New Mexico Paralegal Career and Salary Guide

The New Mexico Supreme Court has issued rules for practicing paralegals, which include educational, training, and/or work experience further described below. On this page, you will find information on how to become a New Mexico paralegal, certification options in the state, career and salary outlook, and professional resources to help you launch your paralegal career.

Table of Contents

• How to Become a Paralegal in New Mexico
• Paralegal Certification
• Paralegal Career and Salary Outlook
• Paralegal Resources

How to Become a Paralegal in New Mexico

New Mexico paralegals must meet the educational, training, and work experience qualifications outlined by the New Mexico Supreme Court. Paralegals must:

• Have graduated from an approved paralegal program
• Have graduated from a 60-credit post-secondary legal assistant program
• Have a bachelor’s degree in any field plus two years of supervised experience in law
• Have a law degree and not be disbarred
• Be certified by a national organization such as the ones listed below and have at least one year of supervised law experience
• Have a high school diploma and seven years of supervised experience in law

Prospective paralegals in New Mexico will need to take the following steps to start their careers.

1. Earn a degree or certificate in paralegal studies.

New Mexico is one of the few states that sets minimum education guidelines for paralegals, mostly based on a degree or certificate in paralegal studies. To meet these qualifications through education alone, candidates must have one of the following:

• A degree approved by the American Bar Association (ABA)
• An associate or bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies
• A post-baccalaureate certificate in paralegal studies
• A 60-credit postsecondary legal assistant program with at least 18 credit hours of general education and 18 credit hours of legal specialty courses

These programs typically include practical training in professional skills and culminate in a certificate in legal studies, a paralegal associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, which can be found at one of the paralegal schools in New Mexico. New Mexico has no ABA-approved paralegal programs.¹

2. Gain experience.

Experience is another important step for becoming a paralegal, and internships, job shadowing, and on-the-job training are often offered in paralegal education programs. In New Mexico, you can qualify as a paralegal if you have a bachelor’s degree in any subject as long as you gain at least two years of substantive work experience in law under the supervision of an attorney. You can even qualify with only a high school diploma if you have at least seven years of substantive law-related experience as defined by the New Mexico Supreme Court.

3. Seek certification, if desired.

If you do not meet the educational requirements, you can still become a paralegal with at least one year of qualifying law experience and certification from one of the national organizations listed below. Any paralegal can become certified by passing one of these voluntary examinations. Employers often seek out certified paralegals, so being certified may help in your job search.

Paralegal Certification in New Mexico

New Mexico, like most states, does not have certification requirements for paralegals. The state Supreme Court has, however, established rules that define a paralegal as someone who works with a legal entity, performs substantive legal work under a lawyer’s supervision, and meets one or more of the education, training, or work experience qualifications defined by the Court.

Although certification is not required, obtaining voluntary paralegal certification can provide networking opportunities and give paralegal candidates a competitive edge in their job search. National organizations offer certification programs to ensure consistent competency levels across the paralegal profession nationwide. The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA, the Paralegal Association); the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA); and the American Alliance of Paralegals Inc. (AAPI) offer voluntary certification programs that are widely accepted by the industry as preparing candidates for professional excellence. Obtaining voluntary certification from these associations is highly recommended and well-respected by paralegal employers.

While New Mexico does not offer state-level certification, employed paralegals in the state can become a member of the State Bar of New Mexico (SBNM) Paralegal Division by meeting the state’s definition of “paralegal” and meeting the education and experience requirements. You can read more on the SBNM website.

For more information on national certification options, take a look at our guide Steps to Become a Paralegal.

New Mexico Paralegal Career and Salary Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported 1,850 paralegals and legal assistants employed in New Mexico, earning an average annual salary of $56,840.³ Projections Central estimates 4.2% growth for paralegal and legal assistant jobs nationwide.² Job growth for paralegals in New Mexico is predicted to be faster, at 10% over the same period.² This growth is based on 180 new paralegal jobs in the state over the 10-year period and 210 average annual job openings.²

New Mexico Paralegal Salary by Metro Area

Paralegal Employers in New Mexico

Most paralegals and legal assistants are employed in private law firms, though corporations, government agencies, banks, and financial institutions also require paralegal support. New Mexico hosts several large law firms concentrated in urban areas. Corporate positions for paralegals and legal assistants are also offered throughout New Mexico. Government agencies are also known to hire recently graduated paralegals and legal assistants and may provide a good introduction to the field.

LinkedIn is a good research resource where you can search on geography (New Mexico or city-level) for “paralegal” to find networking opportunities, job postings, and companies most associated with users identifying as paralegals; companies in New Mexico with the most LinkedIn users as paralegals include:

• New Mexico Department of Justice
• New Mexico Legal Aid
• New Mexico State Personnel Office, Career Services Bureau
• New Mexico State University
• Sandia National Laboratories
• The University of New Mexico

For more information about paralegal careers, take a look at our careers page.

Paralegal Resources

Here are some resources to help paralegals in New Mexico with professional development, networking, and career growth.

Paralegal Associations in New Mexico

These are volunteer organizations, typically with elected boards, that focus on professional development and networking for a specific geographical location and/or area of law.

• State Bar of New Mexico (SBNM): Works to promote the paralegal profession through professional development, continuing education, and networking opportunities.

Additional Resources

• New Mexico Judicial Branch: Provides current court forms, rules, an online case search, e-filing systems, and links to all courts in the state’s jurisdiction.
• Paralegal411 Jobs Board: To search for paralegal jobs in New Mexico, be sure to visit our jobs board.
• University of New Mexico School of Law Library: Features an extensive collection of state law and Native American law in print and microfiche.

References:
1. American Bar Association Directory of ABA Approved Paralegal Education Programs: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/paralegals/paralegal-resource-directory/
2. Projections Central Long Term Occupational Projections, 2022-2032: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages, Paralegals and Legal Assistants: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes232011.htm
4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm