Attorney-Client Relationship | Legal Ethics in Motion by Professionl Responsibility and Ethics Program/ University of Miami Law School Las…

Source: OTHERWISE: Attorney-Client Relationship | Legal Ethics in Motion

Last month a Tampa attorney settled a case brought against her by the Florida Bar for, among other things, charging excessive fees. The Florida Bar’s complaint specifically stated that the attorney’s “hourly rate of $400 per hour for the services of law clerks was clearly excessive.” While the Florida Bar has brought claims against attorneys for unethical billing practices, it has generally avoided the question of law clerk fees. This case clarifies that, in the eyes of the Florida Bar, law clerks are non-lawyers and cannot be billed at the same rate as an attorney admitted to the state bar.