Can a law firm list nonlawyer employees, such as paralegals, office managers, and legal assistants, on its letterhead?
Apply this to your situation
This page answers the general question as of 1987. Ask about yours and see what the current Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.
Plain-English summary
The inquiry noted that several attorneys had begun listing the names of lay employees, such as office managers and paralegals, on their office letterhead, and asked whether it is permissible to include nonlawyers, including office managers, paralegals, and secretaries who do paralegal work, on firm stationery, and under what conditions.
The committee concluded that, provided the inclusion is not misleading, nonlawyers may be identified on firm stationery, citing its Opinions 294 and 84-10. It stated that designations such as "paralegal," "legal assistant," "law clerk," "investigator," "office administrator (manager)," and "support staff" would be permissible so long as the person's nonlawyer status is also clearly indicated.
Currency note
This opinion was issued in September 1987, under the former Illinois Code of Professional Responsibility and before Illinois adopted the 1990 (and later 2010) Rules of Professional Conduct. The ISBA Board of Governors affirmed the opinion in July 2010 as generally consistent with the 2010 Rules (Rules 7.1 and 7.5), while cautioning that the specific standards referenced may differ from the 2010 Rules. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against current rules before relying on any specific rule or requirement mentioned here.
Common questions
Q: Can a firm put paralegals and other nonlawyer staff on its letterhead?
A: The opinion concluded yes, provided the letterhead is not misleading and the person's nonlawyer status is clearly indicated.
Q: What titles did the committee treat as permissible?
A: Per the opinion, designations such as "paralegal," "legal assistant," "law clerk," "investigator," "office administrator (manager)," and "support staff" are permissible if the nonlawyer status is clear.
Q: What is the limit?
A: The committee's condition was that the letterhead not be misleading; the controlling concern was that a reader not be led to think a nonlawyer is a lawyer.
Background and rules framework
The opinion applied former Illinois Code Rule 2-101 (governing communications and information about a lawyer's services). The Board's 2010 affirmation maps the analysis to current Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 (communications about a lawyer's services) and 7.5 (firm names and letterheads), corresponding to ABA Model Rules 7.1 and 7.5.
Citations and references
Rules of Professional Conduct:
- Illinois Code Rule 2-101 (communications about services, applied in the opinion)
- Illinois RPC 7.1 and 7.5 (2010 equivalents per the Board's affirmation)
- MR 7.1 (communications about services); MR 7.5 (firm names and letterheads)
Other opinions cited:
- ISBA Opinions 294 and 84-10: identifying nonlawyers on firm stationery
See also
- ISBA Ethics Op. 03-02: Firm Names and Of Counsel
- ISBA Ethics Op. 03-05: Non-Legal Credentials on Cards
- ISBA Ethics Op. 93-15: Nonlawyers at Agency Hearings
Source
- Landing page: https://www.isba.org/ethics/opinions/8701
What do the rules say today, for your facts?
This opinion is from 1987. Ezel checks the current Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct against your situation and cites the rules it relies on.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Checks the law as it stands today, not only this page
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace