Becoming a Paralegal in California
Paralegals, also known as legal assistants, are among the top 100 California professions. The demand for paralegal professionals has increased in recent years, and is projected to carry on growing faster than any other profession in California, and faster in California than in other states. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently over 26,000 paralegals and legal secretaries in California, and this is expected to grow to nearly 33,000 in 2014, equivalent to around 900 annual job openings.
There are a number ways to become a paralegal. The most common is through a community college paralegal program that leads to an associate degree. Another common route of qualification, mainly for those who already have a college degree, is earning a certificate in paralegal studies. A small number of schools in California offer a bachelor’s and master’s degree in paralegal studies. Finally, some employers provide on-the-job training.
Schools that may interest you are Platt College in Los Angeles and Ontario, and Fremont College in Cerritos.
California Licensing Requirements
There is no licensing requirement or certification requirement in California.
You may consider obtaining one of two voluntary certifications:
- Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)
- Registered Paralegal (RP)
These are not required, but they will give you a competitive advantage in the paralegal employment market. Remember that employers are increasingly looking for students that have completed a four-year bachelor's degree.
Becoming a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)
The CLA qualification is the preferred choice for California resident paralegals.
Persons wishing to obtain the CLA title must:
- Satisfy the requirements set by the National Association of Legal Assistants
- Pass a 2-day exam given by the Certifying Board of Legal Assistants.
It is necessary to renew the CLA certification every 5 years. In order to keep your certification current you will need to have proof of having completed 50 hours of approved continuing legal education credits in a five-year period.
The NALA also offers the Advanced Paralegal Certification for experienced paralegals who want to specialize. The Advanced Paralegal Certification program is a curriculum based program offered on the Internet. Once you have obtained the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) certification, you can then become certified as a California Advanced Specialist (CAS) in California. To obtain CAS certification you are required to pass a four-hour examination in a specialty field.
Five specialty areas are available:
- Business and Organizations
- Civil Litigation
- Family Law
- Estates and Trusts
- Real Estate
NB: Certificates must be renewed every 5 years. You have to complete seventy hours of continuing legal education (CLE) over a five-year period to renew your certification.
How to Become a Registered Paralegal (RP)
To obtain the title of Registered Paralegal, you must pass the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) administered by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). You can renew this certification every two years after completing 12 approved CLE credits within that period.
Paralegal Salaries in California - How much can you earn?
The following data has been extracted from the Occupational Employment Statistics report dated May 2007 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Paralegals will earn most in California if they work in the Stockton area. Bare in mind that these figures are averages. Paralegals with more qualifications, more earnings or a specialty can earn more.
California Paralegals |
National Average |
Difference |
|
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants - Average Salary | 54,570 |
47,600 |
14.64% |
Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Estimates |
Variation from California Average |
||
| Bakersfield, CA | 52,890 |
-3% |
|
| Chico, CA | 41,280 |
-24% |
|
| El Centro, CA | 37,120 |
-32% |
|
| Fresno, CA | 47,140 |
-14% |
|
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | NA |
NA |
|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 53,980 |
-1% |
|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA | 54,550 |
0% |
|
| Madera, CA | NA |
NA |
|
| Merced, CA | NA |
NA |
|
| Modesto, CA | 47,100 |
-14% |
|
| Napa, CA | 46,550 |
-15% |
|
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 56,890 |
4% |
|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 54,360 |
0% |
|
| Redding, CA | NA |
NA |
|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 49,130 |
-10% |
|
| Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA | 46,730 |
-14% |
|
| Salinas, CA | 51,200 |
-6% |
|
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 53,770 |
-1% |
|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 59,740 |
9% |
|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 61,000 |
12% |
|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 64,070 |
17% |
|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 54,480 |
0% |
|
| Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 56,560 |
4% |
|
| Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA | 45,720 |
-16% |
|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 53,470 |
-2% |
|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 40,090 |
-27% |
|
| Stockton, CA | 66,280 |
21% |
|
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 52,950 |
-3% |
|
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 34,210 |
-37% |
|
| Yuba City, CA | 37,360 |
-32% |
|
| Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 44,730 |
-18% |
|
| Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area | NA |
NA |
|
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 51,300 |
-6% |
|
| North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area | NA |
NA |
|
| Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 51,090 |
-6% |
