Hawaii

Liable Charges: Contempt of Court, Misdemeanor

“Unauthorized practice of law prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation to engage in or attempt to engage in or to offer to engage in the practice of law, or to do or attempt to do or offer to do any act constituting the practice of law, except and to the extent that the person, firm, or association is licensed or authorized so to do by an appropriate court, agency, or office or by a statute of the State or of the United States. Nothing in sections 605-14 to 605-17 contained shall be construed to prohibit the preparation or use by any party to a transaction of any legal or business form or document used in the transaction.

Unauthorized practice of law as criminal contempt of court, see §710-1077*

§ 710-1077, subsection C-E

(1) A person commits the offense of criminal contempt of court if:…

(c) As an attorney, clerk, or other officer of the court, the person knowingly fails to perform or violates a duty of the person’s office, or knowingly disobeys a lawful directive or order of a court;

(e) Knowing that the person is not authorized to practice law, the person represents the person’s self to be an attorney and acts as such in a court proceeding;

(2) Except as provided in subsections (3) and (7), criminal contempt of court is a misdemeanor.”

—§ 605-14 § 710-1077, subsection C-E