Do you have any professional certifications?

[Cloud]

The reason I'm asking is that I belong to a bunch of paralegal groups, and there is HEATED debate on the value and purpose of certifications. Some of the issues are:

1) A recent Texas court case said that registered certification marks are not certifications, only educational designations; therefore they are meaningless

2) It's all a marketing ploy by professional organizations to get your money and they don't really mean anything.

3) No proof that certifications translate into more money or better value for employer.

4) Employers don't know or care about certifications.

5) People don't know the difference between holding a certificate (i.e., going through an educational certificate program); and being certified.

6) There are too many competing designations out there, which devalues the impact of the certification.

I hold two, actually--I'm a certified Professional Legal Secretary and a certified Paralegal.I just wondered if anyone has any insight to share from other industries.