The State Bar seeks public comment on recommendations for the implementation of a paraprofessional licensing program, including Proposed Paraprofessional Rules of Professional Conduct and Proposed Standards of Licensed Paraprofessional Sanctions for Professional Misconduct.
Deadline: January 12, 2022
Comments should be submitted using the online Public Comment Form. The online form allows you to input your comments directly and can also be used to upload your comment letter and/or other attachments.
At its meeting on March 12, 2020, the Board of Trustees established the California Paraprofessional Program Working Group (CPPWG), and charged it with developing recommendations for the creation of a paraprofessional licensure program. The CPPWG was directed to balance the dual goals of ensuring public protection and increasing access to legal services. The California Paraprofessional Program Working Group Report and Recommendations, with its accompanying appendices, represents the full set of the working group recommendations. Frequently Asked Questions
The State Bar has long been aware of a gap between Californians’ need for civil legal services and the availability of those services. In an effort to address this justice gap, since the late 1980s and early 1990s the State Bar Board has considered the idea of licensing nonlawyers to provide limited legal services to the public. In 2018, the State Bar updated its 2017-2022 Strategic Plan, adding the objective of exploring options to increase access to justice by licensing nonlawyer legal services providers.
In March 2020, the Board of Trustees appointed the California Paraprofessional Program Working Group (CPPWG) and charged it with developing recommendations for the creation of a paraprofessional licensure program, with a goal of increasing access to justice while ensuring public protection. The CPPWG submitted its report and recommendations at the Board’s September 2021 meeting.
The CPPWG report details the research undertaken by the CPPWG to develop the recommendations provided for a paraprofessional program.
Programmatic and policy recommendations are provided in Appendix A; fully drafted Proposed Paraprofessional Rules of Professional Conduct are provided in Appendix B; and fully drafted Proposed Standards of Licensed Paraprofessional Sanctions for Professional Misconduct are provided in Appendix C.
If the paraprofessional program is implemented, startup costs are estimated at approximately $1.65 million, as discussed in the report.
The full agenda item, which includes all of the appendices referenced in the report, can be found at: Agenda item 701: Final Report and Recommendations of the California Paraprofessional Program Working Group.
Board of Trustees
January 12, 2022