If you take the time to read my complete post about ABA Op. 08-451 (which you can find at http://legalresearchandwritingpro.com/blog/2008/08/28/aba-formal-op-08-451-good-news-for-us-based-independent-contract-lawyers/), you will see that contract lawyering does not involve “non-lawyers practicing law without accountability,” as you claim. Rather, as I explain in that post, the opinion points out that the outsourcing (hiring) lawyer has an ethical responsibility to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the contract lawyer conforms to the Rules of Professional Conduct (this is no different from the responsibility of a lawyer supervising the work of another attorney who is employed by the supervising lawyer’s firm).

Furthermore, the opinion explains that ordinarily, an individual who is not admitted to practice law in a particular jurisdiction may work for a lawyer who is so admitted, provided that the lawyer remains responsible for the work being performed and that the contract lawyer is not held out as being a duly admitted lawyer.

I do not hold out contract lawyering as a panacea for all of the ills of the legal profession. Nevertheless, it has allowed me (and many other independent US-based contract who I know – including those whose audio testimonials you can find in the sidebar of this site’s Home, About and Products pages) to earn a comfortable living while working in a career that is intellectually stimulating and conducive to having a family and personal life.

Well, gee, I guess it never occurred to me that what we really need is more people working for less money in the legal field, especially after 40,000 of us spent three years and six figures to be trained for a career in law.

Nothing about your point reassures me that non-lawyers practicing law without accountability is any kind of a good thing for the public, the legal system, or trained and licensed lawyers.