Opinion ID: 1222121
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the nipko matter

Text: On June 7, 1973, Depew incorporated his law practice in the state of Idaho as a professional service corporation, Jay L. Depew, Chartered. On March 25, 1975, after Depew had been served with notice of his suspension, Jay L. Depew, Chartered, filed a complaint in the District Court of the Fifth Judicial District of Idaho, Twin Falls County, against Dr. Roy A. and Flossie May Nipko. The complaint sought recovery for attorney's fees for services that Depew Chartered was alleged to have had performed for the defendants over a period of time from the fall of 1973 through January of 1975. At the top of the complaint appeared the following: JAY L. DEPEW, CHARTERED Counselor at Law P.O. Box 961 Twin Falls, Idaho 83301 Telephone: 734-3000 A similar legend appeared in the margin of each page of the complaint and the complaint was signed by Jay L. Depew for Jay L. Depew, Chartered. Other documents subsequently filed in the Nipko suit also contained this heading, legend and signature although Depew later began to sign as president of Depew Chartered, the legend disappeared from the margin and the words Counselor at Law were not included in some of the headings. The Discipline Committee found that Depew's actions in the Nipko suit constituted the unauthorized practice of law, rejecting Depew's contentions that he was in effect permissibly acting pro se and/or that Depew Chartered was entitled to sue, with Depew signing as president, for the value of the services he performed prior to being suspended. The Committee found that Depew had violated I.C. § 3-104 [1] and I.C. § 3-420 [2] and also the suspension order of this court.