Click on the following subjects to go directly to the discussions about the CLA programs:

• Background and Numbers
• Administration
• The Examination - Eligibility Requirements
• Examination Subjects
• Advanced Paralegal Certification Program
• Study Materials
• Dates & Deadlines & Testing Centers & Fees
• Instructions on using the CP certification marks

Background and Numbers

Established in 1976, the CLA (Certified Legal Assistant) program has enabled the profession to develop a strong and responsive self-regulatory program offering a nationwide credential for legal assistants. The CLA program establishes and serves as a:

• National professional standard for legal assistants

• Means of identifying those who have reached this standard.

• Credentialing program responsive to the needs of legal assistants 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 legal assistant profession, attesting to and encouraging a high level of achievement.

As of June 1, 2005 there are 12,883 CLAs and 1108 CLA Specialists in the United States. Over 25,000 legal assistants have participated in this program.  Click here  to see the distribution of CLA's across the United States. The growth of the program is impressive. At the end of 1995, 7,739 legal assistants had achieved the CLA designation, a growth rate of over 65% in 10 years.

In order to pass, a legal assistant must successfully complete all five  sections of the CLA examination. Approximately 40% of the examinees pass all sections on the first sitting; over 60% of the examinees pass four or more sections of the examination on the first sitting.

Use of the CLA credential signifies that a legal assistant is capable of providing superior services to firms and corporations. National surveys consistently show Certified Legal Assistants are better paid and better utilized in a field where attorneys are looking for a credible, dependable way to measure ability. The credential has been recognized by the American Bar Association as a designation which marks a high level of professional achievement. The CLA credential has also been recognized by over 47 legal assistant organizations and numerous bar associations.

For information concerning standards of professional credentialing programs, you may want to see the article: The Certified Legal Assistant Program and the United States Supreme Court Decision in Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee of Illinois In this case, the United States Supreme Court addressed the issue concerning the utilization of professional credentials awarded by private organizations. In Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee of Illinois, 110 S.Ct. 2281 (1990), the Court suggested that a claim of certification is truthful and not misleading if it meets certain standards. This article details those standards in terms of the standards of the NALA Certified Legal Assistant Program.

CLA and CLA Specialist are certification marks duly registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (No. 113199 and No. 1751731 respectively). CP (design) is a certification marked filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (No. 78213275).  Any unauthorized use of these credentials is strictly forbidden.

Administration

The Certifying Board for Legal Assistants is responsible for content, standards and administration of the Certified Legal Assistant Program. It is composed of legal assistants who have received a CLA Specialist designation, attorneys and legal assistant educators. In the technical areas of statistical analyses, examination construction, reliability and validity tests, the Board contracts with a professional consulting firm offering expertise in these areas as well as in occupational research. Technical analyses of the CLA examination are conducted on an ongoing basis to ensure the integrity of the examination. Content analyses of the test design, accuracy of questions, and topic/subject mix for each exam section are ongoing processes of the Certifying Board. The Board also utilizes the occupational data available through surveys of legal assistants and other means, including review of textbooks and research within the field of legal assistant education. Through these analyses and procedures, the Board is assured that the examination reflects and responds to work-place realities and demands.

The Examination - Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the CLA examination, a legal assistant must meet one of the following alternate requirements:

1. Graduation from a legal assistant program that is:

• Approved by the American Bar Association; or
• An associate degree program; or
• A post-baccalaureate certificate program in legal assistant studies; or
• A bachelor's degree program in legal assistant studies; or
• A legal assistant program which consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours (900 clock hours or 90 quarter hours) of which at least 15 semester hours (225 clock hours or 22.5 quarter hours) are substantive legal courses.

2. A bachelor's degree in any field plus one year's experience as a legal assistant. Successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or 22.5 quarter hours or 225 clock hours) of substantive legal assistant courses will be considered equivalent to one year's experience as a legal assistant.

3. A high school diploma or equivalent plus seven (7) year's experience as a legal assistant under the supervision of a member of the Bar, plus evidence of a minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing legal education credit to have been completed within a two (2) year period prior to the examination date.

Examination Subjects

The CLA examination is a two-day comprehensive examination based on federal law and procedure. The major subject areas of the examination are listed below. Click here to open a window that provides detail for each of the subjects.

Communications
Ethics
Legal Research
*Human Relations and Interviewing Techniques
Judgment & Analytical Ability
*Legal Terminology

Substantive Law - This section consists of five mini-examinations covering (1) the American Legal System and four (4) of the areas listed below as selected by examinees:

Administrative Law
Bankruptcy
Business Organizations/Corporations
Contracts
Family Law
Criminal Law and Procedure
Litigation
Probate and Estate Planning
Real Estate

Note:  Effective with the July 2001 testing session, the Human Relations and Interviewing Techniques questions are combined with the Communications section; questions from the Legal Terminology section are included in the Substantive Law Section.

 

Study Materials

Order CLA study references on-line! Click the icon to order your copy of any of the following:

• NALA Manual for Legal Assistants, 4E
• CLA Study Guide and Mock Examination, 3E
• Real Estate Law Specialty Review Manual
• Business Organizations Specialty Review 
  Manual
• CLA Review Manual , 2E

For further details and a description of the books, click here: NALA Publications.

Examination preparation seminars for selected topics are also available on-line at www.NALACampus.com.  Self study and LIVE programs schedules through the spring 2006 programs are included on NALACampus.com. Please visit this site for more details!
 

Dates & Deadlines & Testing 
Centers & Fees

Click here for a daily testing schedule
Click here for application forms and testing center locations.
Click here to complete and file an on-line application form.

The CLA examination is offered three times a year: March/April (depending on the holiday schedule); July and December. Application forms and the requisite fees must be received by the published filing dates. Filing deadline dates are January 15 for the March/April examination, May 15 for the July examination and October 1 for the December examination session

Upcoming Testing Dates

**Additional forms will be required of all candidates if filing applications prior to meeting the eligibility requirements.  Contact NALA Headquarters for further information.

Many schools, universities and junior colleges serve as testing centers through an arrangement with NALA. In cities in which a school testing center is not already established, NALA will establish a testing center where 10 or more legal assistants apply. All testing center locations are subject to minimum registration.

The fee for the CLA examination is $225 for NALA members and $250 for non-members of NALA. Retake fees are $50 per section.  Effective August 2001, the CLA examination program has been approved by the Veterans Administration under the new licensing and certification benefit. The VA will pay the examination fee for qualified veterans. For further information, see www.gibill.va.gov/education/benefits.htm.

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Date of Last Update:  08/08/2005