Opinion ID: 852007
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Paragraph 42: The Ohio-Suspension Period

Text: The Commission has failed to prove that Farmer engaged in the unauthorized practice of law during his suspension by traveling to Indiana for the purpose of interviewing and collecting an affidavit from a witness as alleged in Paragraph 42 of the Commission’s petition. As the Commissioner noted in his findings of fact, there was no evidence that Farmer and Eddie entered into Indiana on that occasion. More importantly perhaps, there was no evidence that Farmer actually interviewed the witness or collected her affidavit. It is the province of this Court to determine what acts constitute the practice of law. Matter of Contempt of Mittower, 693 N.E.2d 555, 558 (Ind. 1998); see Matter of Patterson, 907 N.E.2d 970, 971 (Ind. 2009) (noting that while this Court has not attempted to provide a comprehensive definition of what constitutes the practice of law, it is clear that the core element of practicing law is giving legal advice to a client, and that the practice of law has been described as making it one's business to act for others in legal formalities, negotiations, or proceedings). The Court concludes that Farmer’s conduct of traveling toward Indiana, even for the purposes alleged in Paragraph 42 of the verified petition, does not constitute the practice of law in Indiana. 9