Redesigning Legal: Lawyer UPL—Has It Jumped the Shark?

As part of our Redesigning Legal Speaker Series, on October 20 IAALS and its partners explored how regulatory reform efforts can strike a balance between broader access to justice, sustainable access, and public protection. 

Public protection has long been the stated justification for our strict licensing and regulation of lawyers—and the broader practice of law. Yet in our multi-jurisdictional and increasingly remote practice environment, lawyers who innovate are put in the crosshairs of unauthorized practice of law (UPL). Is it time for things to change? In a time when legal deserts—many of which are in areas bordering multiple jurisdictions—are widespread, access to justice is more critical than ever, and regulatory reform efforts are gaining unprecedented momentum, how can we strike a balance between broader access, sustainable practice, and public protection?

This panel included Mike Kennedy, bar counsel for the Vermont Judiciary, and Wendy Muchman, professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Their conversation was moderated by Lynda Shely, ethics lawyer at the Shely Firm PC.