2021 New York Laws
JUD - Judiciary
Article 15 - Attorneys and Counsellors
476-A - Action for Unlawful Practice of the Law.

§   476-a.   Action  for  unlawful  practice  of  the  law.  1.    The
attorney-general may maintain an action upon his or her own  information
or  upon  the  complaint  of  a  private  person or of a bar association
organized and existing under the laws of this state against any  person,
partnership,  corporation,  or  association,  and  any  employee, agent,
director, or officer thereof who commits  any  act  or  engages  in  any
conduct  prohibited  by law as constituting the unlawful practice of the
law. The term "action" as used in this subdivision shall be construed to
include both civil actions and criminal actions.
  The term "unlawful practice of the law" as used in this article  shall
include, but is not limited to,
  (a)  any act prohibited by penal law sections two hundred seventy, two
hundred seventy-a, two hundred seventy-e, two hundred  seventy-one,  two
hundred   seventy-five,   two   hundred   seventy-five-a,   two  hundred
seventy-six, two hundred eighty or fourteen hundred fifty-two, or
  (b) any other act forbidden by law  to  be  done  by  any  person  not
regularly licensed and admitted to practice law in this state, or
  (c)  any act punishable by the supreme court as a criminal contempt of
court under section seven hundred fifty-B of this chapter.
  2. Such a civil action may also be maintained  by  a  bar  association
organized  and existing under the laws of the state of New York, upon an
application to the supreme court of the state of New York, or a  justice
thereof,  for  leave  to  bring the same by such bar association on good
cause shown therefor and proof that a written request was made upon  the
attorney-general  to bring such an action and that more than twenty days
have elapsed since the making of such request and he or she  has  failed
or refused to bring such an action.