For those of us who are practicing legal assistants, the question of being certificated through a paralegal program may be moot. But for new paralegals just coming in to the field, whether or not they have a certificate may mean the difference between getting a job and not getting one. For the majority of us, the relevant question is whether to become certified by taking one of various examinations now available to us.
Texas legal assistants are fortunate in this respect because we have several examinations from which to choose. NALA has given both the general and specialty exams for a number of years and many of us have earned the CLA and CLAS designations. Now, NFPA is in the process of developing the PACE exam, which will also be available to any interested and qualified Texas legal assistants. In addition to the national exams, Texas has continued its tradition of leading the nation by developing its own specialty certification exam, administered by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. That examination program is now going into its third year and the interest among Texas legal assistants continues to grow.
This issue of TPJ features an article by an educator from one of the leading paralegal schools in Texas regarding certificate programs, as well as information from each of the testing entities setting out the dates for upcoming exams, the application process, and an explanation of the eligibility requirements for each of the exams. We have also included articles by legal assistants who have taken the exams, discussing their experiences.
There are many people who believe that voluntary certification and/or some sort of regulation is the wave of the future for legal assistants all across the country. We hope the information in this issue will provide each of you with the information you need to decide whether certification is appropriate for you.
Our next issue will be on the stands in March, 1996 and will focus on a number of issues specifically germane to family law practice.
Christine holds a BA degree in Sociology from Michigan State University. She received her paralegal certificate from Southwestern Paralegal Institute in 1986, her Certified Legal Assistant certification in 1988, and she completed the specialty certification exam in Civil Trial Law through TBLS in 1994. She is employed by the Austin firm of Popp & Ikard, practicing primarily in the area of ad valorem tax litigation. If you want to call her there, the phone number is 512/473-2661.