The Utah Supreme Court recently posted its Standing Order 15 and proposed amendments to its Rules of Professional Conduct 5.4 (Professional Independence of a Lawyer) and 1.5 (Attorney Fees), which pave the way for collaboration between lawyers and non-lawyers to both provide legal services and share revenue. Future
Utah Supreme Court Justice Constandinos “Deno” Himonas spoke to the ABA Journal and explained, “We are envisioning a combination of lawyer and tech people working together to use the platforms of the 21st century in providing legal services.” He also stated that the fundamental ethical duties, such as client confidentiality will be maintained.
Utah is proposing a regulatory sandbox so that its Supreme Court can maintain oversight of collaborative proposals. Justice Himonas noted that COVID-19 has further revealed the need for lower cost legal services and regulatory reform.
The Utah proposals are posted and open for comment for 90 days.
Stay tuned for what may become one of the most significant events in the U.S. legal profession’s history.
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