Rule 3-1003 General prohibition.

This rule says that only licensed lawyers can practice law in Nebraska. It also means people cannot claim to be a lawyer, or claim they are qualified to give legal advice or represent someone in court, unless they actually have that authority. This applies to both nonlawyers and lawyers who are not properly licensed or approved to practice in the state.

The only exceptions are cases where a court rule or a published court decision specifically allows someone to act in a legal role even though they are not a fully licensed Nebraska lawyer. Outside of those narrow exceptions, giving legal advice, representing clients, or telling people you are qualified to practice law when you are not can get you in legal trouble.

For regular people, this rule is a protection. It means the person representing you in court, or giving you legal advice, is supposed to be someone who has met the state's requirements to practice law. If someone claims to be a lawyer or acts like one without real authorization, they are breaking this rule.