Types of Paralegal Certifications for Every Stage in Your Career

You may have heard about different paralegal certifications, but like anything else in the paralegal profession, there are plenty of options. It can be confusing, but once you get some clarification, you'll be able to choose which types of paralegal certifications will be the best fit for your career.

Please note: Rasmussen University’s Paralegal Certificate and Paralegal Associate’s degree programs are not designed to prepare graduates for any state-issued certifications or state-issued licenses.

So, if you're wondering which certifications you need to get hired as a paralegal or which certifications you need to advance, read on! I'll clear things up a bit.

Understanding the difference between a paralegal certificate and certification

First, let me explain the difference between a paralegal certificate and paralegal certification. The two words often get confused or used incorrectly, but they are actually very different.

It's important to note that there's no nationwide standard required for paralegals. There's no paralegal licensure. Our legal expertise comes from a degree program (or certificate program) and from professional certification.

What is a paralegal certificate?

A paralegal certificate is an academic credential.

Some universities offer a paralegal certificate program as an option for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree. Many people decide to change careers or pursue paralegal studies after they've already gotten academic degrees in something else.

So, a paralegal education program can come in the form of a certificate—allowing those people to add the necessary paralegal knowledge and a basic understanding of procedural law, criminal law and more to their existing bachelor's degree.

The certificate program covers profession-specific major courses, which are also required by the Paralegal Associate’s Degree program.

But since the paralegal certificate program at Rasmussen University is made for students who already have earned an associate’s degree or higher it can be obtained in a shorter period of time than an associate's degree and does not include an internship requirement.

(If you are starting with a high school diploma or GED, getting into the legal field as a paralegal will usually require an associate or bachelor's degree in paralegal studies.)

The paralegal certificate, along with a bachelor’s degree, will allow that graduate to apply for paralegal positions, which do require education specifically related to the paralegal field.

A paralegal certificate or a paralegal degree is a common requirement for paralegal jobs. Standards vary from place to place, but being able to show prospective employers that you've completed some form of paralegal studies is a good thing.

What is paralegal certification?

A paralegal certification is a professional credential awarded after a certification exam and specific work experience.

These certifications usually come after you've gained formal education from a university, whether that was an associate or bachelors paralegal education program or a paralegal certificate program you added to your existing degree.

You'd look into professional certification once you are already working as a professional paralegal, as a way to advance or specify your career options. To qualify to sit for most of the paralegal certification exams, you will need a combination of education and work experience.

Legal professionals can find these certification options useful to support their knowledge in specific areas of law, appeal to the niche areas of certain types of law firms or showcase advanced learning.

Types of paralegal certifications you might choose

Each paralegal association (or state that offers a certification) exam has its own requirements. Some have exams available to students as a first stage certification, followed by a second exam for working paralegals.

It is important to do your own research (something paralegals need to be good at) into the requirements, cost, availability of study materials or courses, and any requirements your own state may have, before choosing which certification is right for you.

Each association will have a certification exam page on its website.

Each association will have its own education and work experience requirements to sit for the certification exam. Those websites will also contain information regarding any study materials or webinars available. The cost for the exams will also be included.

Some initial things to consider when beginning your research might be where are you in your career stage. Have you just started? Are you still a student? Have you been working in the field a long time? How many years of paralegal experience do you have? Those answers will help determine which type of certification to consider.

To get you started, here is some basic information on each.

The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA^®)¹

Certification offered: Certified Paralegal^® (CP)

• Entry-level to mid-career paralegals
• Requires accredited education or work experience
• Study materials/webinars available
• Renew every five years (CLE credits required for renewal)

Certification offered: Advanced Certified Paralegal^® (ACP)

• Certified Paralegal status required
• Offers numerous supplemental specialty exams in various areas of law
• Renews with CP every five years

The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA^®)²

Certification offered: Paralegal CORE Competency Exam^® (PCCE; CRP designation)

• Good for new paralegals and recent graduates
• Entry certification validating foundational knowledge in legal procedures and more
• Study materials/webinars available
• Renew every two years (CLE credits required for renewal)
• Specific work experience and/or education are required to be eligible to sit for the PCCE exam. It is important to check the requirements.

Certification offered: Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam^® (PACE; RP designation)

• Good for mid-career and beyond advanced paralegal certification
• Requires significant experience and continuing education
• Study materials/webinars available
• Renew every two years (CLE credits required for renewal)
• A specific number of years of substantive paralegal work experience and education are required to be eligible to sit for the PACE exam.

National Association for Legal Support Professionals (NALS^®)³

Certification offered: Professional Paralegal^® (PP)

• Good for working paralegals seeking broad skill validation
• The NALS legal training course emphasizes professionalism and ethics
• Renew every five years (CLE credits required for renewal)
• Specific work experience and/or education are required to be eligible to sit for the PP exam.

American Alliance of Paralegals (AAPI^®)⁴

Certification offered: American Alliance Certified Paralegal^® (AACP)

• Extensive experience and education required for consideration
• No exam; apply for certification
• Renew every two years (CLE credits required for renewal)
• Significant paralegal experience and specific education are required to be eligible to apply for AACP certification.

State Bar Associations (when possible)

• Good for paralegals working under state-specific legal frameworks
• Each state that offers certification will have its own requirements based on education and work experience
• Renewal will vary by state certification (CLE credits will usually be required for renewal)

The value of paralegal certification

Paralegal certification is meant to show that a professional paralegal is somewhat of an expert in their field—it adds a lot of professional credibility.

A paralegal holding a certification, whether general, state-specific, or specific to a particular area of law, can receive higher regard from attorneys than paralegals without a certification.

Think of it this way, you can be a professional paralegal without additional certification. But if you do pursue optional paralegal certifications, you can list that particular certification after your name.

Becoming a certified paralegal can also be helpful for career advancement.

Whether you are a certified legal assistant, a certified paralegal or a professional paralegal without certification, keep an eye on your options to make the right choice for your career.

Where do paralegal certifications come from?

A degree or certificate in paralegal studies will come from a college or university. But where do all these professional paralegal certifications come from? Certifying agencies in the legal profession are most often national associations.

National paralegal certification associations

Most certifying organizations are a type of national association of legal professionals.

The most recognized national paralegal associations today are...

• The Paralegal Association (NALA)
• National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
• National Association for Legal Support Professionals (NALS)
• American Alliance of Paralegals, Inc. (AAPI)

State-specific paralegal certifications

Law is complex. And it very much exists on national, state-wide, even city-wide levels. Because of this, many states host associations for paralegals, and these typically offer some kind of certification.

Right now, the state of Wisconsin offers paralegal certification directly through the State Bar of Wisconsin^®, an arrangement I think is really effective.

Wisconsin was the first state to offer a direct, state bar certification program. I spent many years as part of the Paralegal Association of Wisconsin (PAW), including serving on its Board. Creating the state bar certification for paralegals here was no easy feat, and it took many, many years!

How to research state and local paralegal job requirements

No matter where you are in your paralegal journey, I recommend looking at your state requirements for paralegals.

Look at job postings in your area. Do the postings require certification for the available position? If so, is it a specific certification?

If certification is not required in your state, is there a local paralegal association that aligns with one of the national associations, such as NALA or NFPA? Discounts are usually available for members, so you may decide it is more cost-effective to align with your local association.

Also remember that even if your state does not have an actual requirement for paralegal certification or job postings do not show the requirement, it is still a very honorable goal to achieve, and it still provides that professional credibility

Finding paralegal opportunities by legal specialization

Look beyond generic legal practices and check out any kind of aspect of law you might enjoy. The legal field is huge, and you could work for government legal services as well as in a business, in a branch of corporate law.

The type of employer you have will have a huge impact on the work environment, advancement options and salary in your career.

If you have a specific interest, like working as an immigration paralegal, or bankruptcy law or environmental law—dig into those organizations and see what kind of certification they might be looking for.

Check out 13 Types of Attorneys You Could Assist as a Paralegal for more ideas!

Planning a timeline for your paralegal career

Remember to consider your long term goals. Maybe you have your associate’s degree and plan to continue your education towards a bachelor’s degree. If the certification you're interested in requires a bachelor’s degree (or the required work experience is a shorter amount of time with one), then maybe you want to wait until after you complete your educational goals.

How to successfully earn paralegal certification

Once you have decided on which certification fits you best, based on your research, the next step is to begin the process! But you should know ahead of time—the exams for paralegal certification are very hard. Ensure you can allocate time to study and seek advice!

The first step will be to complete an application. Once you submit that, usually with the payment, you'll receive instructions for the next step.

Leading up to the certification exam, you will definitely want to take advantage of any study materials or webinars available to you.

I'll say it again, these are not easy exams.

Prior to taking the NALA exam myself, my employer sent me to a three-day study course. At that study course, one of the presenters told us that the exam is meant to be tougher than taking the bar exam. They want the certification designation to represent the top tier paralegals.

The bar exam requires a passing grade, but that passing grade falls within a range (similar to a range for passing a school course being 70 to 100 percent). I have no doubt the other paralegal associations out there have similar goals for their exams.

If possible, talk to other paralegals through your paralegal association or those you work with who have taken the same exam. Get their suggestions for studying, get their input on the exam itself.

Hopefully, you pass the exam on your first try. If not, each has its own requirements for taking the exam again. With some, it’s the entire exam. With others, it is broken into parts and you only have to retake the parts you did not pass.

Upon successful completion of the certification exam, you'll have earned the credential that you can proudly add to the end of your name! But please note that you will need to maintain that credential.

These credentials need to be renewed every two to five years, depending on the association. Part of the renewal process will be to report Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses taken over those years. There will be a requirement of how many credits you will need to earn for renewal.

Note that some employers will pay the cost for their paralegals to take CLE courses.

If your certification is not renewed timely, the association may require you to take the exam again in order to hold a current certification.

Paralegal education is the foundation for certification

No matter where you are in your career, it is important to never stop learning and never stop finding a new “top” goal to achieve. I have worked in this field for over 30 years, and I still wholeheartedly believe that.

There are many areas of law and many opportunities for a paralegal. Paralegal certification is one way that can help you build a fulfilling and respected legal career that will guide you towards excellence, integrity and lifelong professional growth.

If you are ready to take the first step into a paralegal program, check out the options at Rasmussen's paralegal program page.

If you are ready to start or broaden your paralegal career with certifications, research the amazing options above to see if you qualify.

¹NALA, the National Paralegal Association, Certification, https://nala.org/certification/
²NFPA, Paralegal Certification Through NFPA https://www.paralegals.org/page/paralegal-certification
³NALS, National Certification Exams, https://www.nals.org/page/certification
⁴American Alliance Of Paralegals, Inc. Certificate Program 2025, https://aapipara.org/https___aapipara.org_images_downloads_AACP_Certification_2023_aacp_certification_program_rev_2025.pdf

Certified Paralegal^® is a registered trademark of National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.
CP^® is a registered trademark of is a registered trademark of National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.
Advanced Certified Paralegal^® is a registered trademark of National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.
ACP^® is a registered trademark of National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.
NFPA^® is a registered trademark of National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
National Federation of Paralegal Associations Inc.^® is a registered trademark of National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
Paralegal Core Competency Exam^® is a registered trademark of National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
PCCE^® is a registered trademark of National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam^® is a registered trademark of National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
PACE^® is a registered trademark of National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc.
NALS^® is a registered trademark of NALS, Inc.
Professional Paralegal^® is a registered trademark of NALS, Inc.
PP^® is a registered trademark of NALS, Inc.
AACP^® is a registered trademark of American Alliance Of Paralegals, Inc.