In October 2022, the Texas Supreme Court directed the Texas Access to Justice Commission (TAJC) to study existing rules and recommend actions that would accomplish two goals:
1. Allow qualified non-attorneys to provide limited legal services directly to low-income Texans; and
2. Allow non-attorneys to have economic interests in entities that provide legal services to low-income Texans while preserving attorneys’ independence.
The TAJC formed a working group that met throughout 2023 to study these issues and consider input from the bench, the bar, community partners, and the public.
In December 2023, the working group released its report and recommendations.
In January 2024, the commission voted against the working group’s proposal to create a pilot program permitting non-attorney ownership for entities serving low-income Texans. However, the commission voted to approve the following recommendations regarding paraprofessional representation from the working group’s report:
The working group recommends that non-attorney paraprofessionals, such as legal assistants and paralegals, be able to provide limited legal services and representation, provided they have obtained the appropriate license and maintain it.