Active Membership Criteria

You should apply for Active Membership if you are currently employed as a paralegal and are performing substantive legal work 80% of the time and meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. You are a Board Certified Paralegal through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and have been employed as a paralegal for at least one year.

2. You are a Certified Legal Assistant or Certified Paralegal through the National Association of Legal Assistants and have been employed as a paralegal for at least one year.

3. You are a Registered Paralegal through National Federation of Paralegal Associations and have been employed as a paralegal for at least one year.

4. You have received a bachelor's or higher degree in a field other than legal studies and have been employed as a paralegal for at least one year.

5. You have completed an ABA approved paralegal program/college and have been employed as a paralegal for at least one year.

6. You have completed a paralegal program/college that consists of a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of which fifteen (15) are substantive legal courses and have been employed as a paralegal for at least one year.

7. You have completed a paralegal program/college that consists of fifteen (15) semester hours of substantive legal courses and have been employed as a paralegal for at least two years.

8. You have been employed as a paralegal for at least four consecutive years performing at least 80% substantive legal work under direct supervision of an attorney.

If you DO NOT satisfy those requirements, then you may be able to apply as an Associate Member.