Paralegal certification is available in four states while only two states offer document preparer certifications through their State Bar Associations. These states require a certification examination to educationally qualified paralegals or legal assistants prior to the Bar Associations authorizing the paralegal to use the title of “Certified Paralegal,” however, certification is not required in these states to work as a paralegal. The American Bar Association defines a paralegal as someone with the education and work experience required to work for an attorney or law firm performing specific duties for which the attorney is responsible. Without the American Bar Association recognizing someone as “certified paralegal” the title …show more content…
Each paralegal is required to be “recertified” each year, requiring a recertification fee for testing, and separate expenses for the required additional educational classes and seminars. The fees and testing do little to improve the abilities of a paralegal. In fact, the recertification classes, seminars, and examination availability during the normal course of a business day directly disrupts the scheduled work assignments of the paralegal requiring the paralegal to work in the evening to complete the required work load. A paralegal must be committed to a client without interruption, recertification may interfere with that commitment. A non-certified paralegal does not incur any of these costs or is required to take additional classes to retain the ability to work as a paralegal. The non-certified paralegal receives recognition by their continued expertise in exemplifying their abilities to work for a supervising attorney. (A supervising attorney approves the work product of the paralegal and a certified paralegal prior to