Chapter Four
Eligibility and Test Dates 2008
Before you can sit the CLA exam, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. You must graduate from a paralegal program that:
Is ABA-approved
Leads to an associate degree
Leads to a bachelor’s degree
Is a paralegal studies or legal assistant studies program that results in a post-baccalaureate certificate
Requires at least 60 semester hours for graduation, with 15 of those hours having been concentrated in legal courses.
2. You have a bachelor’s degree in another field, and you have at least one year of experience working as a paralegal. If you do not have a year of experience, you can still sit the exam, provided you have successfully completed a minimum of 15 semester hours of paralegal courses.
3. You have a high school diploma, and you have paralegal experience, working under an ABA member, totaling seven years. You must also provide evidence that you’ve completed at least 20 credit hours of continuing legal education within the two years prior to you sitting the exam.
Test Dates in 2008
Because the test is administered only three times each year, you’ll need to plan when you’ll take the test well in advance. The testing schedule for 2008, as published by the National Association of Legal Assistants, is as follows:
March 28-29 - The application filling deadline is January 15, 2008. Applications filed after January 30 will be subject to a $25 late fee. The last date to register is January 29, 2008.
July 11-12 – The application filling deadline is May 15, 2008 with the last date to register May 30, 2008. Applications filed after May 15, 2008 will be subject to a $25 late fee.
December 5-6 – The application filing deadline is October 1, 2008 with late applications being accepted until October 16. Applications filed after October 16 will be subject to a $25 late fee.
The current fee to take the exam is $250 for members of NALA and $275 for non-members. Retake fees are $60 per section.
Next: Chapter Five: Make your work from home dreams come true
Previous: Chapter Four: Paralegal Certification: is it really necessary??
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