NORTHEAST FLORIDA PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION INC.

NATIONAL CERTIFICATION

In furtherance of our mission to encourage a high order of ethical and professional attainment, NEFPA, through affiliation with the National Association of Legal Assistants, offers avenues for any paralegal desiring to achieve national certification.

The Certified Paralegal (CP) credential is key to respect and opportunity throughout the legal profession. Established in 1976, the CP Certified Paralegal® program has enabled the profession to develop a strong and responsive self-regulatory program offering a nationwide credential for paralegals. The CP program establishes and serves as a:

• National professional standard for paralegals; 
• Means of identifying those who have reached this standard; 
• Credentialing program responsive to the needs of paralegals and responsive to the fact that this form of self-regulation is necessary to strengthen and expand development of this career field; 
• Positive, ongoing, voluntary program to encourage the growth of the paralegal profession, attesting to and encouraging a high level of achievement.

As of 2017, there are over 19,000 paralegals who have achieved the certification credential and over 3,400 who have achieved the Advanced Certified Paralegals in the United States. Since its inception, over 28,000 paralegals have participated in this program.

BECOMING CERTIFIED

THE EXAM

The Certified Paralegal examination is a comprehensive assessment based on federal law and procedure. Successful completion of

both the Knowledge and Skills Exams are required to obtain the Certified Paralegal credential.

There are two sections of the examination as described below:

KNOWLEDGE EXAM:

• Multiple choice questions
• Administered on-demand, year round
• Must successfully complete in order to be eligible to take the Skills Exam

SKILLS EXAM:

• Written assignment (essay)
• Administered during four testing windows: February, April, July, October

Successful completion of both the Knowledge and Skills Exams is required to obtain the Certified Paralegal credential.

To be eligible to take the exam, you must meet NALA's criteria - click here.  

Once your Certified Paralegal application has been approved you are one step closer to becoming a NALA CP! Please take a moment to review the information listed below before you take the exam.

Knowledge Exam	100 points
1	United States Legal System	15
1.A	Sources of Law
1.B	Judicial System
1.C	Remedies
1.D	Administrative Law
2	Civil Litigation	15
2.A	Jurisdiction
2.B	Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
3	Contracts	15
3.A	Formation, Rights, and Duties
3.B	Enforcement and Defenses
4	Corporate/Commercial Law	10
4.A	Business Organizations
4.B	Rights and Responsibilities
4.C	Transactions
5	Criminal Law and Procedure	5
5.A	Criminal Law
5.B	Criminal Procedure
6	Estate Planning and Probate	5
6.A	Estates and Trusts
6.B	Wills
7	Real Estate and Property	10
7.A	Property Rights and Ownership
7.B	Transactions
8	Torts	10
8.A	Intentional Torts
8.B	Negligence
8.C	Strict Liability
9	Professional and Ethical Responsibility	15
9.A	American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Prof. Conduct
9.B	Unauthorized Practice of Law
Skills Exam	30 points
1	Writing	12
1.A	Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation	6
1.B	Clarity of Expression	6
2	Critical Thinking	18
2.A	Reading and Comprehension	6
2.B	Analysis of Information	6
2.C	Decision Making	6

Exam Fees

First time candidates:

Nonrefundable examination fee of $250 for NALA members, $275 for nonmembers.

Includes one attempt for the Knowledge Exam and one attempt for the Skills exam.

Candidates who do not pass the first attempt of the Knowledge or Skills CP examination in 2018:

Nonrefundable attempt fee of $60 per subsequent attempt for the Knowledge Exam.

A maximum of three attempts are available during the 365-day eligibility period.

Nonrefundable attempt fee of $60 per subsequent attempt for the Skills Exam.  

A maximum of three attempts are available during the 365-day eligibility period. 

CLA/CP EXAM REVIEW

For more information regarding the CLA/CP Exam Review Courses, please contact the NEFPA NALA Liaison at nefpa.nalaliaison@gmail.com. 

NALA offers a variety of courses that cover the topic areas included on the Certified Paralegal Exam:

• On-Demand Webinars
• Live Webinars
• Self-Study Courses
• CP Practice Exam
• CP Practice Exam Review

You can also purchase NALA's Certified Paralegal Exam Fundamentals book