The National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA) offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE). To qualify, the paralegal can not have been convicted of a felony nor be under suspension, termination, revocation of a certificate, registration, or license by any entity. Requirements for a paralegal to take PACE also include work experience and education, which are:
- An Associates Degree in paralegal studies obtained from an institutionally accredited and/or ABA approved paralegal education program; and six (6) years substantive paralegal experience; or
- A bachelors’ degree in any course of study obtained from an institutionally accredited school and three (3) Years of substantive paralegal experience; or
- A bachelors’ degree in completion of a paralegal program with an institutionally accredited school, said paralegal program may be embodied in a bachelors’ degree; and two (2) years substantive paralegal experience; or four (4) years substantive paralegal experience on or before December 31, 2000.
The PACE exam requires a four-hour computerized exam at an independent testing center. Those who pass PACE and maintain the continuing education requirement may use the designation “PACE Registered Paralegal” or “RP.” To maintain the RP credential, twelve hours of continuing legal education is required every two years, with at least one hour in legal ethics. For more information, please visit the NFPA’s web site at
www.paralegals.org.
For more information about the PACE Exam and the CORE Registered Paralegal Exam,
click here to visit NFPA or send an e-mail to
professional_development@cincinnatiparalegals.org.