Scott Kozlov of the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission
In this episode, we will be exploring the murky waters of the unlicensed practice of law and the minefield it presents to the unwary. Our featured guest, Scott A. Kozlov, is a lawyer who investigates other lawyers (and those pretending to be lawyers) to promote and protect the integrity of the legal profession. You will hear how, in 2011, Scott assisted in writing a Supreme Court rule that effectively gave the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) the power to safeguard against the unlicensed practice of law. Scott also discusses how, as Senior Counsel and the Director of Unauthorized Practice of Law Litigation for the ARDC, he examines, investigates, and when necessary prosecutes the misconduct of attorneys and attorney imposters.
A graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law and Eastern Illinois University, Scott’s career has taken him from being an investigator with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, to a court coordinator with the Circuit Court of Cook County, to an associate with general practice law firm in Arlington Heights, to an Assistant Public Guardian in Cook County, and finally to the ARDC. Scott is also an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and teaches professional responsibility.
Scott has also served and continues to serve the legal community and the public by volunteering his time and knowledge with several legal organizations. In 2004, he chaired the Chicago Bar Association’s Government Service Committee. Since 2007, he has been the Chair of its Unauthorized Practice and Multidisciplinary Practice Committee. Since 2009, Scott has been appointed to the Illinois State Bar Association’s Task Force on the Unauthorized Practice of Law. In 2015 and in 2017, he was the Chair of the American Bar Association’s Unauthorized Practice of Law School, which trains attorneys on various aspects of investigating and prosecuting unauthorized practice of law. He also currently serves on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Client Protection and is the Chair of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association’s Ethics Committee.
In addition to his involvement in the legal community, Scott was a nationally ranked competitive figure skater, and he still finds the time and energy to be a professional skating instructor, which he has done for over two decades for several suburban park districts.
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Nathan Ciulla, Host and Senior Producer
Nathan is an experienced, relationship driven host with a strong desire to connect our listeners to our guests by providing a fun, interactive experience that celebrates the experience and achievements of our guests. He is also a legal assistant at SATC|Law and enjoys cooking and baking for his friends and family.
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“Feminist. Lipstick collector. Bibliophile. Dog-mom.” Savannah is a passionate advocate of equality for all. She is a current law student at Loyola University Chicago, where she is simultaneously working towards a master's degree in public policy. Did we mention that she already has a master’s degree in religion/religious studies from The University of Chicago. Savannah is also a law clerk at SATC|Law, where she looks to continue her career as an attorney once she is finished with school.
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Mother to Josephine and a legal assistant at SATC|Law. Nora graduated from Western Illinois University where she obtained a degree in Agricultural Science with an emphasis in Environmental Studies. Nora is a multi-lingual (English, Spanish and French) and multi-talented advisor to the @BridgingChicago podcast. Be sure to watch out for Nora on future episodes of the podcast.
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