Unauthorized Practice of Law by Remote Attorneys: What attorneys should know about virtual law practice and telecommuting

Amy Richardson | Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis

Amy Richardson is a partner with Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, where she serves as Chair of the Legal Ethics and Malpractice group. Ms. Richardson counsels and represents lawyers and law firms in disciplinary investigations and prosecutions and malpractice matters. She counsels and advises lawyers and law firms in partner admissions and departures, and law firm dissolutions. She teaches ethics and professional responsibility at the Georgetown University Law Center and Duke University School of Law. Ms. Richardson has also successfully represented companies and individuals before federal and state regulatory agencies and Offices of Inspector General. Ms. Richardson’s extensive white-collar criminal defense experience includes preparing clients for grand jury appearances and trial work. Ms. Richardson has received Chambers USA‘s top ranking for white collar crime and government investigations lawyers in North Carolina.

Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Richardson served a judicial clerkship for the Honorable. N. Carlton Tilley, Middle District of North Carolina. Ms. Richardson received her J.D., cum laude, from Duke University School of Law, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of North Carolina.

Lauren Snyder | Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis

Lauren Snyder is a partner with Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, where she focuses her practice on legal ethics and malpractice, complex civil litigation, and government enforcement actions. Ms. Snyder practices in Washington, D.C. and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ms. Snyder has represented various individuals and corporations in a wide range of federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. Ms. Snyder has served as both defense and plaintiff’s counsel and has been involved in all aspects of litigation, from initial case assessments to trials and appeals. Ms. Snyder has handled various disciplinary complaints before different disciplinary authorities, including matters before the USPTO’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline, and D.C.’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Ms. Snyder has assisted clients concerning admission to the USPTO and the D.C. Bar, and advised clients concerning the merits of legal malpractice actions.

Ms. Snyder received her J.D., with high honors, from the George Washington University Law School, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Vanderbilt University. Prior to entering law school, she taught at-risk middle school students through Teach for America, where she helped implement a gang prevention program.

1. Virtual Practice vs. Telecommuting | 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
2. Unauthorized Practice of Law (“UPL”): ABA Model Rule 5.5 | 2:30 pm – 2:40 pm
3. Non-UPL Carve-Outs | 2:40 pm – 3:00 pm

Break | 3:00 pm – 3:10 pm

4. Outlier Jurisdictions | 3:10 pm – 3:20 pm
5. ABA Formal Opinion 495 (2020) | 3:20 pm – 3:30 pm
6. How to Avoid UPL | 3:30 pm – 3:45 pm
7. Hypotheticals | 3:45 pm – 4:10 pm