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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn Elkhart woman has been ordered by the Indiana Supreme Court to cease the unauthorized practice of law in matters of immigration, business and family law.
Justices issued an order Friday asking that Lisa Lara be permanently enjoined from continuing her unauthorized legal work. Lara, who is not a licensed attorney, prepared “legal documents such as affidavits, powers of attorney, answers, eviction notices, leases, business registrations, quit claim deeds and automobile sales contracts” for her Indiana clients.
Lara provided legal services under “Mi Voz Es Tu Voz,” or “My voice is your voice,” an office she opened in 2003, according to Yelp.com. The business’ description explicitly states that Lara is not an attorney.
A formal disciplinary verified complaint was filed in February against Lara, who did not answer the complaint. A motion for ruling on the verified complaint was filed on June 12, and the court granted the petition’s allegations as true.
In imposing the permanent injunction, the justices found that Lara is not precluded from seeking employment at a law firm or with a lawyer as a nonlawyer assistant – so long as she she abides by the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct or Guideline 9 for the use of nonlawyer assistants.
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