The Core Issue A strict textual analysis of the 2025 Connecticut Practice Book reveals a fundamental legal truth: A law firm is an entity, not a person. Because it lacks a physical body and conscience, a firm cannot fulfill the strict role of “Attorney of Record.”
1. The Dispositive Provision: Signatures (§ 4-2a) The clearest barrier is Section 4-2(a), which mandates that every pleading be signed by an attorney “in the attorney’s individual name.”
- Analysis: A firm has no “individual name” and cannot hold a pen. Consequently, a corporate signature (e.g., “Smith Law, LLC”) has no legal effect.
2. Structural Barriers: Admission (§ 2-8) Section 2-8 creates “human” qualifications for admission that an entity cannot meet:
- Biological: Applicants must be citizens and at least 18 years old.
- Educational: Applicants must hold a J.D. and pass the bar exam.
- Ethical: Applicants must have “good moral character” and take the Attorney’s Oath. An entity cannot swear an oath or exercise conscience.
3. Distinct Definitions (§ 60-4) The Practice Book explicitly separates the two concepts:
- “Counsel of record” includes attorneys.
- “Entity” includes firms and corporations. By defining them separately, the rules make it legally impossible for the “Entity” to be the “Counsel.”
Conclusion: While a firm may be listed on a docket, the specific powers of an attorney signing, swearing, and appearing belong strictly to the natural person.
DISCLAIMER: Educational use only. This is not legal advice. Generated by AI; verify all citations against the 2025 CT Practice Book. Consult an attorney.
2025 CONNECTICUT PRATICE BOOK
Verify the Rules for Yourself Don’t just take our word for it—read the primary source directly. The 2025 Connecticut Practice Book is available for free on the official Connecticut Judicial Branch website. To confirm the structural barrier between a law firm and an attorney:
Check Section 4-2(a): Read the explicit requirement that every pleading must be signed in the “attorney’s individual name.” This provision structurally prohibits a firm (an entity) from signing for itself.
Review Section 2-8: See the “human” qualifications for bar admission—such as age, citizenship, and character—that no corporation can ever satisfy.
Compare Section 60-4: Look at how the rules separately define “Counsel of Record” (the attorney) versus “Entity” (the firm), cementing the legal wall between the two.
Reading the text in black and white is the best way to understand why the Administrative Entity (the firm) always requires a Legal Actor (the individual) to validate its work.
The Real Facts Unsealed 