Why should you become a Certified Legal Assistant, or CLA, in California?
Paralegal or Legal assistants are ranked in the best 100 professions in the state of California. Looking at paralegals schools in California is particularly interesting, because the number of people working as paralegals is expected to increase at a more rapid rate than other California jobs, as well as paralegals that work in other parts of the U.S.
In order to make yourself preferred over the other job applicants, it will be beneficial to obtain one of the two certifications, which are optional and voluntary:
- Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)
- Registered Paralegal (RP)
Most people in California, normally, go for the CLA exam, which prior to using the CLA title, they passed a two-day examination, conducted by the Certifying Board of Legal Assistance, and met the standards fixed by the National Association of Legal Assistants.
A Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) certification is needed in California. CAS certification can be achieved by clearing a four-hour test in your chosen specialization.
Five Areas of Specialty:
- Business and Organizations
- Estates and Trusts
- Family Law
- Civil Litigation
- Real Estate
To restate, it will be every five years that you will be required to renew your certification. Your certification will not be renewed if you cannot prove that, within a five-year period, you were able to successfully complete 70 hours of valid continuing education credits in the legal field.
