The Temple of Justice at the Washington state capitol in Olympia, Washington. Credit: Cacaphony/Wikimedia Delivery of Legal Services Is Changing as More States Explore Reform Measures
Indiana, Minnesota and Washington state are all mulling proposals that would allow nonlawyers to provide certain legal services, following in the footsteps of Arizona and Utah.
October 24, 2024 at 01:05 PM
8 minute read
What You Need to Know
- The legal community is bracing for change as more states begin exploring, and adopting, reform measures to help close the access-to-justice gap.
- Indiana, Minnesota and Washington are a few of the more recent states considering loosening the boundaries surrounding the practice of law.
- Arizona remains the only state in the U.S. to permanently change rules opening the door to nonlawyer ownership of law firms.
More states now appear open to the possibility of permitting nonlawyer ownership of law firms, which state regulatory bodies have long prohibited as part of a broader set of rules barring the unauthorized practice of law.
Indiana, Minnesota and Washington state are among the latest jurisdictions exploring the creation of pilot programs that could pave the way for alternative legal service providers to engage in work that was traditionally solely reserved for licensed attorneys.
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