Original sentence: Graduation from a certificate or degree program does not, technically, certify a paralegal; in most states, passing an exam administered by a recognized entity is the only benchmark.NALA offers its Certified Legal Assistant examination, leading to a "certified Legal Assistant" deisgnation.Some states have considered the licensure of paralegals.The NFPA offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam, which is a four-hour exam on a variety of legal topics; those who pass that exam can call themselves Registered Paralegals.There are two major national organizations that offer certification: the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).Whether paralegals should be licensed or certified is one of the most important issues for paralegals today.While certification is voluntary in most states, it prepares a paralegal to enter the profession, in many places it may increase the likelihood of a paralegal's hire or promotion, and serves to identify a person as capable of work that is on par with certain standards
Edited sentence: Graduation from a certificate program does not certify a paralegal; in most states, passing an exam administered by a recognized entity is the only benchmark generally considered to be a "certifying event.The National Federation of Paralegal Associations offers the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam, which is a four-hour exam on a variety of legal topics.Those that pass the exam can call themselves Registered Paralegals.While certification is voluntary in most states, it increases a paralegal's skill set or prepares him or her to enter the profession, often increases the likelihood of a paralegal's hire or promotion, and serves to identify a person as capable of work that is on par with certain standards