If you are considering sitting for the specialty certification, then you have already made it over the BIG hurdle-the Certified Legal Assistants Examination administered through the National Association of Legal Assistants. The CLA test covers a wide variety of topics including Judgment and Analytical Ability, Legal Research, Ethics, Communications, Human Relations and Interviewing Techniques, and Substantive Law [which consists of five examinations covering the American Legal System (required) and Administrative Law, Litigation, Criminal Law and Procedure, Probate and Estate Planning, Business Organizations/ Corporations, Contracts, Real Estate, and Bankruptcy of which the examinee chooses four out of the eight on which to be tested in depth.] For this exam, you must be knowledgeable in all of the aforementioned areas.
However, with the specialty examination, you are concentrating on one substantive area only. For example, although you are not responsible for knowing about bankruptcy when sitting for the litigation specialty certification, you must be thoroughly comfortable with all aspects of litigation. Unlike the CLA where you were expected to know a little about a lot, in the specialty exam you will be tested on specifics. It is important to review not only the materials you used to study for the CLA, but you must find other in-depth review materials for this examination. NALA can provide you with a list of study references for each of the specialty areas; but, you shouldn't limit yourself to just these. Go to the bookstores, law libraries and if you are fortunate to have them, your firm's own resource materials. Read anything you can get your hands on that relates to your chosen topic. Newspapers, if they get their facts right(!) and bar journals (both attorney and paralegal) are wonderful sources for specific points of the law that may come up on your test. From personal experience, I find that if I refer to a real example when attempting to understand a particular point of law, rather than just the rule or textbook jargon, it is much more helpful. These specific examples can be quite handy at test time, in that it is often easier to remember a story than to remember dry, legal boilerplate explanations. What it comes down to is that the study materials used by the various groups who get together in preparation for the CLA exam are, for the most part, quite sufficient. However, when studying for the CLAS, you are on your own and you need as much material specific to your particular area as you can find.
The CLA exam is administered over a two-day period: Friday (6 hours of actual test time) and Saturday (5-1/2 hours of actual test time). The specialty certification is a four hour test and is taken on Saturday.
Upon making the decision to sit for the CLA examination, many choose to join a study group. Potential examinees usually begin their review sessions several months prior to the actual exam date, i.e. July or August for the December examination. This extended period of time is necessary due to the great number of topic areas covered in the CLA examination and the fact that for some, certain areas are alien territory.
However, when deciding on the substantive area for your specialty certification,more than likely, you will be choosing a topic with which you are already familiar through experience or personal interest. For this reason, many find that the amount of study time needed for preparation is greatly reduced. A personal hint: sit for your specialty examination as soon after receiving your CLA certification as possible. Why? Because you are still "up" from receiving that congratulatory letter from NALA; the subject matter is still fresh in your mind; and, although you may feel that you are "burned out" from the past few months of intensive reading, you are probably still in a study mode.
When you pass the CLA you earn the right to use the "CLA" designation following your name. Upon successful completion of the specialty certification, you not only obtain the right to use the "CLAS" title after your signature, in addition, NALA awards two (2) units of CLAE credit towards maintaining your CLA designation. This can go a long way toward satisfying your continuing legal education requirements.
The fees for the two examinations are different. The cost of the Certified Legal Assistant exam is $225.00 for members, $240.00 for non-members; the specialty examination is $100.00 for NALA members, $115.00 for non-members. Specialty certification testing is offered in conjunction with all regular CLA examinations and the application deadlines are the same for both. However, consideration may be given by NALA to the applicant who wishes to take the first specialty examination offered after they receive notice of the successful completion of the CLA test, if their test results did not arrive prior to the application deadline for the exam.
I believe one of the greatest differences between the two examinations is pressure. In researching this article, I spoke with other legal assistants who sat for both the CLA and the specialty certification exams. All of them felt that once they had the CLA under their belt, the CLAS designation was the "frosting on the cake."
Upon your arrival at the testing facility for the CLA exam, you really don't know what to expect. Granted, you have been informed that the format of the exam is composed of true/false, multiple choice, matching, and essay/short answer questions; but you aren't really sure of the content of the examination. If you are sitting for the CLAS, then you have already attained your CLA certification and this gives you a certain confidence. When you walk into the room on Saturday morning and look around at all the haggard, worried faces of those taking, or retaking the CLA, you can think to yourself "Been there. Done that. I've already made it!" So relax.
One final difference between the two certifications: There are, according to NALA, 7,480 CLAs currently certified in 49 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico (1,646 CLAs in Texas). Out of this number, there are only 603 Certified Legal Assistant Specialists (167 in Texas). That comes out to 8% of the total number of CLAs nationwide and 10% for those in Texas. Obtaining a specialty certification certainly includes you in an elite group.
You may decide to sit for one or more of the specialty certifications, or conclude that the CLA designation serves your needs. Whatever your decision, I strongly encourage each of you to make the effort to obtain your CLA certification; not because you want an "atta' girl/boy" from your employer, or you want the recognition of your family and peers, but simply for your own personal edification and gratification. Look at it this way…Any day you learn something new should be considered a good day. You can accumulate years of "good days" in preparation for either of these certification examinations.
The author wishes to acknowledge Marie Greninger of the National Association of Legal Assistants, and Ruth Young, CLAS, a Legal Assistant with SCOTT, DOUGLASS, LUTON & McCONNICO, L.L.P. in Austin, Texas, for their assistance with this article.