The State Bar is reconsidering the Advisory Opinion that (inadvertently) gave birth to the rise of Settlement Shops in North Carolina. Authorized Practice Advisory Opinion (APAO) 2002-1 has been re-drafted to more clearly delineate the role of non-attorneys in the real estate closing process. The re-drafted opinion will be made available for public comment. At the upcoming January 2012 State Bar quarterly meeting a Special Committee of the State Bar will meet to review any comments received by the Real Property Section and the Bar in general, and possibly move forward with a final recommendation as to proposed revised APAO 2002-1 at that time. In the meantime, the draft revised APAO 2002-1 will be published in the next State Bar Journal for comment. The Draft of the Opinion is available for review by clicking the link below. Please take the time to review the Draft of the Opinion and submit comments directly to the State Bar. Alternatively, you can send your comments to me and I will forward them through appropriate channels.