The Unauthorized Practice of Law and Remote Work: Ethics, Regulation, and Innovation in 2025

Amy E. Richardson | HWG LLP

Amy Richardson is a partner with HWG LLP, where she serves as Chair of the Legal Ethics and Malpractice group. Ms. Richardson counsels and represents lawyers and law firms in disciplinary investigations and prosecutions and malpractice matters. She counsels and advises lawyers and law firms in partner admissions and departures, and law firm dissolutions. She teaches ethics and professional responsibility at Duke University School of Law. Ms. Richardson has also successfully represented companies and individuals before federal and state regulatory agencies and Offices of Inspector General. Ms. Richardson’s extensive white collar criminal defense experience includes preparing clients for grand jury appearances and trial work. Ms. Richardson has received Chambers USA’s top ranking for white collar crime and government investigations lawyers in North Carolina.

Jessica Bednarz | IAALS, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System

Jessica Bednarz is the Director of Legal Services and the Profession at IAALS. In this role, Jessica is responsible for leading the vision and strategy of IAALS’ work around innovation, regulation, reform, and evolution in the areas of delivery of legal services and the legal profession more generally.

Jessica joined IAALS in 2023 after working at The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF). During her eight years with the CBF, Jessica worked on a wide range of access to justice issues. Her most recent work includes overseeing the CBF’s legal incubator program called the Justice Entrepreneurs Project, launching Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice in Colorado, staffing the Chicago Bar Association & Chicago Bar Foundation Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law and Innovation focused on regulatory reform, and creating practice resources such as the CBF Pricing and Limited Scope Representation Toolkits.

Prior to working at the CBF, Jessica was in private practice specializing in family law, both as a solo practitioner and as an associate at O’Connor Family Law, P.C. She later served as the MCLE Coordinator for The Chicago Bar Association and served as a consultant for the Colorado Bar Association.

Jessica received her JD and family law certificate, cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law and a BS from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She currently serves on the Colorado Access to Justice Commission Delivery of Legal Services Committee, the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, and the Legal Services Corporation Emerging Leaders Council. Jessica is originally from Fishers, Indiana. In her free time, she enjoys exploring, traveling, and community gardening.

I. UPL in a remote practice environment | 1:00pm – 1:20pm

II. Relevant ABA and state opinions on remote work | 1:20pm – 1:40pm

III. Regulatory innovation and sandbox learnings | 1:40pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

IV. Multijurisdictional risks and policy trends | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

V. Evidence from IAALS on consumer-oriented legal services | 2:40pm – 3:10pm