In California, for instance: "A corporation may appear and participate in a small claims action only through a regular employee, or a duly appointed or elected officer or director, who is employed, appointed, or elected for purposes other than solely representing the corporation in small claims court." (CCP § 116.540)
If somebody's suing Mom and Pop's Corner Bakeshop, LLC, the corporation will probably be represented by Mom or Pop. If somebody's suing Coca Cola, the corporation will probably be represented by an in-house member of Coca Cola's legal division.
So a corporation can use a lawyer to handle its appearance in small claims court, but the lawyer has to be a regular employee. It's forbidden to hire a lawyer or firm specifically to litigate a case.
If somebody's suing Mom and Pop's Corner Bakeshop, LLC, the corporation will probably be represented by Mom or Pop. If somebody's suing Coca Cola, the corporation will probably be represented by an in-house member of Coca Cola's legal division.
So a corporation can use a lawyer to handle its appearance in small claims court, but the lawyer has to be a regular employee. It's forbidden to hire a lawyer or firm specifically to litigate a case.