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UTAH SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSES A PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSESS CHANGES TO THE GOVERNANCE OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW and access to justice
The Utah Supreme Court voted unanimously on August 12th, 2020 to authorize a pilot program to test pioneering changes to the practice of law and changes designed to address the access-to-justice crisis in America. These changes allow individuals and entities to explore creative ways to safely allow lawyers and non-lawyers to practice law and to reduce constraints on how lawyers market and promote their services.
Supreme Court Standing Order No. 15
Information on Order and Changes
First “Regulatory Sandbox” Applications Approved
The Office of Legal Services Innovation, which has the authority to authorize lawyers and qualified entities to engage in what has traditionally been the practice of law in new, creative ways in the Regulatory Sandbox, has approved ten applications to participate in the Sandbox.
• Rocket Lawyer, an online platform that helps consumers create legal documents and connects them with a network of independent attorneys. The company already serves consumers in Utah, but now will be able to hire staff attorneys directly.
• LawHQ: The Salt Lake City law firm plans to offer equity ownership to certain software developers in the firm. LawHQ also plans to offer a software application, called CallerHQ, designed to allow consumers to report spam telephone calls, text messages and voicemails. Consumers signed up through the application may then be joined into a mass tort litigation brought by LawHQ against the spammers.
• 1Law: This entity plans to provide no-cost and low-cost legal services to assist clients in completing court documents and also offer related legal advice using chatbots, instant messaging, automated interviews, nonlawyer staff and technology-assisted lawyers. 1Law plans to have more than 50% nonlawyer ownership.
• LawPal: This entity plans to provide a TurboTax-like technology platform to generate legal documents in contested and uncontested divorce and custody cases, eviction cases and debt-related property seizure cases. It expects to feature 50% nonlawyer ownership.
• Blue Bee Bankruptcy Law: The sole owner of the firm plans to give his paralegal employee a 10% ownership interest in the firm as an incentive to remain with the firm.
• Nuttall, Brown, & Coutts: Law firm partnering with insurance companies to provide legal subscription services to consumers; personal injury self-service app; ADR platform.
• Fiduciary Law: The Fiduciary Law Firm is a proposed new law firm entity to be launched with 100% ownership held by R&R Group, Inc. R&R Group, Inc. is a privately-held, for-profit corporation currently operating in the state of Utah. Majority ownership is held by Rick Stanzione. The company owns multiple subsidiaries offering a variety of services, including financial and investment advising, basic tax and accounting services (no CPA or public company auditing services), and insurance.
Fiduciary Law will offer legal services to the clients of other R&R Group entities and to the public generally. Once the entity is formed, R&R Group will bring on at least one Utah licensed lawyer as a minority owner of the firm.
• Estate Guru is an online software platform that helps thousands of individuals navigate estate planning documents, wills, health care directives and other estate matters.
• Firmly: Proposes creating a technology driven, startup-focused law firm to serve and increase access to affordable legal counsel for the growing entrepreneurial community in Silicon Slopes. The firm will develop software tools to facilitate provision of efficient and transparent legal services, purchased by subscription. The firm will include at least one nonlawyer, software developer equity partner.
For updates on the regulatory reform process, visit the OLSI website.
2019-2020 Annual Report
MCLE Compliance Changes
2020 CLE Compliance Reporting Period
On March 12, 2020, the Supreme Court authorized the Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education “the Board” to suspend the traditional live in-person credit requirement for lawyers reporting in 2020, allowing all required CLE to be fulfilled with online self-study with audio or video presentations, webcasts or computer interactive telephonic programs for the compliance period ending June 30, 2020.
On April 13, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 virus, the cancellation of in-person CLE courses, and the uncertainty as to when in-person courses may resume, the Supreme Court authorized the Board to extend compliance deadlines for the compliance period ending June 30, 2020. Lawyers will have through September 1, 2020 to complete required CLE hours without paying late filing fees and will have through September 15, 2020 to file Certificate of Compliance reports without paying late filing fees.
2021 CLE Compliance Reporting Period
On April 13, 2020, the Supreme Court authorized the Board to suspend the traditional live in-person credit requirement for lawyers reporting in 2021, allowing all required CLE to be fulfilled with online self-study with audio or video presentations, webcasts or computer interactive telephonic programs for the compliance period ending June 30, 2021. Please note: The 2020 Compliance Reporting Period Extension does not apply to the 2021 Compliance Reporting Period.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this announcement, please contact Sydnie Kuhre, MCLE Board Director at sydnie.kuhre@utahbar.org or 801-297-7035.
November eBulletin
In this edition: | Bar Survey Gives Picture of Where Lawyers Stand on Key Issues| Fall Forum Virtual CLE Series | Bar Executive Director John Baldwin Retiring Effective June 30 | Licensing Renewal Late Fees Begin, Renew by Dec. 1 to Avoid Suspension | Well Being Byte: Plan Ahead to be Successful This Winter | Live CLE Requirement Suspended for 2021 Compliance Cycle | Utah Minority Bar Association Announces Virtual 2020 Scholarship and Awards Banquet | Additional Entities Approved to Operate in the Regulatory Sandbox
Well-Being
The Well-Being Committee for the Legal Profession (“WCLP”) is a coalition of lawyers, judges, law school representatives, and mental health and science professionals. Co-chaired by Justice Paige Petersen and attorney Cara Tangaro, the WCLP is committed to improving well-being for Utah’s legal practitioners and to offering information, resources, and actionable, evidence-based recommendations. To learn more and to access these resources, visit the WCLP’s newly launched website.
Utah Bar Journal
November / December 2020: Don’t) Kill All the Lawyers by Heather Farnsworthh | Remembering Judge Kwan | Getting to the Bottom of the Access-to-Justice Gap | The Utah Courts’ Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic| and much more…
UTAH SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSES A PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSESS CHANGES TO THE GOVERNANCE OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW and access to justice
The Utah Supreme Court voted unanimously on August 12th, 2020 to authorize a pilot program to test pioneering changes to the practice of law and changes designed to address the access-to-justice crisis in America. These changes allow individuals and entities to explore creative ways to safely allow lawyers and non-lawyers to practice law and to reduce constraints on how lawyers market and promote their services.
Supreme Court Standing Order No. 15
Information on Order and Changes
First “Regulatory Sandbox” Applications Approved
The Office of Legal Services Innovation, which has the authority to authorize lawyers and qualified entities to engage in what has traditionally been the practice of law in new, creative ways in the Regulatory Sandbox, has approved ten applications to participate in the Sandbox.
• Rocket Lawyer, an online platform that helps consumers create legal documents and connects them with a network of independent attorneys. The company already serves consumers in Utah, but now will be able to hire staff attorneys directly.
• LawHQ: The Salt Lake City law firm plans to offer equity ownership to certain software developers in the firm. LawHQ also plans to offer a software application, called CallerHQ, designed to allow consumers to report spam telephone calls, text messages and voicemails. Consumers signed up through the application may then be joined into a mass tort litigation brought by LawHQ against the spammers.
• 1Law: This entity plans to provide no-cost and low-cost legal services to assist clients in completing court documents and also offer related legal advice using chatbots, instant messaging, automated interviews, nonlawyer staff and technology-assisted lawyers. 1Law plans to have more than 50% nonlawyer ownership.
• LawPal: This entity plans to provide a TurboTax-like technology platform to generate legal documents in contested and uncontested divorce and custody cases, eviction cases and debt-related property seizure cases. It expects to feature 50% nonlawyer ownership.
• Blue Bee Bankruptcy Law: The sole owner of the firm plans to give his paralegal employee a 10% ownership interest in the firm as an incentive to remain with the firm.
• Nuttall, Brown, & Coutts: Law firm partnering with insurance companies to provide legal subscription services to consumers; personal injury self-service app; ADR platform.
• Fiduciary Law: The Fiduciary Law Firm is a proposed new law firm entity to be launched with 100% ownership held by R&R Group, Inc. R&R Group, Inc. is a privately-held, for-profit corporation currently operating in the state of Utah. Majority ownership is held by Rick Stanzione. The company owns multiple subsidiaries offering a variety of services, including financial and investment advising, basic tax and accounting services (no CPA or public company auditing services), and insurance.
Fiduciary Law will offer legal services to the clients of other R&R Group entities and to the public generally. Once the entity is formed, R&R Group will bring on at least one Utah licensed lawyer as a minority owner of the firm.
• Estate Guru is an online software platform that helps thousands of individuals navigate estate planning documents, wills, health care directives and other estate matters.
• Firmly: Proposes creating a technology driven, startup-focused law firm to serve and increase access to affordable legal counsel for the growing entrepreneurial community in Silicon Slopes. The firm will develop software tools to facilitate provision of efficient and transparent legal services, purchased by subscription. The firm will include at least one nonlawyer, software developer equity partner.
For updates on the regulatory reform process, visit the OLSI website.
2019-2020 Annual Report
MCLE Compliance Changes
2020 CLE Compliance Reporting Period
On March 12, 2020, the Supreme Court authorized the Supreme Court Board of Continuing Legal Education “the Board” to suspend the traditional live in-person credit requirement for lawyers reporting in 2020, allowing all required CLE to be fulfilled with online self-study with audio or video presentations, webcasts or computer interactive telephonic programs for the compliance period ending June 30, 2020.
On April 13, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 virus, the cancellation of in-person CLE courses, and the uncertainty as to when in-person courses may resume, the Supreme Court authorized the Board to extend compliance deadlines for the compliance period ending June 30, 2020. Lawyers will have through September 1, 2020 to complete required CLE hours without paying late filing fees and will have through September 15, 2020 to file Certificate of Compliance reports without paying late filing fees.
2021 CLE Compliance Reporting Period
On April 13, 2020, the Supreme Court authorized the Board to suspend the traditional live in-person credit requirement for lawyers reporting in 2021, allowing all required CLE to be fulfilled with online self-study with audio or video presentations, webcasts or computer interactive telephonic programs for the compliance period ending June 30, 2021. Please note: The 2020 Compliance Reporting Period Extension does not apply to the 2021 Compliance Reporting Period.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this announcement, please contact Sydnie Kuhre, MCLE Board Director at sydnie.kuhre@utahbar.org or 801-297-7035.
November eBulletin
In this edition: | Bar Survey Gives Picture of Where Lawyers Stand on Key Issues| Fall Forum Virtual CLE Series | Bar Executive Director John Baldwin Retiring Effective June 30 | Licensing Renewal Late Fees Begin, Renew by Dec. 1 to Avoid Suspension | Well Being Byte: Plan Ahead to be Successful This Winter | Live CLE Requirement Suspended for 2021 Compliance Cycle | Utah Minority Bar Association Announces Virtual 2020 Scholarship and Awards Banquet | Additional Entities Approved to Operate in the Regulatory Sandbox
Well-Being
The Well-Being Committee for the Legal Profession (“WCLP”) is a coalition of lawyers, judges, law school representatives, and mental health and science professionals. Co-chaired by Justice Paige Petersen and attorney Cara Tangaro, the WCLP is committed to improving well-being for Utah’s legal practitioners and to offering information, resources, and actionable, evidence-based recommendations. To learn more and to access these resources, visit the WCLP’s newly launched website.
Utah Bar Journal
November / December 2020: Don’t) Kill All the Lawyers by Heather Farnsworthh | Remembering Judge Kwan | Getting to the Bottom of the Access-to-Justice Gap | The Utah Courts’ Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic| and much more…
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