ISBA Ethics Opinions on Nonlawyer Assistants | Illinois State Bar Association

Opinion 20-08 | Law Firms | Multijurisdictional Practice | Nonlawyer Assistants | Unauthorized Practice of Law
Non-Illinois licensed lawyer working at Illinois law firm while applying for admission to Illinois
Opinion 20-01 | Law Firms | Nonlawyer Assistants
Services allowed to be performed by law school graduates prior to licensure

An employing lawyer or law firm may allow a law school graduate awaiting the bar exam or admission to the bar to perform many of the services normally performed by licensed first year associates, other than appearing in a legal proceeding, provided that the graduate’s work is reviewed by a supervising lawyer who takes responsibility for the work product and that the graduate and employing lawyer or law firm do not make false or misleading statements to clients or others regarding the graduate’s status at the firm.
Opinion 19-04 | Communication with Client | Law Firms | Nonlawyer Assistants | Outsourcing Legal and Legal Support Services. | Temporary Lawyers
Communication with Represented Person
Opinion 16-05 | Conflict of Interest | Government Representation | Nonlawyer Assistants
Member of city council employed by law firm as paralegal
Opinion 13-08 | Multijurisdictional Practice | Nonlawyer Assistants | Unauthorized Practice of Law
Practicing immigration law in Illinois by non-Illinois admitted lawyer
Opinion 03-07 | Confidentiality | Nonlawyer Assistants
Use of Interpreters

The responsibilities of lawyers regarding nonlawyer assistants extends to interpreters who are employed or retained by, or associated with a lawyer for the purpose of communicating with hearing impaired clients.
Opinion 89-05 | Nonlawyer Assistants
Participation in law firm profit sharing plan by nonlawyer employees
Opinion 88-08 | Nonlawyer Assistants | Unauthorized Practice of Law
Collection agency employing nonlawyer, or utilizing law firm paralegal, to answer inquiries from the collection agency’s office in the name of a law firm
Opinion 87-01 | Law Firm Name and Letterhead | Nonlawyer Assistants
Names of nonlawyer firm employees on firm letterhead
Opinion 85-14 | Conflict of Interest | Nonlawyer Assistants
Part-time public defenders sharing office space and secretary
Opinion 827 | Advertising and Solicitation | Nonlawyer Assistants
Referrals from organization and use of organizations clerical staff
Opinion 744 | Multijurisdictional Practice | Nonlawyer Assistants
Non-resident Illinois lawyer with Illinois office staffed by nonlawyer
Opinion 684 | Nonlawyer Assistants | Unauthorized Practice of Law
Law firm employing nonlawyer collective bargaining professional

ISBA Advisory Opinions on Professional Conduct are prepared as an educational service to members of the ISBA. While the opinions express the ISBA interpretation of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct and other relevant materials in response to a specific hypothesized fact situation, they do not have the weight of law and should not be relied upon as a substitute for individual legal advice. For more information, call the ISBA Legal Department at (217) 525-1760 or (800) 252-8908.