G.L. c.221, §41
CHAPTER 221. CLERKS, ATTORNEYS AND OTHER OFFICERS OF JUDICIAL COURTS
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G.L. c.221, §41 Unauthorized practice of law; solicitation of business; penalty
Section 41. Whoever has been so removed and continues thereafter to practice law or to receive any fee for his services as an attorney at law rendered after such removal, or who holds himself out, or who represents or advertises himself as an attorney or counsellor at law, or whoever, not having been lawfully admitted to practice as an attorney at law, represents himself to be an attorney or counsellor at law, or to be lawfully qualified to practice in the courts of the commonwealth, by means of a sign, business card, letter head or otherwise, or holds himself out or represents or advertises himself as having authority or power in behalf of persons who have claims for damages to procure settlements of such claims for damages either to person or property, or whoever, not being an attorney at law, solicits or procures from any such person or his representative, either for himself or another, the management or control of any such claim, or authority to adjust or bring suit to recover for the same, or solicits for himself or another from a person accused of crime or his representative the right to defend the accused person, shall be punished for a first offence by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, and for a subsequent offence by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.
G.L. c.221, §46
CHAPTER 221. CLERKS, ATTORNEYS AND OTHER OFFICERS OF JUDICIAL COURTS
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G.L. c.221, §46 Practice of law by corporations; prohibition; exception
Section 46. No corporation or association shall practice or appear as an attorney for any person other than itself in any court in the commonwealth or before any judicial body or hold itself out to the public or advertise as being entitled to practice law, and no corporation or association shall draw agreements, or other legal documents not relating to its lawful business, or draw wills, or give legal advice in matters not relating to its lawful business, or practice law, or hold itself out in any manner as being entitled to do any of the foregoing acts, by or through any person orally or by advertisement, letter or circular; provided, that nothing herein shall prohibit a corporation or association from employing an attorney in regard to its own affairs or in any litigation to which it is or may be a party or the insurer of a party. Any corporation or association violating this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars; and every officer, agent or employee of any such corporation or association who, on behalf of the same, directly or indirectly, engages in any of the acts herein prohibited, or assists such corporation or association to do such prohibited acts, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to a professional corporation organized to practice law under chapter one hundred and fifty-six A or to a limited liability company, whether domestic or foreign, or a general partnership, including a registered limited liability partnership registered pursuant to the laws of any state, the partners or professional employees of which company or partnership who practice law in the commonwealth do so in accordance with the requirements of the supreme judicial court.
G.L. c.221, §46A Practice of law; persons authorized
Section 46A. No individual, other than a member, in good standing, of the bar of this commonwealth shall practice law, or, by word, sign, letter, advertisement or otherwise, hold himself out as authorized, entitled, competent, qualified or able to practice law; provided, that a member of the bar, in good standing, of any other state may appear, by permission of the court, as attorney or counselor, in any case pending therein, if such other state grants like privileges to members of the bar, in good standing, of this commonwealth.
G.L. c.221, §46B Jurisdiction to restrain violation of Sec. 46, 46A or 46C
Section 46B. The supreme judicial court and the superior court shall have concurrent jurisdiction in equity, upon petition of any bar association within the commonwealth, or of three or more members of the bar of the commonwealth, or of the attorney general, or of the district attorney within his district, to restrain violations of section forty-six, forty-six A or forty-six C.
G.L. c.221, §46D Credit counseling corporations, applicability of Secs. 46 to 46C
Section 46D. The provisions of sections forty-six, forty-six A, forty-six B and forty-six C shall not apply to a corporation, or its agents, which has been organized under the provisions of chapter one hundred and eighty for the purpose of providing credit counseling.
G.L. c.221, §48 Prosecution or defense of own suits; restriction
Section 48. Parties may manage, prosecute or defend their own suits personally, or by such attorneys as they may engage; but not more than two persons for each party shall, without permission of the court, be allowed to manage any case therein.
