According to the American Bar Association, Rhode Island is ranked 15th in the nation when it comes to its concentration of lawyers, at 3.8 lawyers per 1,000 people. For aspiring and established paralegals this, of course, means plenty of good news for careers in the corporate world, with rising law firms, or with one of the many nonprofits that call this state home.
With a solid work ethic, a tireless enthusiasm, and an education that today’s lawyers look for, you’ll quickly learn that part of learning how to become a paralegal in Rhode Island is making sure your credentials are just as impressive as your organizational skills.
In Rhode Island, there are no regulations that establish minimum qualifications for paralegals with regards to training and education. Aspiring paralegals may directly enter the field by finding employment that provides training. Alternately, they may complete coursework in paralegal studies prior to beginning their careers.
Rhode Island’s Supreme Court defines paralegals in a manner similar to other states. Supreme Court Provisional Order No.18, along with Rule 5.3, requires that paralegals work under the direct supervision of a lawyer. Paralegals may provide direct services to clients, judges and lawyers. However, they must not practice law, but rather should do work assigned to them by lawyers. Supervisory lawyers are responsible for their paralegals’ professional conduct and must provide guidance on standards of ethics and confidentiality.
Is There Paralegal Certification in Rhode Island?
Many educational paths are available to aspiring paralegals. The Rhode Island Paralegal Association (RIPA) encourages paralegals to pursue higher education such as associate and bachelor’s degrees in paralegal studies. Education can also help entry-level paralegals stand out in a competitive job market. National paralegal certification may be available to paralegals with educational credentials as well. Both future employers and the paralegal associations that offer national certification may desire that paralegal studies programs be approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), offered by accredited educational institutions or both.
Rhode Island Job Statistics
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Certificate programs in paralegal studies are available to aspiring paralegals in addition to associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Many paralegal certificate programs require that applicants have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in any field. These certificate programs offer specialized coursework in paralegal studies without many general education requirements. Other certificate programs do not have the prerequisite of a degree. Graduates of certificate programs are called certificated paralegals.
National Certification
Certified paralegals are those paralegals that have successfully completed the national certification process. National certification is available to paralegals that meet entry requirements in education and work experience. Once eligible, those paralegals may sit for a national certification exam. If they pass, they become certified paralegals. Currently the three national professional organizations offer four exams from which to select:
- The PACE offered by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
- The PCCE also offered by National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
- The CLA/CP offered by the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
- The PP offered by the Association for Legal Professionals (NALS)
Paralegal Associations
Since 1979, the Rhode Island Paralegal Association (RIPA) has worked to raise the professional and ethical standards of paralegals, increase the utilization of paralegals within the legal community, and build working relationships with other legal organizations throughout Rhode Island. As an affiliate of the NFPA, RIPA represents the statewide and national interests of Rhode Island paralegals.
Membership in RIPA allows paralegals access to continuing legal education (CLE), social events, a job bank, scholarships and pro bono service opportunities. Membership is open to students, entry-level paralegals and veteran paralegals.
RIPA offers four levels of membership:
- Student Membership – Open to those enrolled in a certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree program in paralegal studies, who do not qualify for any other membership level
- Voting Membership – Open to those who meet one of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies plus one year of paralegal work experience
- Associate’s degree in paralegal studies plus two years of paralegal work experience
- Certificate in paralegal studies plus two year of paralegal work experience
- Five years of paralegal work experience
- Associate Membership – Open to those who meet one of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies and less than one year of paralegal work experience
- Associate’s degree in paralegal studies and less than two years of paralegal work experience
- Certificate in paralegal studies and less than two years of paralegal work experience
- Less than five years of paralegal work experience
- Sustaining Membership – Open to corporations, law firms, and colleges/universities that support the paralegal concept and RIPA
Law Firms
Large law firms often employ paralegals and good be good entry-points into the paralegal profession. Rhode Island’s largest law firms include:
- Blish & Cavanagh LLP
- Brown Rudnick LLP
- Burns & Levinson LLP
- Cameron & Mittleman
- Coia & Lepore Ltd
- Decof & Decof
- Duffy, Sweeney & Scott Ltd
- Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
- Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney LLP
- Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP
- Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum
- Little Medeiros Kinder Bulman
- Morrison Mahoney LLP
- Moses Alfonso Jackvony, Ltd.
- Nixon Peabody
- Pannone Lopes & Devereaux
- Roberts, Carroll, Feldstein & Pierce
- Shechtman Halperin Savage
- Tillinghast Licht LLP
- Winograd, Shine & Zacks
Important Contacts for Paralegals
- Rhode Island Paralegal Association (RIPA), affiliated with the NFPA
- Rhode Island Bar Association (RIBA)
- Rhode Island Secretary of State
- Rhode Island Judiciary
May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary, growth, and job market trends for paralegals and legal assistants. Figures represent state data, not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed December 2021.