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Is an Attorney a Natural Born Person

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  • 12-17-2010, 04:35 PM
    Lawcurious1
    Is an Attorney a Natural Born Person
    I'm doing research into this question. For the purpose of being able to sign documents before a court, effectuate a summons, etc. is an attorney required to be a natural born person. Or can an "attorney" be a legal person such as an LLC or a corporation.

    As near as I can tell the word "attorney" can mean "agent" or it can mean "lawyer".

    For example, imagine a pleading, summons or other legal submission to a court of law that was signed not with the words "John Doe, Esquire" but rather signed with the words "The Law Offices of John Doe". Is that a validly submitted document?
  • 12-17-2010, 11:53 PM
    Mr. Knowitall
    Re: Is an Attorney a Natural Born Person
    If by attorney you mean a person who is licensed to practice law, then you're talking about a natural person.
  • 12-18-2010, 08:30 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Is an Attorney a Natural Born Person
    Well omitting jokes about laywers not being people (or perhaps not naturally born), an attorney may be working for a PA or corporation, he signs as himself, a person, representing whatever client (corporation or individual) he is acting for. The client may be paying the PA or corporation that the attorney is employed by, but the corporation/PA can't act in court or on paper.
  • 12-19-2010, 02:57 AM
    KeyWestDan
    Re: Is an Attorney a Natural Born Person
    No, a corporation can not act as its own attorney. This is very well settled law. Every attorney also has a bar association number which would be on every filing. "Naturally born" is legally a meaningless phrase.

    A corporation or other legal entity can NOT be an attorney. It is a person in the eyes of the law and only a licensed attorney can represent it. No legal fiction is going to get around that. Better minds than yours have tried this game and it doesn't work.
  • 01-02-2011, 02:05 AM
    davidmcbeth3
    Re: Is an Attorney a Natural Born Person
    Quote:

    Quoting Lawcurious1
    View Post
    I'm doing research into this question. For the purpose of being able to sign documents before a court, effectuate a summons, etc. is an attorney required to be a natural born person. Or can an "attorney" be a legal person such as an LLC or a corporation.

    As near as I can tell the word "attorney" can mean "agent" or it can mean "lawyer".

    For example, imagine a pleading, summons or other legal submission to a court of law that was signed not with the words "John Doe, Esquire" but rather signed with the words "The Law Offices of John Doe". Is that a validly submitted document?

    Must be a human being, and a live one at that ... oohhh those mortgage companies & their dead people signing legal papers
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