One of the first topics covered in Cal State East Bay's Paralegal Studies Program is California Business and Professions Code Section 6450, et seq. It sets the educational standards for California paralegals and makes it unlawful for a person to identify themselves as a paralegal who do not meet the standards mandated by the statute. However, since the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations (CAPA) already has an excellent primer regarding Section 6450, this post will focus primarily on compliance with the law regarding my first set of personal business cards that I used during my initial job search.

6452. (a) It is unlawful for a person to identify himself or herself as a paralegal on any advertisement, letterhead, business card or sign, or elsewhere unless he or she has met the qualifications of subdivision (c) of Section 6450 and performs all services under the direction and supervision of an attorney who is an active member of the State Bar of California or an attorney practicing law in the federal courts of this state who is responsible for all of the services performed by the paralegal. The business card of a paralegal shall include the name of the law firm where he or she is employed or a statement that he or she is employed by or contracting with a licensed attorney.

As soon as I earned my paralegal certificate, I wanted to hit the ground running. In an effort to take advantage of the networking opportunities afforded to me in my newly adopted field, I decided that I wanted to print myself a set of personal business cards. However, pursuant to Section 6452(a), I wouldn't be able to identify myself as a "paralegal," especially since I was not employed as a paralegal at the time nor would I have had firm business cards issued to me.

Although the paralegal police weren't going to show up at my doorstep were I to print personal business cards identifying myself as a "paralegal," I felt it was my professional duty to be compliant with the law. Further, I would be compromising my own professional integrity were I to brand myself as compliant to Section 6450, but have my own legal transgressions memorialized on my own business card. So I needed to get creative.

6454. The terms "paralegal," "legal assistant," "attorney assistant," "freelance paralegal," "independent paralegal," and "contract paralegal" are synonymous for purposes of this chapter.

On the other hand, Section 6454 lists a number of terms synonymous with "paralegal" with regard to the statute. So I considered identifying myself as a "Legal Paraprofessional," a term inspired by Dolan Law Firm's Paraprofessional Spring Mixer that I attended last year. However, the term "legal paraprofessional" also encompasses non-paralegal legal professionals and didn't quite satisfy my intention of distinguishing myself as a paralegal. There had to be another way.

Considering that my intention was to convey my qualifications to perform paralegal work, instead of a title, I decided to go straight to my qualifying credential. My personal business cards now read, "Certificated in Paralegal Studies." It conveys that I meet the requirements mandated by Section 6450 and that I obtained my certificate from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved education program. Now I'm able to exchange business cards at networking events and so on, regardless if my firm provides its own business cards, while still remaining compliant to code.

If you would like to learn more about California paralegals, Section 6450, ABA approved paralegal programs, and my favorite company for custom stationery, visit the following resources:

• California Alliance of Paralegal Associations (CAPA)
  
• San Francisco Paralegal Association (SFPA)
  
• Business and Professions Code Section 6450-6456
  
• 6450 & You
  
• ABA Approved Paralegal Education Programs in California
  
• Cal State East Bay Paralegal Studies Certificate Program
  
• San Francisco State University Paralegal Studies Program
  
• MOO Custom Business Cards