Setback for Justice Advocates in Upsolve Litigation
October 7, 2025
By Alyssa Saunders On September 9, 2025, the Second Circuit ruled that the nonprofit organization Upsolve, Inc.’s use of trained volunteers to assist pro se New Yorkers with their debt-collection actions violated the state’s unauthorized practice of law (UPL) statutes. The Second Circuit overturned a May 2022 decision by the District Court for the Southern District of New York that prohibited New York’s Attorney General from enforcing the UPL statutes against Upsolve. As a result of the Second Circuit’s decision, people facing debt collection lawsuits who cannot afford an attorney will no longer have access to free specialized advice by trained