TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Sep 26, 2024

Arizona's program that allows people who are not lawyers to co-own law firms now has more than 100 approved businesses, Reuters reports. In 2020, Arizona became the first U.S. state to eliminate rules barring non-lawyers from having an economic interest in law firms, allowing lawyers and non-lawyers to co-own legal service businesses if approved by the state's Supreme Court. The court earlier this week approved additional applications, including one from online legal services company Rocket Lawyer. Other national legal services businesses such as LegalZoom, Elevate and Axiom previously were approved. Supporters of the program argue that loosening barriers for non-lawyers to hold a stake in legal services firms can make legal advice more affordable, spur innovation and expand access to justice. Critics contend the changes can lead to abuses if providers are not fully bound by professional ethics rules. The article also looks at pilot programs in Utah, Washington State, California and Florida.