Ohio Paralegal Fined for Her Unauthorized Practice of Law

An Ohio paralegal who used letterhead from the attorney she worked for, without his permission, to handle a matter by herself was fined $5,000 by the state high court for her “flagrant” conduct and enjoined from the further unauthorized practice of law.

The paralegal, identified by Ohio’s Supreme Court as Melissa M. Smidt, got into trouble after trying unsuccessfully to represent a client for the limited purpose of negotiating a home loan modification and avoid a foreclosure.

Whether a nonlawyer engages in the unauthorized practice of law depends on the specific actions a person takes, such as giving legal advice, ...