Arizona’s ABS framework remains the U.S. testbed for nonlawyer ownership

The Arizona Judicial Branch defines an ABS as an entity with nonlawyers who have an economic interest or decision-making authority in a firm that provides legal services. The official purpose is to let entrepreneurial lawyers and nonlawyers pilot new business forms to improve access to justice and legal-service delivery. The regulatory frontier matters because AI-native and capital-backed models need permissible ownership and delivery structures.