Title 11
Criminal Offenses

Chapter 27
Law Practice

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-27-11

§ 11-27-11. Practices permitted to persons not members of bar.

Nothing in §§ 11-27-5 — 11-27-11 shall be construed to limit or prevent:

(1) Clerks of court and recorders of deeds from the drafting of any legal instruments that may be necessary for the proper conduct and discharge of their respective offices and duties.

(2) Clerks or registered students in law offices from acting under the direction of a member of the bar of this state whose authority as a member to practice law is in full force and effect.

(3) Any person from occasionally collecting or adjusting any unassigned claim of or against any member of his or her household or of or against his or her regular and principal employer.

(4) The performance of any service personally performed by any natural person acting as administrator, executor, guardian, trustee, or other fiduciary in the preparation, rendering, and allowance of inventories, accounts, tax returns, or other services personally performed by him or her in relation to the fiduciary estate without the intervention of another person.

(5) Town clerks from drafting deeds and mortgages and transfers and discharges of deeds and mortgages for recording in their own offices.

(6) Any person from drawing, in the regular course of his or her regular business or employment, any note, bill, draft, bill of sale, conditional bill of sale, or any ordinary business agreement, to which he or she or his or her regular and principal employer is a party.

(7) Any certified public accountant or member of the American Institute of Accountants from appearing or acting as a representative of another person before any federal, state, or municipal department, board, division, department, commission, agency, or any body other than a court, authorized or constituted by law to determine any question of fact, affecting the imposition or adjustment of taxes or regarding any financial or accounting matter, or from preparing for or on behalf of another person any federal, state, or municipal return or report of any nature or description, or advising another person in relation to the preparation of any such return or report.

(8) Any person registered to practice before the Interstate Commerce Commission or member of the Association of Practitioners before the Interstate Commerce Commission from appearing or acting as representative of another person before any federal, state, or municipal department, board, commission, agency, or any body other than a court, authorized or constituted by law to determine any question of fact, affecting the rights of any carrier of persons or property in intrastate or interstate commerce, or from preparing for or on behalf of another person any federal, state, or municipal application, report or other writing of any nature or description, or advising another person in relation to the preparation of the application, report, or other writing.

(9) Any public accountant from advising a taxpayer in connection with the imposition or adjustment of taxes or any person from preparing for or on behalf of a taxpayer any federal, state, or municipal tax return or tax report, provided the person or public accountant regularly audits or examines the accounting records of the taxpayer or any person from preparing for or on behalf of a taxpayer any federal, state, or municipal personal income tax return.

History of Section.
G.L. 1923, ch. 401, § 45; P.L. 1935, ch. 2190, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 612, § 43; P.L. 1940, ch. 947, § 1; P.L. 1954, ch. 3319, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 11-27-11; P.L. 1983, ch. 240, § 1; P.L. 1987, ch. 416, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 109, § 7.