Certification Requirements
On January 1, 2001, California
legislation (AB 1761) made it unlawful for persons to identify themselves as
paralegals unless they possess one of the following four requirements:
1.
A certificate of
completion from a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association.
2.
A certificate of
completion from a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary
institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24
semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been
accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by
the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.
3.
A baccalaureate
degree or an advanced degree in any subject, a minimum of one year of
law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an
active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three
years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least
the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney
stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks.
4.
A high school
diploma or general equivalency diploma, a minimum of three years of
law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an
active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three
years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least
the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney
stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. This
experience and training shall be completed no later than December 31, 2003.
CONTINUING
LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
The
January 1, 2001 legislation also required California paralegals to complete:
1.
Four hours of
mandatory continuing legal education in legal ethics every three years.
2.
Four hours of mandatory continuing legal education in either
general law or in a specialized area of law every two years.
If
the educational criteria are not met, the individual is in violation of the Business
& Professions Code Section 6450(d).