{"id":98563,"date":"2024-12-26T13:01:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T21:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2024\/12\/26\/seeking-to-expand-access-to-justice-washington-state-pilot-will-allow-non-lawyer-entities-to-practice-law\/"},"modified":"2024-12-26T13:01:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T21:01:50","slug":"seeking-to-expand-access-to-justice-washington-state-pilot-will-allow-non-lawyer-entities-to-practice-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2024\/12\/26\/seeking-to-expand-access-to-justice-washington-state-pilot-will-allow-non-lawyer-entities-to-practice-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeking To Expand Access To Justice, Washington State Pilot Will Allow Non-Lawyer Entities To Practice Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pilot will last for 10 years from the date the first entity is approved to participate.
\nThe post Seeking To Expand Access To Justice, Washington State Pilot Will Allow Non-Lawyer Entities To Practice Law appeared first on Above the Law.<\/p>\n

Similar to regulatory reform initiatives in Utah<\/a> and Arizona<\/a>, the Washington Supreme Court<\/a> has entered an order approving a pilot program that will allow companies and nonprofits that are not owned by lawyers to provide legal services under carefully monitored conditions.<\/p>\n

The court\u2019s order (Order 25700-B-721<\/a>), entered Dec. 5, approves a framework proposed<\/a> by the Supreme Court\u2019s Practice of Law Board<\/a> and the Washington State Bar Association<\/a> for a data-driven regulatory reform pilot, and directs those bodies to collaborate in setting up the program. The pilot will last for 10 years from the date the first entity is approved to participate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Court has determined that a pilot project to test entity regulation under the proposed Framework will assist the Board, the WSBA, and this Court in determining whether entity regulation will increase access to justice by enhancing access to affordable and reliable legal and law-related services consistent with protection of the public, and whether entity regulation will create risks of consumer harm, regulatory challenges, or other risks that would serve as barriers to implementing reform,\u201d said the order, signed by Chief Justice Steven Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n

The pilot creates an exception to Rule 5.4 of the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct, by which only entities owned by lawyers can practice law and deliver legal services.<\/p>\n

It authorizes entities not owned by lawyers, if approved, to practice law, but under strict conditions that limit the duration of their operations and that require active monitoring and oversight.<\/p>\n

Each entity will be required to appoint a compliance officer who will be responsible for ensuring the entity\u2019s adherence to the court\u2019s authorizing order and applicable ethical rules, and for reporting data on the entity\u2019s operations to the WSBA.<\/p>\n

A key focus of the pilot is on collecting data, the court\u2019s order says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe purpose and focus of this pilot project are to collect data and information to inform reform efforts related to the regulation of the practice of law, and more specifically, to rules and regulations governing entities engaging in activities whether or not they constitute the practice of law.\u201d<\/p>\n

The order directs the WSBA to develop a complaint procedure for members of the public to report any alleged violations of the rules by entities or their staff. If appropriate after investigating a complaint, the WSBA would be authorized to recommend removal of an entity from the pilot.<\/p>\n

Entities applying to participate in the program would be required to propose Each beta-test applicant shall propose a \u201cspecific hypothesis\u201d regarding:<\/p>\n