Hawkins supports reining in private referral service abuses.

The Florida Bar is willing to work with state agencies to stem abuses by private, for-profit lawyer referral services, according to Bar President Scott Hawkins.

Hawkins on November 22 sent a letter to Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater promising Bar cooperation on state efforts to rein in for-profit lawyer referral services. Atwater, a week before, had called on the Bar to ban the services. (See story in the December 1 Bar News.)

Hawkins in his letter noted that the Bar's Special Committee on Lawyer Referral Services has been working since January on the issue and is beginning to formulate its recommendations.

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"Most of the services and practices you comment upon are owned, operated, and controlled by nonlawyers," Hawkins noted. "In fact, we believe that these nonlawyers have created the current environment involving physicians, chiropractors, other health services providers, and lawyers. It is also important to distinguish that there are nonprofit lawyer referral services administered by local bar associations in Florida operated to help consumers who need legal assistance...."

The Bar's jurisdiction is to regulate lawyer conduct, and Hawkins told Atwater that the Bar will do what is necessary, adding, "I can assure you that the Bar will pursue appropriate measures to address violations of our rules and will endeavor to change our rules to deal with these issues if necessary.

"While it is not in our jurisdiction to ban private, for-profit referral services or to regulate nonlawyer conduct, we would be very happy to collaborate with your office, appropriate state agencies, and the Legislature to curtail any improprieties these services commit against our fellow Floridians," Hawkins continued.

In his letter...