Established in 1976, the Certified Paralegal examination program is a voluntary professional credentialing program developed by NALA and administered by a board composed of paralegals, members of the American Bar Association and members of the field of education active in paralegal training. The Certified Paralegal program involved successful completion of a comprehensive examination covering the topics of communications; legal research; ethics; human relations and interviewing techniques; legal terminology; judgement and analytical ability; and substantive law testing in the areas of the American Legal System, Civil Litigation, Business Organizations, and Contracts. Thereafter, evidence of continuing legal education must be submitted periodically in order to maintain certified status.
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted accreditation to the NALA Certified Paralegal program for demonstrating compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs on April 30, 2014. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The NCCA Standards were created to ensure certification programs adhere to modern standards of practice for the certification industry. The NALA Certified Paralegal program joins an elite group of more than 120 organizations representing over 270 certification programs that have received and maintained NCCA accreditation and is the first certification program accredited by NCCA which serves the legal community. More information on the NCCA is available online at www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCA.
NALA – The Paralegal Association, headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a national, non-profit association that represents over 18,000 paralegals through individual members and 86 affiliated state and local associations. It is the leader in the growth and development of the paralegal profession, providing continuing education, professional development, and certification programs for the career field.
Information describing this and other programs of NALA – The Paralegal Association may be obtained by contacting:
NALA Headquarters
7666 E. 61st Street, Suite 315
Tulsa, OK 74133
Phone: 918-587-6828
Fax: 918-582-6772