United States District Court
Northern District Of Illinois
Local Rules
LR83.55.5. Unauthorized Practice of Law
A lawyer shall not:
(1) practice law in a jurisdiction where doing so violates the regulation of the
legal profession in that jurisdiction; or
(2) assist a person who is not a member of the bar in the performance of activity
that constitutes the unauthorized practice of law.
Committee Comment. The definition of the practice of law is established by law and varies from
one jurisdiction to another. Whatever the definition, limiting the practice of
law to members of the bar protects the public against rendition of legal services
by unqualified persons. Subsection (2) does not prohibit a lawyer from
employing the services of paraprofessionals and delegating functions to them, so long
as the lawyer supervises the delegated work and retains responsibility for
their work. See LR83.55.3. Likewise, it does not prohibit lawyers from providing professional
advice and instruction to nonlawyers whose employment requires knowledge of
law; for example, claims adjusters, employees of financial or commercial
institutions, social workers, accountants and persons employed in government agencies.
In addition, a lawyer may counsel nonlawyers who wish to proceed pro se.