Becoming a certified paralegal is a great way to gain experience and credentials in the legal field. Here’s a step-by-step guide to putting together the necessary paperwork to become certified.
Step 1: Meet the Education Requirements
There is no official educational requirement for becoming a certified paralegal, but many employers prefer that you have at least an associate’s degree in criminal justice or business administration. You will also need to complete an internship working with a lawyer or paralegal before you can become certified.
Step 2: Prepare Your Resume
It’s important that your resume show off your skills and experience, as well as how they relate to the job you’re applying for. Make sure it highlights any accomplishments related to legal work; these are things like passing the bar exam or winning awards for public service projects. If possible, include any other certifications you’ve earned along with your professional work history—this will help convince employers that you’re qualified for their position!
Step 3: Write Your Cover Letter
Include some personal details about yourself in your cover letter (like where you grew up) so that hiring managers can get a sense of who they’ll be working with if they hire you!
How To Become Certified Paralegal
Paralegals function in a supportive capacity, performing tasks that help attorneys better serve their clients. Whether working in a private law firm or in government, paralegals may help lawyers improve their practice.
There’s an increasing demand for paralegals. As of 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates that paralegals will experience 12% growth through 2030, which is much faster than the national average.
There’s no single pathway to becoming a paralegal. Here, we’ll break down different paralegal requirements that may help you prepare for a paralegal career:
Step 1. Fulfill Paralegal Education Requirements
Step 2. Determine Specialty
Step 3. Complete a Paralegal Certification (Recommended)
Step 4. Meet State-level Paralegal Requirements (Optional)
Step 5. Gain Paralegal Experience and Find a Job
Steps to Become a Paralegal
Below, you’ll find some common steps you may take to become a paralegal. Once you have an understanding of specific paralegal requirements, you may prepare to pursue a career in the field. Let’s get started.
Step 1. Fulfill Paralegal Education Requirements
Paralegals are not licensed at the national level, meaning there are no federal regulations dictating the standards to which paralegals should be held. With the exception of a few states, paralegals are not directly regulated at the state level either. While it is not required in all 50 states, several professional organizations do provide paralegal certification.
In the absence of state and federal regulations, employers establish the hiring standards for paralegals. At the most basic level, you must have some formal education to become a paralegal. You may consider earning one of the following:
- An associate degree in paralegal studies. An associate degree generally takes about two years to complete. The minimum admissions requirements vary from school to school but will typically include a high school diploma.
- A bachelor’s degree in legal studies or a related field. A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years to complete. According to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), employers are placing increasing emphasis on earning at least a bachelor’s degree.
- A master’s degree in legal studies. If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree, you may want to consider a master’s degree. A master’s degree in legal studies (MLS) may cover courses such as negotiation, intellectual property law, employment law, legal writing and trial advocacy. These may prepare graduates to take on a variety of tasks as a paralegal or other legal professional.
Those looking to transition from another career field as well as those with unique lifestyle needs may consider enrolling in an online Master of Legal Studies program, which grants you the freedom to pursue a degree while working.
As you map out your graduate degree pathway, you may choose to pursue programs approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). ABA guidelines might be helpful as you evaluate your top program choices and think through common paralegal requirements.
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Step 2. Determine a Specialty
There are a number of specializations to choose from when considering your path to becoming a paralegal. If you’re interested in pursuing a master’s degree, you may select one of the numerous legal studies concentrations offered by programs across the country, allowing you to specialize in a specific area of law. Different concentrations can lead to different careers. For instance:
- Litigation paralegals work with trial attorneys throughout various phases of a trial from investigations to pleadings and discovery.
- Government paralegals work with regulatory agencies, law enforcement or politicians.
- Estate planning and probate paralegals communicate with families, tax auditors and trustees in handling estates.
- Labor law paralegals work on issues between employers and employees such as discrimination or poor working conditions.
If you’re not interested in a career in government, you may pursue jobs in real estate, hospitals, social work, human resources or other fields within the private sector. Naturally, paralegals can be found working at law firms or corporations as well.
Step 3. Complete a Paralegal Certification (Recommended)
Beyond your education, the NFPA recommends that you complete a certifying examination to receive paralegal certification. Paralegal certifications are available through a number of professional organizations. Your options for paralegal certifications include, but are not limited to:
- The Certified Paralegal certification from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).
- The Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) certification is also from NALA.
- The Professional Paralegal certification from NALS, a national association for legal professionals.
Remember, you don’t need a certification to be a paralegal. However, pursuing one is encouraged. As noted by the ABA, certification may enhance your employment prospects. That’s because for some employers, certification demonstrates your competency in and commitment to your chosen field.
Aside from certification, NALA suggests professional standards for paralegals. Some employers use NALA’s set of standards as a rubric in assessing a paralegal’s preparedness. These qualifications are not a legal requisite and are simply intended to demonstrate—both to the attorney and the public—that you have a formal legal education and have received broad exposure to the issues you may encounter as a paralegal.
Each certification has its own criteria for continuing education and renewal, so it is important to know these requirements and choose a certification that best aligns with your goals.
Step 4. Meet State-Level Paralegal Requirements (Optional)
Those who want to become a paralegal may also consider state-level certifications, most of which are voluntary and issued by local paralegal associations.
Certain states, including California, Florida, Texas and Utah, have state-specific certification requisites. Because of that, it’s critical to confirm paralegal requirements for the state you intend to work in.
- California: The path to becoming a paralegal in California comprises a few steps. According to California Alliance of Paralegal Associations, candidates must have a paralegal certificate from a school approved by the ABA and complete some semester hours in paralegal studies from a school accredited by the state of California.
- Florida: There are no minimum requirements for the education and practice of paralegals in Florida, but some law firms may prefer new hires to have passed the Certified Paralegal (CP) exam.
- Texas: Texas has a Paralegal Division within the State Bar of Texas and certification is voluntary through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
- Utah: Beyond fulfilling the educational and professional certification requirements outlined by the courts of Utah, candidates for the position of licensed paralegal practitioner must complete 1,500 hours of substantive law-related experience within the three years prior to application, pass a professional ethics exam and pass a Licensed Paralegal Practitioner Examination for each of their desired practice areas.
Of course, you’ll want to double-check the updated information for your state of choice. To find a complete list of paralegal certifications by state, check our guide on paralegal certifications.
Step 5. Gain Paralegal Experience and Find a Job
A number of accredited degree programs assist students with finding an internship. This internship experience allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to a practical setting, demonstrating their understanding of legal precepts and their ability to function as a real-world paralegal. Internships may also provide students with opportunities to network and potentially earn full-time employment post-graduation.
Upon graduating, paralegals may have a myriad of job options available to them, including working for banks, insurance companies, trade organizations, private law firms or in the legal departments of large corporations. Within the public sector, paralegals may choose to work for state and federal government agencies, public defenders’ offices, district attorneys’ offices and consumer organizations.
Down the line, paralegals might want to continue their education or pursue new certifications with the goal of vying for more advanced positions or being entrusted with more job responsibilities.
To learn more about how you may be able to pursue a career in law and become a paralegal, check out What Can You Do With a Master’s in Legal Studies?
What Does a Paralegal Do?
So, what does a paralegal do? The work paralegals do is complex and can be quite extensive, requiring a thorough understanding of law. Attorneys rely on their paralegals and the success of a case is most often a team effort between the attorney and their support staff.
Paralegal responsibilities may include:
- Preparing an attorney for a hearing or trial by investigating the facts of the case
- Conducting background research
- Collecting and organizing documents directly relevant to the case
- Researching prior legal cases to help establish precedent
- Drafting motions, plea agreements and writing reports
- Conducting interviews with witnesses or clients
- Preparing contracts, mortgages, wills and other civil documents
- Acting as a liaison between attorney and client by maintaining communication and helping to prepare the client
Although paralegals are legal professionals, there are some tasks that are beyond the scope of their duties and are reserved for the attorneys who oversee their work. Generally, paralegals are prohibited from “practicing law.” In other words, they are not permitted to perform tasks that require a legal license. Providing legal advice, deciding which cases are accepted or denied and representing clients at a hearing or trial are all beyond a paralegal’s purview.
Skills Required for Paralegals
Paralegals use a combination of hard and soft skills to get their work done. Continually developing such skills may prove beneficial to your career. Whether you’re pursuing a master’s degree in legal studies or a certification, be sure to familiarize yourself with in-demand paralegal skills. Here are a few common skills paralegals use:
- Organization skills
- Legal research
- Reading comprehension
- Active listening
- Judgment and decision-making
- Legal writing
- Critical thinking
- Emotional intelligence
- Complex problem-solving
- Public speaking
Eager to sharpen your skills? You can browse our collection of online resources for paralegals to explore certification options, get caught up on the latest legal trends and more.
