In re William E. Paplauskas, Jr.

The Department of Justice, joined by the Commission, advocated to the Rhode Island Supreme Court that the business of real estate closings should not be deemed the practice of law, and thus able to be performed exclusively by lawyers, but should be open to all qualified providers. We had taken that same position in 2003, when we advocated to the Rhode Island legislature that it should not enact a law restricting the provision of closing services.