News Releases

State Bar Shuts Down Pomona Unauthorized Law Practice

The State Bar of California has shut down the unauthorized law practice of Robert Juarez and his Pomona business, Recourse Legal Document Assistants, Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona announced today. Juarez is not, nor has he ever been, a licensed attorney, yet he repeatedly charged people for dispensing legal advice and advertised and presented himself as someone entitled to practice law to the dissatisfaction of unsuspecting clients.

An order by the Los Angeles Superior Court on March 18 makes permanent the court’s late February interim order, which allowed the State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC) to seize documents, client files, and records related to Juarez’s unauthorized law practice at his Towne Avenue business in Pomona, and to forward all mail from that location to the State Bar. In all, OCTC took possession of Juarez’s computer and nine boxes of files belonging to 378 clients.

“The law is clear on who can and cannot practice law in the state of California,” said George Cardona, State Bar Chief Trial Counsel. “Untrained and unregulated businesses charging for legal advice they are not qualified to provide do great harm to those they purport to help.”

Juarez often referred to himself as both a legal document assistant (LDA) and a paralegal, both of which have specific legal boundaries on what services they can provide. Neither can act as an attorney and dispense legal advice or provide legal representation, yet that is what Juarez did.

In August 2019, Juarez received a Cease and Desist Notice from the State Bar informing him that he was exceeding the scope of authorized activities for an LDA and was engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Juarez ignored the notice. In July 2021, the State Bar learned that Juarez had telephoned a landlord, saying that he represented the man’s former tenant in a tenant/landlord dispute. Juarez demanded that the landlord return his client’s security deposit or Juarez would take him to court, and the landlord would be responsible for the former tenant’s legal costs and attorney fees. In December 2020, Juarez wrote to the landlord identifying himself as “Supervising Paralegal” of Recourse Legal Document Assistants and said that the man had 10 days to return his client’s security deposit before legal action would be pursued.

In another complaint found in online reviews, a woman hired Juarez in July 2020 to correct her son’s birth certificate, which reflected the wrong biological father. Juarez advised the woman which forms were needed to initiate a paternity action and explained to the woman the related court process. The woman paid Juarez a $500 deposit to start the process and provided him with information related to her child and the biological father. Juarez selected the necessary forms and emailed the woman the prepared documents to sign. The court rejected the woman’s documents and informed her that she was required to amend the petition. From January 2021 to March 2021, the woman tried to contact Juarez, but received no response. She requested her $500 be refunded, but never received it.

Clients or former clients of Robert Juarez and/or Recourse Legal Document Assistants seeking the return of their client files may contact the State Bar’s dedicated bilingual phone number at 213-765-1633.

The State Bar has worked to shut down unlicensed individuals claiming to provide low-cost legal help to unknowing consumers.

A State Bar proposal intended to increase access to legal services includes recommendations that would address this pervasive problem and improve enforcement efforts against it. Recommendations include:

• Statutory amendments to allow for prosecution of UPL as a felony, with harsher penalties for violations and an extended statute of limitations for prosecuting cases
• Increased resources and funding for law enforcement and the State Bar to investigate and prosecute UPL
• Creation of a victim restitution fund for UPL victims
• Resources for consumer education that will help legal consumers avoid being victimized by UPL

The State Bar has a unit dedicated to investigating and addressing the unauthorized practice of law, including those who give legal advice without a license or otherwise pose as attorneys. People who have been targeted by someone who is not licensed to practice law can file an unauthorized practice of law complaint with the State Bar. There is no cost, and U.S. citizenship is not required; the State Bar will not ask complainants about their citizenship or immigration status. The online complaint form is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

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The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.