Tuesday, August 30, 2016

ABA Journal, Law Firms May Bill for Work of Unpaid Interns, Ethics Opinion Says:

Some labor and law-student groups are criticizing a New York ethics opinion that says law firms may bill clients for the work of unpaid student interns.

The Committee on Professional Ethics of the New York State Bar Association issued the opinion in March, the New York Law Journal reports.

The ethics opinion said a law firm using interns that receive academic credit, but no pay, may bill for the interns “provided that the client has been advised of the firm’s intent to charge for the intern’s services and the basis of the charge (e.g., per task or per hour or some fraction thereof) and provided, further, that the fee is neither excessive nor illegal.”

Inc., Seriously? New York Law Firms Can Now Charge Clients for the Work of Unpaid Interns: The New York State Bar's Committee on Professional Ethics Recently Announced a Shocking Decision:

[W]hat if a company uses interns to accomplish necessary work, refuses to pay them, and then charges the client for that work?

According to an opinion published by The Committee on Professional Ethics of the New York State Bar Association, New York law firms can do just that.

In addressing the topic of "Billing client for work performed by an unpaid student-intern," the committee deemed that there is nothing wrong with law firms charging for the services carried out by interns who receive academic credit for their work, even if they are unpaid.

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2016/08/new-york-ethics-panellaw-firms-can-charge-clients-for-the-work-of-unpaid-law-student-interns.html