Florida Bar Board Rejects Plan To Loosen Firm Ownership Rules

The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors unanimously rejected proposals to let non-attorneys own law firms and share in legal fees.

The Nov. 8 votes rejected recommendations made in late June by a special committee created by the Florida Supreme Court.

The vote bucked the trend of states such as Arizona, Utah and California that have moved forward with proposals designed to make legal systems less costly and more accessible to consumers.

The board also debated whether to allow not-for-profit law firms, designed like some legal aid offices, to operate before deciding to table the idea, according to the bar. The ...