Innovation in Law
One of the Practice of Law Board's primary responsibilities is to consider and recommend to the Supreme Court new avenues for persons not currently authorized to practice law to provide legal and law-related services that might otherwise constitute the practice of law as defined in GR 24.
Current Plans
For many years, the Board worked on a proposal for a Legal Regulatory pilot project (formerly known as "Sandbox" and "Laboratory"). The pilot project follows the Utah Supreme Court's Legal Regulatory sandbox model.
The first version of a brief to the Court describing the proposal with its new name, data-driven Legal Regulatory Reform, is available here. This brief complements the Blueprint for Legal Regulatory Lab, and an updated version of the Blueprint complimenting the brief is being prepared.
The latest version of the Blueprint for a Legal Regulatory Lab (2.0) is available to view here. A superseded, prior version (1.7) is available here.
The Board has published an FAQ on Data-Driven Legal Regulatory Reform, available here.
The Practice of Law Board has recently published an article on data-driven regulatory reform. The article can be accessed here.
Proposed Order
On July 17, 2024, the Practice of Law Board approved an initial draft order for implementing a pilot test of entity regulation. Following a comment period, on Sept. 18, 2024, the Practice of Law Board approved a revised draft order to implement a pilot test for submission to the Washington Supreme Court. A clean version of the revised order was submitted to the Court as a Proposed Order for Pilot Project to Test Entity Regulation on Sept. 27, 2024. Review the feedback received on the Entity Regulation Pilot Project here.
Entity Regulation Order
On Dec. 5, 2024, the Washington Supreme Court entered an order authorizing a timebound, data-driven test of entity regulation. The pilot will allow successful applicants to practice law under timebound, limited exemptions from otherwise applicable Court rules and statutes governing the practice of law in Washington. Under Order 25700-B-721, the Washington State Bar Association and the Practice of Law Board will collaborate to implement and run the pilot under the supervision of the Court. For more information and updates, please visit the Pilot Test of Entity Regulation page.
Announcements
The Practice of Law Board met with the Washington Supreme Court for its annual meeting on Jan. 4, 2023. The Board presented the Court with a Recommendation for Data-Driven Legal Regulatory Reform. Meeting materials can be viewed here.
The Practice of Law Board met with the Washington Supreme Court for its annual meeting on March 2, 2022. The meeting can be viewed on TVW. Chair Michael Cherry presented the Court with an updated version of a Blueprint for a Legal Regulatory Lab.
On July 1, 2021, Practice of Law Board Chair Michael Cherry presented the Washington Supreme Court with a Blueprint for a Legal Regulatory Sandbox. The meeting can be viewed on TVW. Read NWSidebar's blog post.
