Thank you for your interest in the King County Bar Association Legal Assistant Registration program. For the purpose of this registration program, the term “Legal Assistant” is used throughout to include legal assistants, paralegals and legal paraprofessionals, employed by a single attorney or firm, or contracting with several firms.
QUALIFICATIONS
The following criteria have been formulated to help you determine whether or not you qualify for registration with our program. A Legal Assistant must meet either criterion 1(a) or 1(b); and criterion 2; and either criterion 3(a) or 3(b).
- You must:
- have been employed for six months or longer by a law firm, administrative agency or corporation under the direct supervision of an attorney; or
- in the case of a contract legal assistant not working solely in one law firm, administrative agency or corporation, be currently under contract with and under the direct supervision of at least one attorney for whom you have performed work (either in your present contract or a previous contract) for six months or longer; provided: that either six-month requirement may be waived upon request from the responsible attorney; and
- 50% of your work time must be devoted to legal assistant (nonclerical) work. This means you perform tasks under the direct supervision of lawyers in areas of law which do not involve giving legal advice, quoting legal fees or appearing in court in contested matters, but that you are trained by experience and/or special education to carry on investigative and information gathering activities, use independent judgment, and deal with clients directly in a professional and ethical manner under the supervision and control of lawyers for whom you work and to whom you are responsible at all times; and
- You must:
- hold a degree or certificate of completion from a legal assistant program or from an ABA accredited school; or
- have substantial equivalent college education and/or work experience in the legal field (to be determined by the responsible attorney); and
- have recently completed at least two legal education courses, to include one course on ethics and one course in your legal area of specialty. These courses may consist of either in-person legal education seminars or video training seminars. You must provide written verification of your participation in these courses.
ENTITLEMENTS
Registration with the King County Bar Association will allow you to perform the following three functions:
- Check out court files from the King County Clerk's office in accordance with King County Local Rule 79(d)(4)(A);
- Use the King County Law Library in accordance with its rules, after payment of required fees and completion of applicable library forms; and
- Present agreed and/or ex parte orders as authorized under King County Local Rule 54 (f).
REGISTRATION WITH THE KING COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION WILL ENTITLE YOU TO PERFORM ONLY THE ABOVE THREE FUNCTIONS. REGISTRATION DOES NOT PURPORT TO LICENSE OR CERTIFY YOU IN ANY FASHION AS A LEGAL ASSISTANT.
REGISTRATION CARD
The legal assistant registration packet will be processed and, if affirmed, an identification card will be sent to you which must be signed by your Sponsoring Attorney. The registration card will be in effect for the calendar year in which it is issued, and will expire on December 31st of that year or earlier upon your ceasing to work for your present employer or law firm, or in the case of a Contract Legal Assistant, discontinue performing contract services for the firm of the last of your responsible attorney(s). You and your Responsible and/or Sponsoring Attorney(s) have the joint responsibility for returning your registration card if you, for any reason, no longer qualify under these criteria.
EMPLOYED LEGAL ASSISTANT
We use the term “Employed Legal Assistant” to describe those persons who work as employees or contract legal assistants for only one law firm, administrative agency or corporation. To see the list of documents and instructions to make an initial application as an employed legal assistant, please click on the link at the bottom entitled, “Initial Application for Employed Legal Assistants.” If you have previously registered with the KCBA Legal Assistant Registration Program and wish to renew your application, please click on the link at the bottom entitled, “Renewal Application for Employed Legal Assistants.”
CONTRACT LEGAL ASSISTANT
If you work on any basis other than as an Employed Legal Assistant as defined above, for the purposes of this program you are considered a "Contract Legal Assistant", and must file additional documents to register with the King County Bar Association Legal Assistant Program. To see the list of documents and instructions to make an initial application as a contract legal assistant, please click on the link at the bottom entitled, “Initial Application for Contract Legal Assistants.” If you have previously registered with the KCBA Legal Assistant Registration Program and wish to renew your application, please click on the link at the bottom entitled, “Renewal Application for Contract Legal Assistants.”
Thank you for your interest in our program. If you have questions about the program please contact KCBA at 206-267-7100 (press 0 for the receptionist)
Frequently Asked Questions