How to Become a Certified Paralegal Online in California

The Certified Paralegal (CP) credential is less demanding than the Registered Paralegal (RP), but is still useful on a paralegal's resume.

California does not have any licensing requirements for paralegals. Most professional paralegals, however, choose to earn voluntary certification, primarily the Certified Paralegal (CP) credential from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA). This credential requires some legal education and continuing education, both available online.

Instructions

1. Enroll in an online paralegal course. Before you can sit for the CP exam, you must complete at least 15 semester hours in paralegal studies, or completed any paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). Any associate's or bachelor's degree or post-baccalaureate certificate program in legal assistant studies will satisfy the education requirement.

2. Register for the CP exam. Once you complete the education requirement, register for the CP exam either online through NALA's website or by sending a printed copy of the application by mail. See the Resources section below for a link to the test registration process. The fee for the exam is $250 for NALA members and $275 for non-members. You can retake individual sections of the exam for $60 per section.

3. Review study materials. NALA provides study materials for the CP exam online. The exam covers communications, ethics, legal research, analytical ability and substantive law. The substantive law portion of the test covers the American court system, branches of government, the administrative state, sources of law, judicial decision-making, appellate process, constitutions, statutes, common law, civil law, statutory law and equity law. In addition, you must choose four subsections of substantive law in which to be tested from a list of: administrative law, bankruptcy, business organizations, civil litigation, contracts, criminal law and procedure, estate planning and probate, family law and real estate.

Tips & Warnings

• The CP exam has traditionally been given in three locations in California: DeAnza College in Cupertino, the University of California-Riverside and the University of California - San Diego. Beginning in the fall of 2010, NALA offers the CP exam online.

References

• NALA: CP Exam Qualifications
• NALA: CP Study Materials
• NALA: CP Exam Description

Resources

• NALA: Registering for CP Exam
• Paralegal-degrees-certificates.com: Becoming a Paralegal in California
• NALA: Evaluating Paralegal Educational Programs