As defined by the National Federation of Paralegal
Associations, a Paralegal is a person, qualified through education, training or
work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of
legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer.
This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental
agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or
court authority to perform this work. Substantive shall mean work requiring
recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant
facts and legal concepts. (As defined by the National Federation of Paralegal
Associations, Inc. www.paralegals.org)
WNYPA is headquartered in Buffalo, New York, located in Erie
County, NY. In addition to Erie County, our membership area includes the five
(5) counties that are contiguous to Erie County: Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming,
Cattaraugus and Chautauqua. Genesee County also borders on Monroe County, the
home of the Paralegal Association of Rochester, Inc. (“PAR”); Genesee County
paralegals and paralegal students may choose to belong to either WNYPA or PAR.
Both WNYPA and PAR are affiliated with the National Federation of Paralegal
Associations (“NFPA”), and both associations are members of the Empire State
Alliance of Paralegal Associations (“ESAPA”). Links to both the NFPA and ESAPA
web sites are provided on our home page.
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The seven (7) existing professional associations for
paralegals in New York State are the: Adirondack Paralegal Association, Capital
District Paralegal Association, Long Island Paralegal Association, Onondaga
County Bar Association Paralegals Committee, Oswego County Paralegal
Association, Paralegal Association of Rochester and Western New York Paralegal
Association. Contact information for the other six (6) can be found on the
Online Resources page of this web site.
If you find that there is no conveniently located professional
association in your area, why not consider joining with other paralegals in your
vicinity to establish one. You can obtain assistance in forming an association
by contacting the Vice President and Director of Membership of the National
Federation of Paralegal Associations (“NFPA”) at VPDM@paralegals.org.
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There are presently no licensing requirements to work as a
paralegal in New York State. As a member of the Empire State Alliance of
Paralegal Associations (“ESAPA”), the Western New York Paralegal Association,
Inc. (“WNYPA”) subscribes to the educational standards set forth in the ESAPA
“Position Statement on Paralegal Education in New York State.” You can review
these paralegal education standards on the ESAPA web site by using the
convenient ESAPA link on our home page.
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There are presently no licensing requirements to work as a
paralegal in New York State. Requirements for employment are established by
individual employers and can vary considerably depending on the area of
specialization involved. Most employers use education or some combination of
education and experience when evaluating candidates for employment. We encourage
you to read the Empire State Alliance of Paralegal Associations’ (“ESAPA”)
Position Paper on Education published on their web site. Use the ESAPA link on
our home page to access their site.
Paralegal salaries vary considerably depending on the area of
specialization and area of the state in which you are employed. That is why it
is important to determine which of the seven (7) paralegal associations in the
state is geographically closest to the locale where you hope to work and contact
them directly. Most associations conduct periodic surveys that address salaries
and working conditions in their respective areas. However, you may find that
there is a charge to obtain a copy of the survey results.
The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (“NFPA”)
also tracks paralegal salaries by geographic area. Visit their web site,
www.paralegals.org, to find out how you
can order a copy of their survey results. Start by using the NFPA link on our
home page.
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Finding an entry level paralegal position in the Western New
York area probably requires more resourcefulness and perseverance than in many
other areas of the state. Because of the large number of local academic
institutions offering paralegal programs, there may be many candidates competing
for a limited number of positions. Some area employers are able to fill entry
level positions by simply contacting the placement office of area colleges with
paralegal programs. This may work to your advantage if you graduated at the head
of your class, but be prepared to exercise personal initiative as well.
Networking is an excellent way to learn about positions and employers most
likely to be hiring in your chosen specialty area, and joining the Western New
York Paralegal Association is an excellent way to begin the networking process.
Student members enjoy the lowest due assessment, are entitled to a reduced
registration fee at our annual seminar and are eligible to participate in the
Association’s mentor program. They also have access to our on-line listing of
employment opportunities.
Click on the “Membership” link for more information on membership benefits,
qualifications and dues. You can also print out an application form and find
instructions for completing and submitting your membership application. Click on
“Discussion Forum” and view the Association’s Calendar to find out about the
types of activities, committees and continuing education opportunities available
to all of our members. The “Leadership Team” page also includes a direct email
link to the membership vice president.
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This is a common misconception among both recent graduates and
employers. You are a “certificated” rather than a “certified” paralegal. If you
are applying for a position that requires an applicant to be “certified,” you
may wish to verify the prospective employer definition of “certified.”
Only an individual who has successfully completed the voluntary certification
examination given by the National Association of Legal Assistants (“NALA”) is
entitled to identify him/herself as a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) or
Certified Paralegal (CP). Likewise, an experienced paralegal who has
successfully completed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination (“PACE”)
administered by The National Federation of Paralegal Associations (“NFPA”) is
entitled to use the title “Registered Paralegal” and the designation “RP” after
his or her name. Both certifying bodies require continuing legal education to
retain any of these designations.
Obtaining any one of these titles is a significant accomplishment. The number of
Certified Legal Assistants, Certified Paralegals and Registered Paralegals in
New York State is very small compared with the number of currently employed
individuals identifying themselves as paralegals or legal assistants.
If you wish to learn more about the Paralegal Advanced
Competency Examination (“PACE”), go to our PACE page to
connect to the NFPA web site or visit our Leadership
Team page for an email link to WNYPA’s Pace Ambassador.
WNYPA does not evaluate, endorse, or discredit any paralegal
education program. We can, however, point you to the Position Statement on
Paralegal Education Standards in New York State which have been presented by the
Empire State Alliance of Paralegal Associations ('ESAPA"). To view this Position
Statement, please visit the ESAPA website:
http://www.geocities.com/empirestateparalegals/ The Paralegal
Education Standards in New York State can be found under the sub-heading
"Position Statements".
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