March - April 2012March - April 2012

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Still deciding which Legal Specialty area is right for you?

See NFPA's list of Paralegal Responsibilities by job title in the article below:

         Paralegal Responsibilities  (309KB PDF)

This useful guide includes bullet point descriptions of some of the tasks commonly associated with each of the following areas of law:

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Washington State Paralegal Association

The Washington State Paralegal Association (WSPA) is a not-for-profit professional organization formed in 1975 to support and promote the paralegal profession, and to provide a forum for addressing the paralegal needs, interests and responsibilities in the State of Washington.

WSPA has had several passionate and visionary leaders over its lifetime that have helped "raise the bar" for the rest of the organization and the entire paralegal profession in Washington State.

We are proud to salute some of those leaders on this page. Please email the webmaster if you can help us fill in missing photos in our record.

In 1975, a handful of industrious individuals who had visions of a newly emerging profession met together in Seattle, Washington, and formed an association called the Washington Legal Assistants Association ("WLAA"). Over time the membership grew, and in the mid 1990's the organization changed its name to the Washington State Paralegal Association ("WSPA"), the name that we are still known by today. Some ideas have evolved, but the principal purposes have remained the same - to provide our members with support, education and an opportunity to advance and expand the profession.

WSPA membership is comprised of individuals from varying backgrounds, many of whom are employed by law firms, public or private corporations, insurance companies, non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, as educators, or even as students seeking their first paralegal position.

WSPA is proud of the many contributions Paralegals make to the practice of law in both Washington State and the Nation.

To recognize these outstanding Paralegals, WSPA has initiated a number of Annual Awards. We first initiated the Washington Paralegal of the Year Award in 2004, and in 2005, we were also privileged to award our first Lifetime Achievement Award.

Awards currently granted most years are:

• Paralegal of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• WSPA Volunteer of the Year
• Paralegal Pro Bono Award (SN)
• Paralegal Community Service Award (SN)
• Paralegal Student Scholarship (SN)

(SN = Self Nominations will be accepted for these three categories)