish, although you must pay for testing and annual membership in each group.

• NALA Certified Paralegal

NALA offers a basic paralegal certification (CP) and advanced paralegal certifications in areas such as family law, real estate, and contract management.

• NFPA Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam

The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) offers the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam, its basic paralegal certification, and an advanced competency exam (PACE) for those who have worked as paralegals before taking the test.

• NALS Professional Paralegal Exam

The National Association for Legal Support Professionals (NALS) currently offers its Professional Paralegal and Professional Legal Secretary exams only through school programs. Interested applicants should check with their school office or continue checking with the NALS website for updates.

Eligibility Requirements

Each organization has its own requirements to take its exam. Membership in the organization is not required, although it is strongly encouraged, as it offers additional perks and advantages. In general, all organizations have these basic eligibility requirements:

Education: Both NALA and NFPA have complex education and work requirements. Both require applicants to have a paralegal studies degree (two or four years) from an ABA-accredited school,

OR

A paralegal certificate from an ABA-accredited school,

OR

A bachelor’s degree in any field with one year’s experience in the paralegal field OR 15 hours of substantive paralegal courses,

OR

Five years’ paralegal experience with a high school diploma or equivalent, and 20 hours of CLE in the past two years.

However, NFPA gives some credit for military legal work. And if you still don’t meet the stated requirements but have extensive legal experience or a legal education that qualifies you, contact NALA or NFPA. Both organizations will review your background and work experience to determine whether you qualify.

The Certification Exam

NALA’s CP exam consists of two parts. Both are pass/fail. The knowledge test consists of 120 multiple-choice questions. If you pass, you will be notified when you may take the skills test, which consists of a closed-world performance exam. You must pass both sections to pass the exam.

The NFPA’s basic exam is a 125-question multiple-choice exam.

The exam covers topics like ethics, substantive law (torts, criminal law, family law, etc.), and legal writing. The exams are given at in-person testing locations, and you may have to wait up to six months for the response to your exam.

Costs of Certification

As of 2025, the cost for the NALA CP exam is $325 for members $350 for non-members. There are additional fees for onsite and remote testing. The skills test must be taken on-site, but the knowledge test can be taken remotely.

The NFLP fee is currently $300 for members and $325 for non-members. Like NALA, there are additional fees for remote and on-site testing.

Both NALA and NFLP have free test material available for download, but additional testing materials are available.

Benefits of Becoming a Certified Legal Assistant

There are many good reasons to become a certified legal assistant or paralegal. According to the BLS, a certification or degree improves your salary potential and increases your negotiating position when you ask for a raise or promotion. Since certification is voluntary, holding it shows your dedication to your career track.

Certifying organizations maintain job boards and CLE workshops for their members, so your networking opportunities improve significantly. If you’re beginning your legal career or looking to make a move outside your current position, these certifying agencies are good places to begin your job search.

Career Outlook and Salary

According to the BLS, the median salary for paralegals is $60,000 annually. This varies depending on your location, experience, and niche market. Experienced corporate paralegals can expect to max out in the low six figures, although newly minted paralegals will not get that much in their first years on the job market.

The BLS states that many law firms are exclusively seeking certified paralegals. This suggests that employers value the extra dedication of workers who obtain their certification before entering the job market.

Maintaining Certification

Once you obtain a certification through any organization, you must maintain it by completing continuing legal education hours, or CLEs. All legal professionals must submit CLEs to their state bar associations every 1 or 2 years.

Both NALA and NFLP require certified members to submit proof of CLEs every other year. CLEs can be obtained through legal journals, online seminars, and other courses and workshops that advertise CLE hours. In general, if a course qualifies for attorney CLEs, it qualifies for paralegal CLEs.

Conclusion

The steady growth of the legal field means that certified paralegals and legal assistants are constantly in demand by attorneys and law firms. Having a paralegal certification from NALA or NFLP makes paralegals more valuable in the job market and improves their hireability and salary opportunities.

If you’re interested, the best place to start is by visiting the NALA and NFLP websites. Other certifying agencies exist with less professional cachet than these two organizations, but with lower standards for those who have just entered the market and want certificates to add to their resumes.