{"id":3635,"date":"2003-07-04T22:39:39","date_gmt":"2003-07-05T02:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/unauthorized-practice-of-law\/"},"modified":"2010-08-09T07:56:07","modified_gmt":"2010-08-09T11:56:07","slug":"unauthorized-practice-of-law","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/unauthorized-practice-of-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Unauthorized Practice of Law"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a title=\"a90\" name=\"a90\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif\"><em> <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><em>\u2013 <\/em><\/em><em>Below are ethicalEsq-f\/k\/a<\/em><em> <\/em><em>postings and annotated web resources on this topic. Find our full list of annotated ethics links by clicking <\/em>the\u00a0<a title=\"portal to postings and sources on lawyer ethics and client rights\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/resources\/\">Client Rights &amp; Legal Ethics<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/resources\/\"><\/a> link o<em>n the Navigation Bar.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif\"><em> <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/stories\/storyReader$3744\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif;font-size: x-small\">bar &amp; guild<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"> (April 26, 2005)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/stories\/storyReader$3331\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif;font-size: x-small\">Posting 02\/24\/05<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif;font-size: x-small\"> carolyn and monica join the UPL posse<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2004\/02\/15#a809\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 02\/15\/04<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> For-Profit Self Help Chain Invades NYC<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/10\/06#a319\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif;font-size: x-small\">Posting 10\/06\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif;font-size: x-small\"> Tracking Down the Source of Wacky Debtor Legalisms and UPL<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/09\/02\/a-cogent-dissent-on-the-abas-approach-to-defining-the-practice-of-l\/\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 09\/02\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> A Cogent Dissent to the ABA&#8217;s Approach to Defining the Practice of Law<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/08\/15#a188\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 08\/15\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> ABA&#8217;s Misplaced Paternalism<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/07\/29#a155\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 07\/29\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> DOJ &amp; FTC Support Nonlawyers Doing Real Estate Closings in N.C.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/07\/21#a128\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 07\/21\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> Competition &amp; Ethics Issues on ABA Agenda in S.F.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/07\/03\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 07\/03\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> Nonlawyers Still Closed Out of N.C. Closings, Except for Ministerial Tasks <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,Serif\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/07\/01\"><span style=\"font-size: x-small\">Posting 07\/01\/03<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"> Do New UPL Rules Protect Consumers or Lawyers in Arizona?<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/atr\/public\/comments\/200604.htm\"><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;color: blue;font-size: x-small\">FTC and DOJ on Defining &#8220;Practice of Law&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size: x-small\"> The Federal Trade Comm&#8217;n and Dept. of Justice presented joint comments (12\/20\/02) on the ABA&#8217;s draft Model Definition of the Practice of Law. The federal antitrust agencies concluded that the proposed definition was overly broad and would injure consumers and competition. The agencies urged the Task Force to permit lay competition that is in the public interest and craft an appropriate definition after careful review of the harms and benefits of lay participation in providing law-related services. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.abanet.org\/cpr\/model_def_home.html\"><span style=\"color: black\">ABA Task Force on the Model Definition of the Practice of Law<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: black\"> The Task Force made its <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.abanet.org\/cpr\/model-def\/taskforce_rpt_429.pdf\"><span style=\"color: black\">Recommendation and Report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: black\"> in March &#8217;03.  The Recommendations are discussed in a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2003\/07\/01\"><span style=\"color: black\">Posting <\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: black\">on 7\/01\/03.  An appendix included <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.abanet.org\/cpr\/model-def\/model_def_statutes.pdf\"><span style=\"color: black\">State Definitions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: black\"> of the Practice of Law.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.legalreform-now.org\/menu1_4.htm\">Lawyers Try to Reestablish Their Monopoly<\/a> <\/strong>[scroll down to 2nd article; formerly at Nolo.com]<strong> <\/strong>This  article, by attorneys Stephen R. Elias and Ralph Warner, describes and  decries current efforts before the ABA to define &#8220;the practice of law,&#8221;  and gives a brief history of the organized bar&#8217;s efforts to keep  nonlawyers from performing law-related tasks.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p>.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;color: black;font-size: x-small\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.halt.org\/reform_projects\/freedom_of_legal_information\/pdf\/Turner_Legal_Times_020303.pdf\">Lawyer vs. NonLawyer<\/a><\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-size: x-small\"><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif\"> In an article appearing in <em>Legal Times<\/em> (02-03-2003), James C. Turner, Executive Director of the legal reform group HALT, argues against the ABA&#8217;s proposed model rule defining &#8220;practice of law&#8221; and its corollary of &#8220;unauthorized practice.&#8221; Turner says the proposed model rule &#8220;poses a major threat to the rights of millions of American consumers who choose to handle their routine legal tasks with the help of nonlawyer resources.&#8221; In 2002, HALT opposed attempts by Arizona <span style=\"color: black\">attorneys to <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.halt.org\/press\/azupl.php\"><span style=\"color: black\">curb competition from non-lawyers<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;color: black;font-size: x-small\"> by expanding the definition of the &#8220;unauthorized practice of law.&#8221;  On its <a href=\"http:\/\/www.halt.org\/reform_projects\/freedom_of_legal_information\/pdf\/Turner_Legal_Times_020303.pdf\">UPL Project<\/a> Home Page, HALT set forth its approach and principles:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">One of the most effective ways to increase consumer choice in legal services would be to <\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">abolish unauthorized practice statutes. As the simple and routine legal needs of millions of <\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">Americans continue to go unmet each year, it is critical that consumers be able to utilize <\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">independent paralegals and other nonlawyer resources. <\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">At the core of HALT&#8217;s efforts to reform restrictions on unauthorized practice are three <\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">principles: <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">The <em>unauthorized practice of law<\/em> means saying you are a lawyer when you are not; <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">Innovative partnering between lawyers and nonlawyers is permissible with client consent after full disclosure of work and fee arrangements; and<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial;font-size: x-small\">A client or customer complaint should be required before unauthorized practice of law proceedings can be initiated. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hofstra.edu\/PDF\/law_lanctot.pdf\"><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;color: blue;font-size: x-small\">Scriveners in Cyberspace<\/span><\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size: x-small\"> In this Hofstra law review article (44 pp., pdf), Prof. Catherine J. Lanctot takes a close look at the issues raised by online document preparation (especially interactive programs that present solutions to a consumer&#8217;s individual fact situation) and the regulation of the unauthorized practice of law. Included is a detailed history of the organized bar&#8217;s attempts to prohibit nonlawyers from providing consumers with law-related information and services. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size: x-small\">Also, see Prof. Lanctot&#8217;s article in the Duke Law Journal, <em>(Cited: 49 Duke L. J. 147) <\/em> <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;color: blue;font-size: x-small\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.duke.edu\/shell\/cite.pl?49+Duke+L.+J.+147\">Attorney-Client Relationships in Cyberspace: The Peril &amp; the Promise: <\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;color: #924547;font-size: x-small\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.duke.edu\/shell\/cite.pl?49+Duke+L.+J.+147\"><span style=\"color: blue\">Nolo v. Texas<\/span><\/a><strong> <\/strong><\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Geneva,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size: x-small\">This article contains a brief summary of the battle between Nolo.com and the Texas bar &#8212; when Texas lawyers tried unsuccesfully a few years back to ban Nolo&#8217;s publications from being sold or distributed in the state, claiming they amounted to the unauthorized practice of law.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2013 Below are ethicalEsq-f\/k\/a postings and annotated web resources on this topic. Find our full list of annotated ethics links by clicking the\u00a0Client Rights &amp; Legal Ethics link on the Navigation Bar. bar &amp; guild (April 26, 2005) Posting 02\/24\/05 carolyn and monica join the UPL posse Posting 02\/15\/04 For-Profit Self Help Chain Invades NYC [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3635","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6kP1R-WD","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3635"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11047,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3635\/revisions\/11047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}