Zonis v. Grubman

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

PETER ZONIS, : Plaintiff, : 20-CV-7181 (JMF) -V- : ORDER LIZZIE GRUBMAN et al., : Defendants. :

JESSE M. FURMAN, United States District Judge: The Court received the attached letter from Michael Christy regarding his involvement in this case as an assistant and paralegal to the pro se Plaintiff. The statutory provision governing appearances in federal court, 28 U.S.C. § 1654, allows only two types of representation: (1) “that by an attorney admitted to the practice of law by a governmental regulatory body”; and (2) “that by a person representing himself.” Eagle Assocs. v. Bank of Montreal, 926 F.2d 1305, 1308 Qd Cir. 1991). Thus, “an individual who is not licensed as an attorney may not appear on another person’s behalf in the other’s cause.” U.S. ex rel. Mergent Servs. v. Flaherty, 540 F.3d 89, 92 (2d Cir. 2008) Ginternal quotation marks and citation omitted)); see also Iannaccone v. Law, 142 F.3d 553, 558 (2d Cir. 1998) (“[B]ecause pro se means to appear for one’s self, a person may not appear on another person’s behalf in the other’s cause.”). Accordingly, despite the Court’s sympathy for the Plaintiff (if he is limited in the ways Mr. Christy suggests), Mr. Christy may not appear on behalf of the Plaintiff or otherwise represent him in connection with this case.' The Clerk of Court is directed to mail a copy of this Order to the Plaintiff. SO ORDERED. Dated: January 4, 2021 New York, New York SSE RMAN ited States District Judge Separate and apart from the foregoing, the Court cautions Mr. Christy that his provision of legal advice and assistance in drafting legal documents may well constitute the unauthorized practice of law, which is unlawful in New York. See N.Y. Judiciary Law § 478 (“It shall be unlawful for any natural person to practice or appear as an attorney-at-law or as an attorney and counselor-at-law for a person other than himself or herself in a court of record in this state, or to furnish attorneys or counsel or an attorney and counsel to render legal services . . . without having first been duly and regularly licensed and admitted to practice law in the courts of record of this state, and without having taken the constitutional oath.”’).

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