Monday, December 27, 2004

Possible Growth in Workers Comp Services for Lawyers

Local lawyers - and members of the Cincinnati Law Library Association! - were interviewed in a recent article in the Cincinnati Business Courier on the Ohio Supreme Court ruling in Cleveland Bar Ass'n v. CompManagement, Inc. (Webcite: 2004-Ohio-6506; Dec. 15, 2004). The Court held that non-lawyers appearing before the Industrial Commission and the Bureau of Workers' Compensation are not engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, so long as they conform to the rules set out in Industrial Commission Resolution R04-1-01.

The lawyers interviewed believe that the decision, although technically a "win" for the non-lawyer group representing participants in hearings, will lead to an increase in workers' compensation representation by lawyers, and at least one firm indicated they'd be adding an attorney to deal with the expected increase.

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