Small firms - can they bill clients for... Forum

[Anonymous User]

Before law school graduates who took the bar and passed it but before they are sworn in or pass the C&F, do or can small firms bill clients like an attorney work, $x? Or do they bill for law clerk work and rates?

[Anonymous User]

I work at a small defense firm, think CGL and construction defect type stuff.

I'm a 2L. I'm billed between the rate of a paralegal and an associate, but in the para professional column

[Right2BearArms]

Before law school graduates who took the bar and passed it but before they are sworn in or pass the C&F, do or can small firms bill clients like an attorney work, $x? Or do they bill for law clerk work and rates?

A firm can bill anyone at any rate they wish. As long as the bill does not indicate that a person who has not yet passed the bar/cleared c&f, and is therefore not an "attorney", is not billed as an attorney, there is no ethics or other issue. The rate could be the same as a first year associate as long as there is an indication as to "law clerk" or un-admitted law graduate, etc.

Whether a client will be willing to pay such a bill is another story.

[Anonymous User]

Before law school graduates who took the bar and passed it but before they are sworn in or pass the C&F, do or can small firms bill clients like an attorney work, $x? Or do they bill for law clerk work and rates?

A firm can bill anyone at any rate they wish. As long as the bill does not indicate that a person who has not yet passed the bar/cleared c&f, and is therefore not an "attorney", is not billed as an attorney, there is no ethics or other issue. The rate could be the same as a first year associate as long as there is an indication as to "law clerk" or un-admitted law graduate, etc.

Whether a client will be willing to pay such a bill is another story.

A firm can bill any rate but I guess the question is whether a client will accept that rate, the same rate for un-admitted law graduate as a first year asso.

[Right2BearArms]

Before law school graduates who took the bar and passed it but before they are sworn in or pass the C&F, do or can small firms bill clients like an attorney work, $x? Or do they bill for law clerk work and rates?

A firm can bill anyone at any rate they wish. As long as the bill does not indicate that a person who has not yet passed the bar/cleared c&f, and is therefore not an "attorney", is not billed as an attorney, there is no ethics or other issue. The rate could be the same as a first year associate as long as there is an indication as to "law clerk" or un-admitted law graduate, etc.

Whether a client will be willing to pay such a bill is another story.

A firm can bill any rate but I guess the question is whether a client will accept that rate, the same rate for un-admitted law graduate as a first year asso.

Unless someone here is a client of that firm, I doubt anyone here can answer that. Plenty of firms bill all kinds of un-admitted attorney's/law graduates. Fee arrangements aren't really your concern as the young attorney in that situation, unless you know or learn of some kind of illegal/unethical marketing of a non-licensed person as a licensed attorney.