Minnesota does not have any mandatory paralegal regulation.

The Minnesota Paralegal Association offers a voluntary Minnesota Certified Paralegal credential to qualified candidates. This program is an opportunity for experienced paralegals to validate their experience.  

If you have questions on the MnCP program, please visit our “Frequently Asked Questions” page.

Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct

Rule of Professional Conduct 5.3 Responsibility Regarding Nonlawyer Assistants can be accessed here.

In June 2014, the Minnesota Paralegal Association announced its voluntary certification program, Minnesota Certified Paralegal (MnCP) to establish a standard of competency for paralegals in Minnesota. This program is an opportunity for Minnesota paralegals to validate their qualifications and offers a credential to paralegals that meet certain education and experience requirements.

Applications for the certification program can be found on the Minnesota Paralegal Association’s website or by contacting the Regulation Committee Chair at regulation@mnparalegals.org. 

Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. The Minnesota Paralegal Association will do its best to evaluate applications within 30 days of receipt, but note that at times of high volume, it may take longer. Credentialing will begin on September 1, 2014 and continue on the 1st of every month thereafter. Applications received by August 1, 2014, should be ready for award on September 1, 2014. 

The new Minnesota Certified Paralegals may begin using the MnCP designation on the first of the month following notification of their accepted application. For example, if you receive notification of your MnCP credential on September 10, 2014, you are eligible to use it beginning October 1, 2014. The form of the credential should be in the following format: your name, any applicable RP® or CRP™ credential, then the MnCP credential, i.e. either "Jane M. Doe, RP®, MnCP," or "Jane M. Doe, MnCP." It would be good practice to follow it up on a signature block with the full title, "Minnesota Certified Paralegal." 

New MnCP’s will receive an Acknowledgement Certificate from the Minnesota Paralegal Association recognizing their achievement, and they will be recognized in the issue of Citations following their credentialing.

After becoming a MnCP, individuals wishing to maintain their credential will be required to complete and record 10 CLE credits, including 1 ethics credit, every two years. The CLE credits may cross over with RP®, CRP®, or other CLE requirements.  The individual will renew credentials every two years, due by the anniversary of the date they received their credential.

Any questions can be directed to the Regulation Committee by e-mailing regulation@mnparalegals.org.

Complaints about a member or Minnesota Certified Paralegal should be submitted in writing to the Director of Positions & Issues (professionaldev@mnparalegals.org), or in their absence, the President (president@mnparalegals.org). Please include as much detail as possible, including the factual basis for the complaint and any evidence of the alleged conduct.

REQUIREMENTS

The Minnesota Certified Paralegal (MnCP) must meet one of the following qualifications:

  • The applicant has obtained an associate's degree or its equivalent in paralegal studies from an ABA approved or institutionally accredited educational institution and has 4 years of substantive paralegal experience.
  • The applicant has obtained a baccalaureate degree in paralegal studies from an ABA approved or institutionally accredited educational institution and has 2 years of substantive paralegal experience.
  • The applicant has received a baccalaureate degree in any discipline from an accredited educational institution, has obtained a post-baccalaureate certificate in paralegal studies from an ABA approved or institutionally accredited educational institution, and has 2 years of substantive paralegal experience.
  • The applicant has received a baccalaureate degree in any discipline from an institutionally accredited educational institution, and has 4 years of substantive paralegal experience.
  • The applicant is a PACE Registered Paralegal.
  • The applicant is a CORE Registered Paralegal or a Certified Paralegal (through the National Association of Legal Assistants) and has 4 years of substantive paralegal experience.
  • The applicant has received a high school diploma or its equivalent, has a minimum of 10 years of substantive paralegal experience, and has completed a minimum of 10 CLE credits, including 2 ethics credits, in the two years prior to application.
  • The applicant has graduated from an accredited law school and has not been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law by any jurisdiction, and has a minimum of 2 year of substantive paralegal experience immediately preceding their application.


APPLICATION AND PAYMENT

Paralegals meeting one of the above criteria can find an application here.  If you pay through our online system, please attach a copy of the confirmation of payment to your application.

RENEWAL

Minnesota Certified Paralegals (MnCPs) must renew their credential on the second anniversary of their application approval date. MnCPs will receive notifications via email when their renewal date is approaching.

To renew the MnCP credential, the paralegal must obtain a minimum of 10 CLE credits, including one ethics credit (two ethics credits beginning January 1, 2022), earned between the date of their certification to the date of their renewal (two years total). The fee for renewal shall be $30.00 for members of the MPA and $60.00 for non-members.  To renew the MnCP credential, please complete the MnCP Recertification online, and attach digital copies of your CLE completion (CLE Certificates, Certificates of Attendance, etc.).

MnCP credentials expire on the date of the original application approval. However, the MnCP renewal form and certification maintenance information may still be submitted until the end of the month of the MnCP expiration. If the recertification information is not received by the end of this month-long grace period, the paralegal is no longer eligible to use the designation ‘MnCP’ after their name or to display their hard-copy MnCP Certificate.

It is strongly recommended that the renewal process is started early to ensure plenty of time before the renewal date expires, and to allow time for questions about sufficiency of CLE certificates.

Please contact the MPA Office or the Regulation Committee if you have any questions
(info@mnparalegals.org or regulation@mnparalegals.org).

© Copyright 2017 Minnesota Paralegal Association.

The Minnesota Paralegal Association is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. 2345 Rice Street, Suite 220, St. Paul, MN 55113

P: 651-633-2778 F: 651-317-8048 E: info@mnparalegals.org

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