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MALA Membership
MALA has several categories of membership: Active, Inactive, Student and Associate.

In order to become an active member of the Mississippi Association of Legal Assistants, Inc., one must be employed as a legal assistant and meet one of the following qualifications:

Active Membership (voting):

  • Any individual who has successfully completed the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) examination of NALA;
  • Any individual who has graduated from an ABA approved program of study for legal assistants and is employed as a legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a Legal Assistant;
  • Any individual who has graduated from a course of study for legal assistants which is institutionally accredited but not ABA approved, and which requires not less than the equivalent of 60 semester hours of classroom study and is employed as a legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a legal assistant;
  • Any individual who has graduated from a course of study for legal assistants other than those set forth in (b) and (c) above, plus not less than six months of in-house training as a legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a legal assistant;
  • Any individual who has received a baccalaureate degree in any field, plus not less than six months in-house training as a legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a legal assistant;
  • Any individual who has a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney, including at least six months of in-house training as a legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a legal assistant; or
  • Any individual who has a minimum of two years of in-house training as a legal assistant, whose attorney-employer attests that such person is qualified as a legal assistant.

Inactive Membership (non-voting):
An inactive member is a legal assistant who does not meet the requirements for active membership. When such legal assistant does meet the active membership requirements, it is the individual's responsibility to bring the matter before the membership committee and to pay any fees then due.

Student Membership (non-voting):
A student member is an individual who is a student in good standing in any university, college, junior college or other approved school pursuing a course of studies as a legal assistant. (The application for membership must be accompanied by a letter of good standing from the School Administration.)

Associate Membership (non-voting):

  • Those members of bar associations endorsing the legal assistant concept or involved in the promotion of the legal assistant profession;
  • Those members of the educational field endorsing the legal assistant concept or involved in the promotion of the legal assistant profession; or
  • Those individuals, law firms, corporations and legal assistant program representatives who endorse the legal assistant concept or are involved in the promotion of the legal assistant profession.

For more information regarding membership, please contact Zenda Heafner. You may also contact:

Vice President/New Membership
Mississippi Association of Legal Assistants, Inc.
Post Office Box 996, Jackson, MS 39205.