The stakes for UPL are higher; the crime is now a felony.

Beginning October 1, the criminal penalty for committing the unlicensed practice of law--including by suspended or disbarred attorneys-will carry a lot more bite.

Gov. Jeb Bush on June 10 signed SB 1776, which increases the state's criminal penalty for UPL from a first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony. The Florida Bar strongly supported passage of the legislation.

Immediate past Bar President Miles McGrane, who lobbied for the bill, said the act is a reminder that all clients deserve quality legal representation.

"I'm very happy that he signed the bill. This is legislation that has been two years in the making, and I think gives us another tool in our armament to fight UPL. The Bar has been successful in the past in getting injunctions against some of these individuals, but now maybe we can get state attorneys to file criminal charges against the most egregious UPL violators," he said. "As an individual who has always supported and worked to get legal services for the poor, it's also important to remember that those legal services must be competent legal services."

The change means the maximum criminal penalty has increased from a $1,000 fine and a year in jail to a $5,000...