Chapter 1: The Paralegal Profession
Associate's Degree
2 year college degree from a community college, university, college, or technical school. The recipient of an Associate's Degree can then transfer the credits toward a 4 year Bachelor's Degree.
Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)
A designation by NALA for those who pass the NALA's two-day comprehensive exam.
PACE Registered Paralegal (RP)
Designation for passing the PACE exam. Requires 12 CE credit hours every 2 years with 1 hr of legal ethics to keep designation.
Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL)
Giving legal advice, if legal rights may be affected, by anyone not licensed to practice law.
National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS)
Since 1999, an association for legal professionals
Paralegal Advance Competency Exam (PACE)
The NFPA's certification exam. Must have: - 2-3 years experience as a Paralegal - bachelor's degree - completed a paralegal program at an accredited school
Professional Legal Secretary (PLS)
The advanced certification for legal professionals from NALS. Requires: - 3 years in legal setting OR - partial (1 year) waiver for post-secondary degrees or passing the ALS exam
Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS)
The basic certification for legal professionals from NALS Requires: - completion of an accredited course OR - 1 year general office experience
International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA)
a North American association for legal assistant managers
American Bar Association (ABA)
largest national organization of attorneys
Proprietary School
privately owned school that operates for profit for those seeking vocational training.
American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)
A national organization of paralegal educators and institutions offering paralegal education programs
Paralegal (legal assistant)
A person qualified by education, training, or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work, for which a lawyer is responsible.
National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
A professional organization for legal assistants that provides continuing education and professional certification for paralegals, incorporated in 1975.
National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
A professional organization of state and local paralegal associations, founded in 1974
certificate
A recognition of the completion of a program of study that requires less than that needed for a degree
Bachelor's Degree
An academic degree which usually takes four years to earn and is awarded by a college or university.
Paralegal Professional (PP)
Certification from NALS for those performing paralegal duties. Requires: - Have a minimum of five years of experience performing paralegal/legal assistant duties OR - Hold a bachelor's degree in paralegal studies OR - Have graduated from an ABA Approved Paralegal Program OR - Have graduated from another accredited paralegal program which consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours and/or 900 clock hours, of which a minimum of 15 semester hours and/or 225 clock hours were in substantive law OR - Hold a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field and have a minimum of one year of experience performing paralegal/legal assistant duties OR - Partial (up to 2 year) waiver for passing ALS and CLA exams
