Opinion ID: 1855013
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the unauthorized practice of law statute

Text: [12, 13] ¶ 20. The primary purpose of laws controlling the unauthorized practice of law is to protect the public. Hopper v. City of Madison, 79 Wis. 2d 120, 133-34, 256 N.W.2d 139 (1977). Statutes and rules that control the unauthorized practice of law assure that the public is not harmed by inadequate or unethical representation. Littleton v. Langlois, 37 Wis. 2d 360, 364, 155 N.W.2d 150 (1967). ¶ 21. Section 757.30(1), Wis. Stat., describes the penalty for practicing law without a license. Section 757.30(2), Wis. Stat., describes the practice of law for purposes of this section. The practice of law includes appearing on behalf of some other person or entity in any action or proceeding in or before any court of record, court commissioner, or judicial tribunal of the United States, or of any state. Wis. Stat. § 757.30(2). The practice of law also includes the giving of professional legal advice not incidental to that person's usual or ordinary business, and the rendering of any legal service for any other person or firm, partnership, association or corporation. Id. Individuals may forego legal representation by an attorney and represent themselves in court proceedings. Wis. Const. art. I, sec. 21. [14-16] ¶ 22. Under the plain language of the rules and statutes, we conclude that only lawyers can appear on behalf of, or perform legal service for, corporations in legal proceedings before Wisconsin courts. The intent of the legislature is clear. The only exception the legislature has made to the unauthorized practice of law statute is the exception contained in Wis. Stat. § 799.06(2) for actions filed in small claims court. When the legislature specifically enumerates certain exceptions to a statute, we will presume that the legislature intended to exclude any other exceptions. Georgina G. v. Terry M., 184 Wis. 2d 492, 512, 516 N.W.2d 678 (1994). Under our authority to define and regulate the practice of law, we will not devise an additional exception. [14] State ex rel. State Bar of Wisconsin v. Bonded Collections, Inc., 36 Wis. 2d 643, 648-49, 154 N.W.2d 250 (1967). [17] ¶ 23. The notice of appeal is the paper which invokes the appellate court's jurisdiction. A person who signs and files a notice of appeal on behalf of another, is rendering a legal service. [15] When a nonlawyer engages in such conduct, not on his own behalf but on behalf of a corporation, that person is subject to penalty under Wis. Stat. § 757.30. ¶ 24. We conclude that the legislature plainly intended that the signing and filing of a notice of appeal on behalf of a corporation is the practice of law. [16] See Wis. Stat. § 757.30(2). To conclude otherwise would be unreasonable, and would frustrate the purpose of protection of the public. Blueprint essentially asks us to construe the statute to mean that the practice of law includes the filing of a complaint through representation at trial, the filing of appellate briefs and the provision of oral arguments. But Blueprint would have us construe the statute to mean that a jurisdictional step in the middle of that process is not the practice of law. Such a construction is unreasonable. We avoid statutory construction that works an absurd or unreasonable result. Georgina G. v. Terry M., 184 Wis. 2d at 509.