Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee v. Parsons Technology, Inc.

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

1999 WL 47235 (1999)

Relevant factsFree

Parsons (defendant) sold Quicken Family Lawyer software that asked users questions to determine suitable legal forms and generated customized legal documents, displaying an attorney-consultation disclaimer only on initial startup rather than on packaging or subsequent uses; the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee (plaintiff) sued under Texas's unauthorized-practice statute seeking an injunction, and both parties moved for summary judgment.

IssueFree

Whether, in Texas, selling software that provides blank legal documents with completion instructions, without clearly disclaiming the need to consult an attorney, constitutes the unauthorized practice of law.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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