As Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee            1            

122nd General Assembly                                             4            

   Regular Session                                   S. B. No. 58  5            

      1997-1998                                                    6            


                     SENATORS LATTA-BLESSING                       8            


                                                                   10           

                           A   B I L L                                          

             To amend sections 4705.07 and 4705.99 of the Revised  12           

                Code to increase the criminal penalties for        13           

                engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.                   




BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:        15           

      Section 1.  That sections 4705.07 and 4705.99 of the         17           

Revised Code be amended to read as follows:                        18           

      Sec. 4705.07.  (A)  No person who is not regularly licensed  27           

to practice law in this state shall hold himself DO EITHER OF THE  29           

FOLLOWING:                                                                      

      (1)  HOLD THAT PERSON out in any manner as an attorney at    31           

law, or shall represent himself either;                            33           

      (2)  REPRESENT THAT PERSON orally or in writing, directly    35           

or indirectly, as BEING authorized to practice law.                36           

      (B)  The use of "lawyer," "attorney at law," "counselor at   38           

law," "law," "law office," or other equivalent words by any        40           

person WHO IS not licensed to practice law, in connection with     42           

his THAT PERSON'S own name, or any sign, advertisement, card,      43           

letterhead, circular, or other writing, document, or design, the   44           

evident purpose of which is to induce others to believe such THAT  45           

person to be an attorney, constitutes holding out within the       47           

meaning of DIVISION (A) OF this section.                           48           

      Sec. 4705.99.   Whoever violates section 4705.07 of the      57           

Revised Code shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more     58           

than five hundred dollars IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST  59           

DEGREE.                                                                         

      Section 2.  That existing sections 4705.07 and 4705.99 of    61           

                                                          2      

                                                                 
the Revised Code are hereby repealed.                              62