{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-3900.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-3900.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-3900.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-3900.html"}],"law_id":73725,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73725,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3900","catch_line":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-42; 1972, c. 391; 1974, c. 456; 1976, c. 277; 1988, c. 765; 1991, c. 650; 1994, c. 30; 1998, c. 796; 2008, cc. 136, 845; 2016, c. 704; 2020, cc. 105, 106.","full_text":"Persons who hold a license or certificate to practice law under the laws of this Commonwealth and have paid the license tax prescribed by law may practice law in the Commonwealth.\n\t\tAny person authorized and practicing as counsel or attorney in any state or territory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, may for the purpose of attending to any case he may occasionally have in association with a practicing attorney of this Commonwealth practice in the courts of this Commonwealth, in which case no license fee shall be chargeable against such nonresident attorney.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit the limited practice of law by military legal assistance attorneys who are employed by a military program providing legal services to low-income military clients and their dependents pursuant to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a limited practice of law under the supervision of a practicing attorney by (i) third-year law students or (ii) persons who are in the final year of a program of study as authorized in \u00a7 54.1-3926, pursuant to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit an employee of a state agency in the course of his employment from representing the interests of his agency in administrative hearings before any state agency, such representation to be limited to the examination of witnesses at administrative hearings relating to personnel matters and the adoption of agency standards, policies, rules and regulations.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of the Department of Social Services from completing, signing and filing petitions and motions relating to the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia in Department cases in the juvenile and domestic relations district courts.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local department of social services from appearing before an intake officer to initiate a case in accordance with subsection A of \u00a7 16.1-260 on behalf of the local department of social services.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local department of social services from completing, signing, and filing with the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, petitions for foster care review, petitions for permanency planning hearings, petitions to establish paternity, motions to establish or modify support, motions to amend or review an order, or motions for a rule to show cause.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a nonattorney attendance officer, or a local school division superintendent or his designee when acting as an attendance officer pursuant to \u00a7 22.1-258, from completing, signing, and filing with the intake officer of a juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, a petition for a violation of a school attendance order entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district court pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-278.5 in response to the filing of a petition alleging the pupil is a child in need of supervision as defined in \u00a7 16.1-228.\n\t\tAs used in this chapter “attorney” means attorney-at-law.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":265149,"text":"Persons who hold a license or certificate to practice law under the laws of this Commonwealth and have paid the license tax prescribed by law may practice law in the Commonwealth.\n\t\tAny person authorized and practicing as counsel or attorney in any state or territory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, may for the purpose of attending to any case he may occasionally have in association with a practicing attorney of this Commonwealth practice in the courts of this Commonwealth, in which case no license fee shall be chargeable against such nonresident attorney.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit the limited practice of law by military legal assistance attorneys who are employed by a military program providing legal services to low-income military clients and their dependents pursuant to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a limited practice of law under the supervision of a practicing attorney by (i) third-year law students or (ii) persons who are in the final year of a program of study as authorized in \u00a7 54.1-3926, pursuant to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit an employee of a state agency in the course of his employment from representing the interests of his agency in administrative hearings before any state agency, such representation to be limited to the examination of witnesses at administrative hearings relating to personnel matters and the adoption of agency standards, policies, rules and regulations.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of the Department of Social Services from completing, signing and filing petitions and motions relating to the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia in Department cases in the juvenile and domestic relations district courts.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local department of social services from appearing before an intake officer to initiate a case in accordance with subsection A of \u00a7 16.1-260 on behalf of the local department of social services.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local department of social services from completing, signing, and filing with the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, petitions for foster care review, petitions for permanency planning hearings, petitions to establish paternity, motions to establish or modify support, motions to amend or review an order, or motions for a rule to show cause.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a nonattorney attendance officer, or a local school division superintendent or his designee when acting as an attendance officer pursuant to \u00a7 22.1-258, from completing, signing, and filing with the intake officer of a juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, a petition for a violation of a school attendance order entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district court pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-278.5 in response to the filing of a petition alleging the pupil is a child in need of supervision as defined in \u00a7 16.1-228.\n\t\tAs used in this chapter “attorney” means attorney-at-law.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15490,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13488,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:55:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:55:29","permalink":{"id":244229,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15490,"identifier":"1","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13488,"edition_id":1,"name":"Attorneys","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13487,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","permalink":{"id":244227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13488,"identifier":"39","token":"54.1\/IV\/39","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13487,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions Regulated by the Supreme Court","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","permalink":{"id":244225,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13487,"identifier":"IV","token":"54.1\/IV","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":73725,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3900","catch_line":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","url":"\/54.1-3900\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900","metadata":false},{"id":63244,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3900.01","catch_line":"Protection of client interests; appointment of receiver for practice of a disabled, impaired, absent, deceased, suspended or disbarred attorney","url":"\/54.1-3900.01\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.01","metadata":false},{"id":72192,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3900.02","catch_line":"Disclosure of services provided by the Department of Veterans Services","url":"\/54.1-3900.02\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.02","metadata":false},{"id":87148,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3901","catch_line":"Practice of patent law","url":"\/54.1-3901\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3901","metadata":false},{"id":68321,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3902","catch_line":"Professional corporations; professional limited liability companies; and registered limited liability partnerships","url":"\/54.1-3902\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3902","metadata":false},{"id":76127,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3903","catch_line":"Oath; qualification; proof of licensure or authorization","url":"\/54.1-3903\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3903","metadata":false},{"id":81050,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3904","catch_line":"Penalty for practicing without authority","url":"\/54.1-3904\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3904","metadata":false},{"id":59027,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3905","catch_line":"Furnishing advice and services for compensation in connection with certain debt-pooling plans deemed practicing law","url":"\/54.1-3905\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3905","metadata":false},{"id":70328,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3906","catch_line":"Liability to client","url":"\/54.1-3906\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3906","metadata":false},{"id":86751,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3907","catch_line":"Reasonable care of attorney in selection of index","url":"\/54.1-3907\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3907","metadata":false},{"id":73593,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3908","catch_line":"Liability for words used in proceedings concerning conduct","url":"\/54.1-3908\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3908","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":63244,"structure_id":15490,"section_number":"54.1-3900.01","catch_line":"Protection of client interests; appointment of receiver for practice of a disabled, impaired, absent, deceased, suspended or disbarred attorney","url":"\/54.1-3900.01\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900.01","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3900\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 10 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1972, chapter 391; in 1974, chapter 456; in 1976, chapter 277; in 1988, chapter 765; in 1991, chapter 650; in 1994, chapter 30<\/a>; in 1998, chapter 796<\/a>; in 2008, chapters 136<\/a> and 845<\/a>; in 2016, chapter 704<\/a>; in 2020, chapters 105<\/a> and 106<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":78944,"section_number":"13.1-1113","catch_line":"Registration certificate required for limited liability company engaged in practice of law","order_by":null,"url":"\/13.1-1113\/"},{"id":65341,"section_number":"50-73.143","catch_line":"Registration certificate required for registered limited liability partnership engaged in practice of law","order_by":null,"url":"\/50-73.143\/"},{"id":76186,"section_number":"54.1-2988.1","catch_line":"Assistance with completing and executing advance directives","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2988.1\/"},{"id":80642,"section_number":"55.1-1000","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1000\/"},{"id":77232,"section_number":"55.1-1003","catch_line":"Persons who may act as a settlement agent","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1003\/"},{"id":73624,"section_number":"55.1-1006","catch_line":"Choice of settlement agent","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-1006\/"},{"id":79014,"section_number":"63.2-1914","catch_line":"Hospital paternity establishment programs","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1914\/"},{"id":55604,"section_number":"65.2-312","catch_line":"False statements, representations, etc., in connection with an award; penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/65.2-312\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":63788,"section_number":"16.1-228","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-228\/"},{"id":57160,"section_number":"16.1-260","catch_line":"Intake; petition; investigation","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-260\/"},{"id":62708,"section_number":"16.1-278.5","catch_line":"Children in need of supervision","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-278.5\/"},{"id":72504,"section_number":"22.1-258","catch_line":"Appointment of attendance officers; notification when pupil fails to report to school; plan; conference; court proceedings","order_by":null,"url":"\/22.1-258\/"},{"id":73241,"section_number":"54.1-3926","catch_line":"Preliminary proof of education required of applicant","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3926\/"}],"permalink":{"id":244231,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73725,"identifier":"54.1-3900","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900","url":"\/54.1-3900\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3900\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/1\/54.1-3900","dublin_core":{"Title":"Practice of law; student internship program; definition","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3900","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Persons who hold a license or certificate to practice law<\/span> under the laws<\/span> of this Commonwealth and have paid the license tax prescribed by law<\/span> may practice law<\/span> in the Commonwealth.\n\t\tAny person authorized and practicing as counsel<\/span> or attorney<\/span> in any state or territory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, may for the purpose of attending to any case he may occasionally have in association with a practicing attorney<\/span> of this Commonwealth practice in the courts<\/span> of this Commonwealth, in which case no license fee shall be chargeable against such nonresident attorney<\/span>.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit the limited practice of law<\/span> by military legal assistance attorneys<\/span> who are employed by a military program providing legal services to low-income military clients and their dependents pursuant to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a limited practice of law<\/span> under the supervision of a practicing attorney<\/span> by (i) third-year law<\/span> students or (ii) persons who are in the final year of a program of study as authorized in \u00a7 54.1-3926<\/a>, pursuant to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit an employee of a state agency in the course of his employment from representing the interests of his agency in administrative hearings<\/span> before any state agency, such representation to be limited to the examination of witnesses at administrative hearings<\/span> relating to personnel matters and the adoption of agency standards, policies, rules and regulations.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of the Department of Social Services from completing, signing and filing petitions<\/span> and motions<\/span> relating to the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support on forms approved by the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia in Department cases in the juvenile and domestic relations district courts<\/span>.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local department of social services from appearing before an intake officer to initiate a case in accordance with subsection A of \u00a7 16.1-260<\/a> on behalf of the local department of social services.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local department of social services from completing, signing, and filing with the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span>, on forms approved by the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia, petitions<\/span> for foster care review, petitions<\/span> for permanency planning hearings<\/span>, petitions<\/span> to establish paternity, motions<\/span> to establish or modify support, motions<\/span> to amend<\/span> or review an order<\/span>, or motions<\/span> for a rule to show cause.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a nonattorney attendance officer, or a local school division superintendent or his designee when acting as an attendance officer pursuant to \u00a7 22.1-258<\/a>, from completing, signing, and filing with the intake officer of a juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span>, on forms approved by the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia, a petition<\/span> for a violation of a school attendance order<\/span> entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span> pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-278.5<\/a> in response to the filing of a petition<\/span> alleging the pupil is a child in need of supervision as defined in \u00a7 16.1-228<\/a>.\n\t\tAs used in this chapter “attorney<\/span>” means attorney<\/span>-at-law<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPRACTICE OF LAW; STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM; DEFINITION (\u00a7 54.1-3900)\n\nPersons who hold a license or certificate to practice law under the laws of this\nCommonwealth and have paid the license tax prescribed by law may practice law in\nthe Commonwealth.\n\t\tAny person authorized and practicing as counsel or attorney in any state or\nterritory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, may for the\npurpose of attending to any case he may occasionally have in association with a\npracticing attorney of this Commonwealth practice in the courts of this\nCommonwealth, in which case no license fee shall be chargeable against such\nnonresident attorney.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit the limited practice of law by military legal\nassistance attorneys who are employed by a military program providing legal\nservices to low-income military clients and their dependents pursuant to rules\npromulgated by the Supreme Court of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a limited practice of law under the supervision\nof a practicing attorney by (i) third-year law students or (ii) persons who are\nin the final year of a program of study as authorized in \u00a7 54.1-3926, pursuant\nto rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Virginia.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit an employee of a state agency in the course of\nhis employment from representing the interests of his agency in administrative\nhearings before any state agency, such representation to be limited to the\nexamination of witnesses at administrative hearings relating to personnel\nmatters and the adoption of agency standards, policies, rules and regulations.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of the\nDepartment of Social Services from completing, signing and filing petitions and\nmotions relating to the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support\non forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia in Department cases in the\njuvenile and domestic relations district courts.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local\ndepartment of social services from appearing before an intake officer to\ninitiate a case in accordance with subsection A of \u00a7 16.1-260 on behalf of the\nlocal department of social services.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit designated nonattorney employees of a local\ndepartment of social services from completing, signing, and filing with the\nclerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms approved\nby the Supreme Court of Virginia, petitions for foster care review, petitions\nfor permanency planning hearings, petitions to establish paternity, motions to\nestablish or modify support, motions to amend or review an order, or motions for\na rule to show cause.\n\t\tNothing herein shall prohibit a nonattorney attendance officer, or a local\nschool division superintendent or his designee when acting as an attendance\nofficer pursuant to \u00a7 22.1-258, from completing, signing, and filing with the\nintake officer of a juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms\napproved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, a petition for a violation of a\nschool attendance order entered by a juvenile and domestic relations district\ncourt pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-278.5 in response to the filing of a petition alleging\nthe pupil is a child in need of supervision as defined in \u00a7 16.1-228.\n\t\tAs used in this chapter “attorney” means attorney-at-law.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-42; 1972, c. 391; 1974, c. 456; 1976, c. 277; 1988, c.\n765; 1991, c. 650; 1994, c. 30; 1998, c. 796; 2008, cc. 136, 845; 2016, c. 704;\n2020, cc. 105, 106.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}