| 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. |
