PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3207 PRINTER'S NO. 3283
No. 2449 Session of 1996
INTRODUCED BY FEESE, DEMPSEY, LYNCH, STABACK, BAKER, TRAVAGLIO,
MAITLAND, L. I. COHEN, FARGO, HALUSKA, ARGALL, TRUE, MELIO,
STISH, TRELLO, SHANER, BELFANTI, BOSCOLA, EGOLF, DiGIROLAMO,
GEIST, COLAFELLA, SHEEHAN, E. Z. TAYLOR, GANNON, YOUNGBLOOD,
ROONEY, RAMOS, DERMODY AND SCHRODER, MARCH 12, 1996
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 19, 1996
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the
3 unauthorized practice of law.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 2524(a) of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
8 adding a subsection to read:
9 § 2524. Penalty for unauthorized practice of law.
10 (a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), any
11 person, including, but not limited to, a paralegal or legal
12 assistant, who within this Commonwealth shall practice law, or
13 who shall hold himself out to the public as being entitled to
14 practice law, or use or advertise the title of lawyer, attorney
15 at law, attorney and counselor at law, counselor, or the
16 equivalent in any language, in such a manner as to convey the
1 impression that he is a practitioner of the law of any
2 jurisdiction, without being an attorney at law or a corporation
3 complying with 15 Pa.C.S. Ch. 29 (relating to professional
4 corporations), commits a misdemeanor of the [third] first <--
5 degree[.] upon a first violation. A second or subsequent
6 violation of this subsection constitutes a felony of the third <--
7 degree MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST DEGREE. <--
8 * * *
9 (c) Injunction.--In addition to criminal prosecution,
10 unauthorized practice of law may be enjoined in any county court
11 of common pleas having personal jurisdiction over the defendant.
12 The party obtaining such an injunction may be awarded costs and
13 expenses incurred, including reasonable attorney fees, against
14 the enjoined party. A violation of subsection (a) is also a
15 violation of the act of December 17, 1968 (P.L.1224, No.387),
16 known as the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
17 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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