A registered paralegal in Florida conducts legal work under the supervision of an attorney licensed through the Florida Bar Association. A paralegal cannot practice law or give legal advice by themselves but may provide paralegal services only. Being a paralegal in Florida requires continuing education courses and work experience to maintain a paralegal certification.

Education Requirements

To become a registered paralegal in Florida, a candidate must have the appropriate level of education combined with work experience. As outlined in Rule 20 of the Florida Bar Association rules, a paralegal must have a minimum of an associate's degree and four years' work experience, with various combinations of education and work experience up to a juris doctorate degree being acceptable for registration requirements. A certified paralegal program is not a requirement but is recommended by the Florida Bar Association.

Registration

In order to register with the Florida Bar Association as a paralegal, an applicant must complete an application on the association's website. The applicant will need to prove the education requirement by providing a certificate or evidence of a degree along with testimony from a supervising attorney for their work experience requirement. The applicant needs to swear by affidavit that he has read and will abide by the rules of ethics. A $150 fee needs to be paid along with the final application before it is reviewed for approval by the Florida Bar Association.

Continuing Education Requirements

In order to keep a Florida registered paralegal status, the paralegal must complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years, five hours of which must be in legal ethics or professionalism. Courses must be approved by the Florida Bar Association in order to count for credit. If a registered paralegal fails to complete the continuing education requirements, she risks losing the registered paralegal certification and may have to re-apply for the registered paralegal status with review by the Florida Bar Association.

Source:

Florida State Bar: Registered Paralegal Program

Florida State Bar: Education Requirements

Florida State Bar: Continuing Education Requirements for Paralegals