2010 Pennsylvania Code
Title 42 - JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
Chapter 25 - Representation of Litigants
2524 - Penalty for unauthorized practice of law.

     § 2524.  Penalty for unauthorized practice of law.
        (a)  General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), any
     person, including, but not limited to, a paralegal or legal
     assistant, who within this Commonwealth shall practice law, or
     who shall hold himself out to the public as being entitled to
     practice law, or use or advertise the title of lawyer, attorney
     at law, attorney and counselor at law, counselor, or the
     equivalent in any language, in such a manner as to convey the
     impression that he is a practitioner of the law of any
     jurisdiction, without being an attorney at law or a corporation
     complying with 15 Pa.C.S. Ch. 29 (relating to professional
     corporations), commits a misdemeanor of the third degree upon a
     first violation. A second or subsequent violation of this
     subsection constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.
        (b)  Practice by associations.--
            (1)  An association does not violate subsection (a) if it
        provides legal services only through officers, employees or
        agents who are duly admitted to practice law. The association
        may employ persons not admitted to practice law, but those
        persons shall not render any legal services rendered or to be
        rendered by the association.
            (2)  This subsection shall not be interpreted to preclude
        the use of clerks, secretaries, administrators, bookkeepers,
        technicians and other assistants who are not usually and
        ordinarily considered by law, custom and practice to be
        rendering legal services nor to preclude the use of any other
        person who performs all his employment under the direct
        supervision and control of a person duly admitted to practice
        law. A person shall not, under the guise of employment,
        render legal services unless duly admitted to practice law.
            (3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an
        association may charge for the legal services of its
        officers, employees and agents, may collect those charges and
        may compensate those who render the professional services.
        (c)  Injunction.--In addition to criminal prosecution,
     unauthorized practice of law may be enjoined in any county court
     of common pleas having personal jurisdiction over the defendant.
     The party obtaining such an injunction may be awarded costs and
     expenses incurred, including reasonable attorney fees, against
     the enjoined party. A violation of subsection (a) is also a
     violation of the act of December 17, 1968 (P.L.1224, No.387),
     known as the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
     (Dec. 21, 1988, P.L.1444, No.177, eff. Oct. 1, 1989; Dec. 7,
     1994, P.L.703, No.106, eff. 60 days; July 11, 1996, P.L.607,
     No.104, eff. 60 days)

        1996 Amendment.  Act 104 amended subsec. (a) and added
     subsec. (c).