A Resource for In-House Lawyers

Patent lawyers who are not licensed should register or should be extremely careful to limit their practice to “practice before the patent office” or various unauthorized practice of law issues, privilege waiver, and other problems can result.  In-house lawyers have to be really careful to ensure the state registration includes advice to affiliates, and not just the corporate employers, and any kind of charge by the employer for the lawyer’s services can raise lots of issues.  (Fun times.)

So, I’m writing a paper on privilege (patent agent, and patent lawyers who are in-house but not licensed in the state they practice in). In the course of doing so , I’ve been reading these state statutes and also thinking about them.  I compiled a list and thought I’d share it. The ABA’s first, since it compiles them, but many links are broken and so the correct ones follow.  So, if you don’t see your state, go to the ABA site.  If you see your state, use this link.

If you haven’t thought through the privilege issues, you should give  your in-house friends a heads up. You can also use lack of authority to attack many things, like opinions of counsel, privilege…

  • http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/in_house_rules.authcheckdam.pdf
  • AL: https://www.alabar.org/assets/uploads/2014/08/Auth.-House-Counsel-ruleVIII.pdf
  • CA: http://www.courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=nine&linkid=rule9_46
  • DE: http://courts.delaware.gov/rules/pdf/SupremeCourtRules.pdf RULE 55.2
  • ID: https://isb.idaho.gov/pdf/rules/ibcr.pdf RULE 225
  • IA: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ACO/CourtRulesChapter/06-14-2012.31.pdf RULE 31.16
  • KS: http://www.kscourts.org/rules/Rule-List.asp?r1=Rules+Relating+to+Admission+of+Attorneys RULE 712
  • KY: https://govt.westlaw.com/kyrules/Document/NC4429FD0A91C11DA8F5EE32367A250AE?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)
  • MI:http://courts.mi.gov/courts/michigansupremecourt/rules/documents/rules%20for%20the%20board%20of%20law%20examiners.pdf RULE 5
  • MN: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/court_rules/rule.php?type=pr&subtype=admi&id=9
  • NE: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/ch3/art12
  • OH: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/LegalResources/Rules/govbar/govbar.pdf RULE VI SECTION 6
  • OK: http://www.okbar.org/Portals/13/PDF/Governance/Rules-Creating-Control.pdf ART II SECTION 5
  • RI: https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/SupremeCourt/Supreme%20Court%20Rules/AdmissionBar-ArticleII.pdf RULE 9
  • TN: http://tncourts.gov/rules/supreme-court/7 SECTION 10.01
  • VA: http://www.vsb.org/pro-guidelines/index.php/corp-council/

About David

Professor of Law, Mercer University School of Law. Formerly Of Counsel, Taylor English Duma, LLP and in 2012-13, judicial clerk to Chief Judge Rader.