The most recent Annual Discipline Report from the California State Bar reflects a significant focus on the unauthorized practice of law, including the State Bar’s establishment of a new UPL team to conduct in depth investigations, including internet searches.  The unauthorized practice of law can arise with attorneys admitted in jurisdictions outside of California who are not admitted in California engage in the practice law within the State of California, and can also arise when California attorneys extend their practice beyond state borders by advising clients in other states regarding the law of other states.  California admitted attorneys can aide and abet the unauthorized practice of law when they delegate legal matters to non-lawyers without adequate supervision.  There are some good examples in my LACBA Update article highlighting areas of concern.

About Carole J. Buckner

Carole J. Buckner is a Partner and General Counsel with Procopio in San Diego, California. She is an AV Peer Review Rated sole practitioner admitted to the California State Bar in 1984. She holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley (1980) and a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco (1984). She is available for consulting and legal advice in the field of legal ethics and issues involving professional responsibility, and the law of lawyering.