There are lots of organizations that offer paralegal certification but the three main ones are
National association of Legal assistants (NALA)
National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)
American Alliance of Paralegals (APPI)
Some employers have shown a preference for those legal assistants that hold the NALA certification but the other two organizations are also well regarded. The NFPA offers the Pace exam which covers a very similar syllabus to the NALA exams but only takes a day to complete.
When you decide on which certification you are going to sit, check out the eligibility requirements as they differ slightly from one organization to another. Also check what you need to do in order to keep your certification valid. You don’t want to do all that work only to find you invalidate your certification by not meeting the requirements.
Some paralegals that have been doing the job for over five years may be eligible for certification without sitting an exam. If you are in this situation contact the American Alliance and the National Federation of Paralegals to find out more.