STATE

CITY

 PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

ALABAMA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Birmingham

NALA: Alabama Association of Paralegals | www.aaopi.com

ALASKA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Fairbanks

NALA: Fairbanks Association of Legal Assistants (no website)

Anchorage

NFPA: Alaska Association of Paralegals | www.alaskaparalegals.org

ARIZONA

Certification/Licensure Status: Under the Arizona Code of Judicial Administration Section 7-208, anyone preparing legal paperwork without an attorney’s supervision must be certified as a legal document preparer. Legal document preparers can provide general legal information but can’t give legal advice. Paralegals can receive a legal document preparer’s certification if they have already earned a paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program or a non-ABA-approved, accredited institution with a minimum of 24 completed semester units in legal specialization courses. (www.supreme.state.az.us/orders/admcode/pdfcurrentcode/7-208%20section2.pdf)

Statewide

NALA: Arizona Paralegal Association | www.azparalegal.org

Tucson

NALA: Tucson Paralegal Association | www.tucsonparalegals.org

Phoenix

NALA: Legal Assistants of Metropolitan Phoenix | www.geocities.com/azlamp

ARKANSAS

Certification/Licensure Status:

Springdale

NALA: Arkansas Association of Legal Assistants | www.aala-legal.org

CALIFORNIA

Certification/Licensure Status: The California Business and Professions Code Section 6450-6456 defines a paralegal’s duties, states minimum educational standards and continuing legal education requirements, and sets fines and jail time for anyone who violates the law. (www.leginfo.ca.gov) An agreement between the National Association of Legal Assistants and the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations created the voluntary California Advanced Specialty certification program. It will return in late 2006 as a web-based program.

Los Angeles

NALA: Los Angeles Paralegal Association |www.lapa.org

Riverside, San Bernardino

NALA: Inland Counties Association of Paralegals | www.icaponline.org

Fresno

NALA: Fresno Paralegal Association | www.fresnoparalegal.org

Orange County

Paralegal Association for Orange County

www.ocparalegal.org

Sacramento

NFPA: Sacramento Valley Paralegal Association | www.svpa.org

San Francisco

NFPA: San Francisco Paralegal Association | www.sfpa.com

California also has a new law providing for Legal Document Assistants (LDAs), independent paralegals that perform functions directly for the general public. California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA) provides information about this specialty area and the laws that govern it: http://www.calda.org

COLORADO

Certification/Licensure Status:

Denver

NALA: Colorado Association of Professional Paralegals and Legal Assistants | www.capplaweb.org

Denver

NFPA: Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association | www.rockymtnparalegal.org

CONNECTICUT

Certification/Licensure Status:

Hartford

NFPA: Connecticut Paralegal Association, Inc. | http://www.paralegals.org/displaypersonalwebpage.cfm?id=883983

Bridgeport

NFPA: Connecticut Association of Paralegals, Inc. | http://www.paralegals.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=747

New Haven

NFPA: New Haven County Association of Paralegals, Inc. | http://www.paralegals.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=751

DELAWARE

Certification/Licensure Status: While the state doesn’t regulate paralegals, the Delaware Paralegal Association in 2005 approved voluntary certification, which establishes minimum educational standards. (www.deparalegals.org/dcpp.php)

FLORIDA

Certification/Licensure Status: In 1980, the Paralegal Association of Florida Inc. established the voluntary Certified Florida Legal Assistant program and began administering the CFLA exam in 1983. In November, 2007, the Supreme Court of Florida approved the amendments to chapter 20 of the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar. The new chapter 20 creates the Florida Registered Paralegal Program. It provides for voluntary registration of paralegals who meet certain minimum educational, certification, or work experience criteria and who agree to abide by an established code of ethics in exchange for the ability to refer to themselves as Florida Registered Paralegals. The Rule goes into effect on March 1, 2008. Applications will be available at that time from the Florida Bar’s website at www.floridabar.org. For the full text of the Court’s opinion and the new rule, go to www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2007/sc06-1622.pdf

West Palm Beach

NALA: Paralegal Association of Florida | www.pafinc.org

Jacksonville

NALA: Northeast Florida Paralegal Association | www.nefpa.org

Orlando

NALA: Central Florida Paralegal Association | www.cfpainc.com

Pensacola

NALA: Northwest Florida Paralegal Association | www.nwfpa.com

Sarasota

NALA: Southwest Florida Paralegal Association, Inc. | www.swfloridaparalegals.com

Tampa Bay

NFPA: Tampa Bay Paralegal Association | www.tbpa.org

Palm Beach Co. to Monroe Co.

NALA and NFPA (dually affiliated): South Florida Paralegal Association. www.sfpa.info

Ft. Myers/

Naples

Gulf Coast Paralegal Association www.gcpa.info

State-wide

Florida Alliance of Paralegal Associations (FAPA or the Alliance) www.fapainc.org

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Washington

NFPA: National Capital Area Paralegal Association | www.ncapa.com

GEORGIA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Savannah

NALA: Southeastern Association of Legal Assistants | www.seala.org

Atlanta

NALA: Metro Atlanta Legal Assistants Association | www.malaa.org

Atlanta

NFPA: Georgia Association of Paralegals, Inc. | www.gaparalegal.org

HAWAII

Certification/Licensure Status: A mandatory paralegal certification proposal was rejected by the Hawaii State Bar Association in 2001. The following year, the state Supreme Court declined to approve paralegal certification.

Honolulu

NFPA: Hawaii Paralegal Association | www.hawaiiparalegal.org

IDAHO

Certification/Licensure Status:

ILLINOIS

Certification/Licensure Status: Two state initiatives to monitor nonattorney legal service providers failed in 2005.

Central Illinois

NALA: Central Illinois Paralegal Association http://hometown.aol.com/cipainfo/

New Lenox

NFPA: Illinois Paralegal Association | www.ipaonline.org

INDIANA

Certification/Licensure Status: An Indiana Supreme Court committee will be submitting a proposal for voluntary paralegal registration to the Supreme Court in early 2006. The proposal defines paralegals, establishes education requirements and bans disbarred attorneys, felons, and those convicted of UPL from registering.

Indianapolis

NFPA: Indiana Paralegal Assocation | www.indianaparalegals.org

IOWA

Certification/Licensure Status:

NALA: Iowa Association of Legal Assistants | www.ialanet.org

KANSAS

Certification/Licensure Status: In February, 2008, Kansas paralegal associations presented a voluntary certification program proposal to the Kansas Bar Board of Governors. No action has been taken to date.

Kansas City

NALA: Heartland Association of Legal Assistants | www.kansas.gov/hala

Wichita

NALA: Kansas Association of Legal Assistants | www.accesskansas.org/kala

Topeka

NFPA: Kansas Paralegal Association | www.ksparalegals.org

KENTUCKY

Certification/Licensure Status: The Kentucky Paralegal Association currently is developing a statewide voluntary certification exam and study guide.

Lexington

NFPA: Greater Lexington Paralegal Association, Inc. | www.lexingtonparalegals.com

LOUISIANA

Certification/Licensure Status: In 1996, the Louisiana State Paralegal Association established a voluntary certification exam. (www.la-paralegals.org)

Statewide

NALA: Louisiana State Paralegal Association | www.la-paralegals.org

New Orleans

NFPA: New Orleans Paralegal Association | http://paralegals.org/displaypersonalwebpage.cfm?id=952245

MAINE

Certification/Licensure Status:

MARYLAND

Certification/Licensure Status:

Statewide

NFPA: Maryland Associations of Paralegals, Inc. | www.mdparalegals.org

MASSACHUSETTS

Certification/Licensure Status:

Statewide

NFPA: Massachusetts Paralegal Association | www.massparalegal.org

Western MA

NFPA: Western Massachusetts Paralegal Association, Inc. | www.wmassparalegal.org

MICHIGAN

Certification/Licensure Status:

Statewide

NALA: Legal Assistants Association of Michigan | www.laamnet.org

MINNESOTA

Certification/Licensure Status: The MN State Bar Association Paralegal Committee is working on a voluntary certification program similar to the North Carolina program.

Roseville

NFPA: Minnesota Paralegal Association | www.mnparalegals.org

MISSISSIPPI

Certification/Licensure Status:

Jackson

NALA: Mississippi Association of Legal Assistants | www.msmala.com

MISSOURI

Certification/Licensure Status:

St. Louis

NALA: St. Louis Association of Legal Assistants | www.slala.org

Springfield

NFPA: Missouri State Paralegal Association(no website)

MONTANA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Statewide

NALA: Montana Association of Legal Assistants | www.malanet.org

NEBRASKA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Omaha

NALA: Nebraska Association of Legal Assistants | www.neala.org

NFPA: Serviced by the Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association in Denver | www.rockymtnparalegal.org

NEVADA

Certification/Licensure Status:

Las Vegas

NALA: Nevada Paralegal Association | www.nevadaparalegal.org

Reno

NALA: Sierra Nevada Association of Paralegals | www.snapreno.com

Southern NV

NFPA: Paralegal Association of Southern Nevada | www.nvparalegal.net

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Certification/Licensure Status:

Statewide

NFPA: Paralegal Association of New Hampshire | www.panh.org

NEW JERSEY

Certification/Licensure Status: The New Jersey Supreme Court denied a proposal from its special committee calling for the mandatory licensing of paralegals; however, it encouraged local associations to consider the development of a credentialing system. The New Jersey State Bar Association Committee on Paralegals currently is working on a registration system for paralegals.

Caldwell

NALA: Legal Assistants Association of New Jersey | www.laanj.org

Haddonfield

NFPA: South Jersey Paralegal Association | http://www.paralegals.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=586