August 6, 1999
Contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-2706
[email protected]
Partnerships with non-lawyers will harm legal profession, warns Vanderbilt professor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A sweeping proposal now before the American Bar Association (ABA) that would allow lawyers to form partnerships and share fees with non-lawyers is dangerous and risky in its present form, warns Harold Levinson, professor of law emeritus at the Vanderbilt University Law School.
The proposal from the ABA Commission on Multidisciplinary Practice would modify longstanding rules that forbid U.S. law firms to merge with accountants, consultants, psychologists and other non-lawyers.
"The commission's recommendations would undermine the independence of the legal profession and hurt the public interest," said Levinson, who is also a member of the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants. The controversial proposal is scheduled to be considered Aug. 10 by the ABA House of Delegates during its annual meeting in Atlanta. The recommendations would also need approval by state bar associations and top courts in the various states to take effect.
If the proposal is approved, Levinson advises drafters of arrangements between lawyers and other professionals to pay strict attention to the rules governing the professions of the non-lawyers.
Levinson previously testified before the ABA Commission on Multidisciplinary Practice, which will hold a public hearing August 8 at the ABA meeting.
Levinson, whose article "The Risks of Multidisciplinary Practice" was published last month in the New York Law Journal, is also writing a book on the same topic.
For more news about Vanderbilt, visit the Media Relations home page on the Internet at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/News/
-VU-
Editor's note: Levinson will be attending the ABA 1999 Annual Meeting and is available for comment. To set up an interview, please call Ann Marie Deer Owens at (615) 322-2706.
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