Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia

Certification bestows a measure of professional recognition to those persons who achieve significant competence in the field. The opportunity for certification in the legal assistant profession is provided by the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA). The CLA examination program consists of successful completion of a comprehensive two-day exam.

Recognition of the Certified Legal Assistant program is nationwide. The CLA has been adopted in California, Florida and Louisiana as the qualifying standard for legal assistants seeking advanced certification in state specialty practice areas. About half of the bar associations and bar association sections offering associate membership for legal assistants include the CLA credential as an eligibility requirement for membership.

The legal community has been supportive of the CLA credential economically. Legal assistants with the CLA receive higher salaries nationwide and their work is billed at higher rates.

The CLA Exam is administered by members of the NALA Certifying Board for Legal Assistants or others designated by the Board. Applications must be received by January 15 for the March examination; May 15 for the July session; and by October 1 for the December session. Testing centers are offered throughout the United States.

For an application to take the CLA Examination, contact Tammy Welch, CP at nalaliaison@lapswv.org or visit NALA at www.nala.org.

Information on local CLA Study Groups