FakeLawyerReport

Tennessee · Paralegals practicing law

Paralegals practicing law in Tennessee

If a non-lawyer took your money in Tennessee — under the guise of paralegals practicing law — Tennessee law is on your side. Here's how the claim works.

Reviewed July 2026 by the FakeLawyerReport editorial team

Why this is illegal in Tennessee

Paralegals must work under a licensed attorney. When one takes on clients directly or gives legal advice, it's UPL — even if they used to work at a real firm.

Tennessee's UPL statute: Tenn. Code Ann. § 23-3-103

Tennessee makes it a Class A misdemeanor to engage in the practice of law without a license, and a Class E felony on repeat offenses. The Board of Professional Responsibility investigates UPL.

Penalties in Tennessee

Class A misdemeanor (up to 11 months, 29 days and $2,500) for a first offense; Class E felony (1–6 years) for repeats.

What you can recover

  • A full refund of every dollar you paid.
  • Statutory or civil damages under Tennessee's consumer-protection laws.
  • Attorneys' fees in most cases — often no out-of-pocket cost.
  • Referral to a licensed Tennessee attorney to try to fix the underlying case.

How to report paralegals practicing law in Tennessee

  1. File with Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility — the state bar's UPL committee.
  2. File a consumer complaint with the Tennessee Attorney General.
  3. Submit your case on this site for a free confidential review with a licensed Tennessee attorney who handles UPL recovery.

Related resources

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