J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1369

CORPORATION FROM PRESENTING A CLAIM OF THAT
CORPORATION BEFORE ANY trial magistrates courts in Queen
Anne's County.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 14 of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition), title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "I. Crimes
and Punishments," subheading "Barratry; Practice of Law by
Corporation," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

14.

It shall be unlawful for any corporation or voluntary association
to assume, use or advertise in any newspaper, periodical, or by use
of any notice, circular, letterhead, card, or in any manner whatsoever,
the title of lawyer, or attorney, attorney at law, or equivalent terms
in any language in any such manner as to convey the impression
that either alone or together with, or by, or through any person,
whether a duly and regularly admitted attorney at law or not, it has,
owns, conducts or maintains a law office, or an office or facilities
for the practice of law, or for furnishing legal advice, services or
counsel. It shall be unlawful further, for any corporation or
voluntary association to solicit itself or by, or through its officers,
agents or employees, employment in connection with the rendition
of legal advice, services or counsel of any kind whatsoever, or to
solicit any claim or demand for the purpose of bringing an action
thereon, or representing as attorney at law, or for furnishing legal
advice, services or counsel, to a person sued, or about to be sued
in any action or proceeding, or against whom an action or proceed-
ing has been, or is about to be brought, or who may be affected by
any action or proceeding which has been or may be instituted in
any court or before any judicial body, or for the purpose of repre-
senting any person in the pursuit of any civil remedy. Any corpora-
tion or voluntary association violating the provisions of this section
shall be liable to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, and
every officer, trustee, director, agent or employee of such corpora-
tion or voluntary association, who directly or indirectly engages in
any of the acts herein prohibited, or assists such corporation or
voluntary association to do such prohibited acts, shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than
five hundred dollars. The fact that any such officer, trustee, director,
agent or employee shall be a duly and regularly admitted attorney at
law, shall not be held to permit or allow any such corporation or
voluntary association to do the acts prohibited herein. Nor shall
such facts be a defense upon a trial of any of the persons mentioned
herein for a violation of the provisions of this section. This section
shall not apply to the business of examining and insuring titles to
real property, or the collection or adjustment of mercantile claims
in which a corporation or voluntary association may be lawfully
engaged, nor to any insurance corporation or association defending
the insured under a policy of issuance. In addition, this section

shall not apply to the officers of any corporation presenting a claim

of said NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED
OR APPLIED TO PREVENT AN OFFICER OF A CORPORATION
FROM PRESENTING A CLAIM OF THAT corporation before any
trial magistrates in Queen Anne's County.