ABOUT A PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A LEGAL PARAPROFESSIONAL IN CALIFORNIA
THE PROBLEM: Too many Californians can’t afford basic legal services.
Percentage of Californians who experienced at least one civil legal problem last year
Percentage of legal problems for which Californians received no or inadequate help
WHAT COULD HELP: Licensing a new group of legal practitioners
Have you ever been seen by a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant instead of a doctor? Not every health problem requires a doctor, and not every legal problem requires a lawyer. These new legal professionals could provide more affordable options for handling routine matters in specific practice areas, such as family law and housing.
These new legal practitioners could help you:
Clear a debt record
Resolve a wage dispute
Get a divorce
Expunge a criminal record
Resolve a landlord-tenant dispute
The State Bar of California wants your views on a plan to license a new group of legal practitioners.
These professionals would provide affordable options for legal help with routine matters in specific practice areas, such as family law and housing.
A legal paraprofessional would be to a lawyer what a nurse practitioner is to a doctor. The plan recognizes that not all legal problems need the same level of expertise.
Many other states and countries have established a legal paraprofessional license. In California this idea has been studied since the 1980s. This is the first time a proposal for a new class of licensed legal professionals has been put out for public comment. Here's a printable handout about the proposal.
We want to hear from you about the proposal. Learn what these new legal paraprofessionals could do and how consumers would be protected, and tell us what you think!
