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Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) Paralegal
Certification Practice Exam QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
OSBA Paralegal Certification Exam
Based on official OSBA materials, the Paralegal Certification Exam consists of approximately 100
multiple-choice questions with a 3-hour time limit (10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) . The exam is administered
annually; the next exam date is May 16, 2026, with an application deadline of March 31, 2026 .
Domain 1: Legal Procedure (20-30%)
• American Legal System (structure of courts, jurisdiction, stare decisis)
• Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure (pleadings, discovery, motions, service)
• Ohio Rules of Evidence (admissibility, hearsay, privileges)
Domain 2: Legal Ethics & Professional Conduct (15-25%)
• Rules of Professional Conduct (competence, diligence, scope of representation)
• Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) – paralegals cannot give legal advice
• Confidentiality (attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine)
• Conflicts of Interest (concurrent, imputed, waivers)
Domain 3: Legal Research & Writing (5-15%)
• Codes (state/federal) – Ohio Revised Code, United States Code
• Digests and Court Reports – Ohio State Reports, North Eastern Reporter
• Citation – Uniform System of Citation (Bluebook)
• Legal documents – briefs, memoranda, correspondence
Domain 4: Communication (10-20%)
• Critical thinking and reading comprehension
• Analysis of evidence and data interpretation
• Logical reasoning
• Interviewing techniques
Domain 5: Computer Knowledge (5-10%)
• Legal research databases (Lexis, Westlaw, Fastcase)
• Software applications (word processing, spreadsheets, case management)
• Organizational and file systems
• Exhibits and evidence management
Domain 6: Law Office Management (5-10%)
• Vendor management
• Document management
• Tickler system (deadline tracking)
• Office/lawyer scheduling
Domain 7: Substantive Law (20%)
Applicants choose two of the following areas to be tested on:
• Contracts Law
• Torts and Personal Injury Law
• Real Property Law
• Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
• Family Relations Law
• Criminal Law
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• Business and Commercial Law
• Labor & Employment Law
• Workers' Compensation Law
• Bankruptcy Law
• Administrative Agency Law
• Environmental Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Ethics & Professional Conduct (Questions 1-40)
Question 1
A paralegal is at a meeting with attorneys and clients to review evidence for an arbitration. It becomes
apparent to the paralegal that one of the clients mistakenly believes he/she is a lawyer. The paralegal
should:
A) Tell the client he/she is a paralegal
B) Immediately leave the meeting because of the misunderstanding
C) Ignore the misunderstanding because attorneys are also present
D) Continue the meeting and correct the misunderstanding later
Answer: A
Rationale: The paralegal must correct any misunderstanding about their role immediately to avoid the
unauthorized practice of law and ensure the client understands who is providing legal representation .
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Question 2
A paralegal interviews a client about the circumstances surrounding the client's termination from
employment. At the end of the interview, the client asks the paralegal: "Do I have a case?" The paralegal
should answer:
A) "After reviewing your employment contract, I will give you an opinion."
B) "After reviewing your employment file from your former employer, I will give you an opinion."
C) "I cannot give you an opinion because I am not allowed to give legal advice."
D) "I think you have a strong case, but let me check with my supervisor."
Answer: C
Rationale: Paralegals are prohibited from giving legal opinions or advice as this constitutes the
unauthorized practice of law. Only supervising attorneys can provide legal opinions to clients .
Question 3
Your law firm represents John Doe as a defendant in a civil personal injury lawsuit. Mr. Doe contacts you
by phone to discuss his anger with the plaintiff for filing the lawsuit and informs you that he will be
"taking matters into his own hands" for dealing with the plaintiff and promptly ends his call with you.
What should you do?
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A) Nothing. He is your firm's client, and your conversation is protected by the work-product doctrine.
B) Obtain written approval from your client so that you may discuss the conversation with opposing
counsel.
C) Immediately notify your supervising attorney about your conversation so that the plaintiff's attorney
can be promptly notified.
D) Document the call in the client file and wait for further instruction.
Answer: C
Rationale: The client has indicated potential harm to another party. Under the Rules of Professional
Conduct, an attorney must take reasonable measures to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial
bodily harm. The supervising attorney must be notified immediately so appropriate action can be taken .
Question 4
The primary duty of a paralegal is to:
A) Provide legal advice to clients
B) Assist attorneys under supervision
C) Represent clients in court independently
D) Draft legislation
Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) Paralegal
Certification Practice Exam QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED
OSBA Paralegal Certification Exam
Based on official OSBA materials, the Paralegal Certification Exam consists of approximately 100
multiple-choice questions with a 3-hour time limit (10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) . The exam is administered
annually; the next exam date is May 16, 2026, with an application deadline of March 31, 2026 .
Domain 1: Legal Procedure (20-30%)
• American Legal System (structure of courts, jurisdiction, stare decisis)
• Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure (pleadings, discovery, motions, service)
• Ohio Rules of Evidence (admissibility, hearsay, privileges)
Domain 2: Legal Ethics & Professional Conduct (15-25%)
• Rules of Professional Conduct (competence, diligence, scope of representation)
• Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) – paralegals cannot give legal advice
• Confidentiality (attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine)
• Conflicts of Interest (concurrent, imputed, waivers)
Domain 3: Legal Research & Writing (5-15%)
• Codes (state/federal) – Ohio Revised Code, United States Code
• Digests and Court Reports – Ohio State Reports, North Eastern Reporter
• Citation – Uniform System of Citation (Bluebook)
• Legal documents – briefs, memoranda, correspondence
Domain 4: Communication (10-20%)
• Critical thinking and reading comprehension
• Analysis of evidence and data interpretation
• Logical reasoning
• Interviewing techniques
Domain 5: Computer Knowledge (5-10%)
• Legal research databases (Lexis, Westlaw, Fastcase)
• Software applications (word processing, spreadsheets, case management)
• Organizational and file systems
• Exhibits and evidence management
Domain 6: Law Office Management (5-10%)
• Vendor management
• Document management
• Tickler system (deadline tracking)
• Office/lawyer scheduling
Domain 7: Substantive Law (20%)
Applicants choose two of the following areas to be tested on:
• Contracts Law
• Torts and Personal Injury Law
• Real Property Law
• Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
• Family Relations Law
• Criminal Law
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• Business and Commercial Law
• Labor & Employment Law
• Workers' Compensation Law
• Bankruptcy Law
• Administrative Agency Law
• Environmental Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
Ethics & Professional Conduct (Questions 1-40)
Question 1
A paralegal is at a meeting with attorneys and clients to review evidence for an arbitration. It becomes
apparent to the paralegal that one of the clients mistakenly believes he/she is a lawyer. The paralegal
should:
A) Tell the client he/she is a paralegal
B) Immediately leave the meeting because of the misunderstanding
C) Ignore the misunderstanding because attorneys are also present
D) Continue the meeting and correct the misunderstanding later
Answer: A
Rationale: The paralegal must correct any misunderstanding about their role immediately to avoid the
unauthorized practice of law and ensure the client understands who is providing legal representation .
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Question 2
A paralegal interviews a client about the circumstances surrounding the client's termination from
employment. At the end of the interview, the client asks the paralegal: "Do I have a case?" The paralegal
should answer:
A) "After reviewing your employment contract, I will give you an opinion."
B) "After reviewing your employment file from your former employer, I will give you an opinion."
C) "I cannot give you an opinion because I am not allowed to give legal advice."
D) "I think you have a strong case, but let me check with my supervisor."
Answer: C
Rationale: Paralegals are prohibited from giving legal opinions or advice as this constitutes the
unauthorized practice of law. Only supervising attorneys can provide legal opinions to clients .
Question 3
Your law firm represents John Doe as a defendant in a civil personal injury lawsuit. Mr. Doe contacts you
by phone to discuss his anger with the plaintiff for filing the lawsuit and informs you that he will be
"taking matters into his own hands" for dealing with the plaintiff and promptly ends his call with you.
What should you do?
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A) Nothing. He is your firm's client, and your conversation is protected by the work-product doctrine.
B) Obtain written approval from your client so that you may discuss the conversation with opposing
counsel.
C) Immediately notify your supervising attorney about your conversation so that the plaintiff's attorney
can be promptly notified.
D) Document the call in the client file and wait for further instruction.
Answer: C
Rationale: The client has indicated potential harm to another party. Under the Rules of Professional
Conduct, an attorney must take reasonable measures to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial
bodily harm. The supervising attorney must be notified immediately so appropriate action can be taken .
Question 4
The primary duty of a paralegal is to:
A) Provide legal advice to clients
B) Assist attorneys under supervision
C) Represent clients in court independently
D) Draft legislation
