Ohio State bar develops paralegal certification program

Well, this sure is welcome news!

"The Ohio State Bar Association has developed a certification program for paralegals to help lawyers and firms identify qualified assistants.

"Paralegals interested in earning a certification good for four years must meet educational standards stipulated by the bar association, have sufficient experience and pass an examination. Applications will be available beginning Jan. 1 at ohiobar.org. The first exam will be offered in March.

"’Right now, there is nothing in Ohio that prevents any individual from calling themselves a paralegal,’ said OSBA spokeswoman Kalpana Yalamanchili."