Chicago DUI lawyer comments on another case of practicing without a law license

This Chicago DUI lawyer posted here, just last week about a lawyer without a license getting his client a warrant by failing to appear in court after being challenged by the prosecutor as to whether he was authorized to practice law. Once again, I’m shocked that folks would attempt to act like lawyers when they aren’t, but I can admit I don’t know why I’m shocked since some folks practice dentistry without a license as well.

April 18, Naperville, IL

It almost sounds like the set-up for one of those ubiquitous "lawyer jokes," although it has Naperville police feeling anything but amused.

Paris A. Tsangaris is a resident of Naperville's far northwest side and a pre-law student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served during the 2008-09 academic year as co-vice president of the UIC Pre-Law Society, a student organization, according to a university website.

He was sitting in the front passenger seat and "attempted to intervene on Hamiti's behalf," Anders said.

"He was questioning the officer's investigation of Hamiti, asking why he'd stopped him and so forth," Anders said of Tsangaris.

"The officer noted (Tsangaris') statements and did a follow-up investigation that same day," Anders said. "As a result of that investigation, Tsangaris was charged with false impersonation of an attorney, in that he knowingly, falsely represented himself to be an attorney licensed in the state of Illinois ... with a law degree and a family practice," [sic]

False impersonation of an attorney is a misdemeanor.

This is disconcerting on so many levels but the mere fact that Mr. Tsangaris has been charged will make it far more difficult for him to become a lawyer, if he is still so inclined.