Can Free Advice Be a Crime? A Pastor, a Debt Form, and New York's Lawyer Rules

A nonprofit wanted to train volunteers to help New Yorkers fill out a one-page debt-lawsuit form. New York says only lawyers can give that advice. The fight over free speech and law licenses has reached the U.S. Supreme Court's docket.

Sandra JenkinsKasecraft Journalist

Thursday, October 22, 2026 · 5 min read

The form fits on one page. New York requires it to be served with every consumer-debt lawsuit, and it lets people who are sued answer by checking boxes next to the defenses they want to raise.…