Comments on: Are Contract Attorneys Required To Be Paid Overtime? http://www.myattorneyblog.com/are-contract-attorneys-required-to-be-paid-overtime/ The Life of a Contract Attorney in Temp Town, Washington D.C. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:57:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jeff Manners http://www.myattorneyblog.com/are-contract-attorneys-required-to-be-paid-overtime/#comment-612 Jeff Manners Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:34:09 +0000 http://www.myattorneyblog.com/are-contract-attorneys-required-to-be-paid-overtime/#comment-612 I think we are missing the issue here. If the contract attorney has steady work from the employer whereby he earns over the statutory amount, then he may be an exempt professional. If the contract attorney is not paid the requisit amount by the law firm or agency, then the attorney should be paid time and a half for each hour worked over 40 in each work week. I think we are missing the issue here. If the contract attorney has steady work from the employer whereby he earns over the statutory amount, then he may be an exempt professional. If the contract attorney is not paid the requisit amount by the law firm or agency, then the attorney should be paid time and a half for each hour worked over 40 in each work week.

]]> By: Joe Miller http://www.myattorneyblog.com/are-contract-attorneys-required-to-be-paid-overtime/#comment-24 Joe Miller Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:56:53 +0000 http://www.myattorneyblog.com/are-contract-attorneys-required-to-be-paid-overtime/#comment-24 I know that there was some litigation in Seattle on this topic. The court held that contract attorneys performing document review are not practicing law and are, therefore, entitled to overtime pay. Contract attorneys should still receive overtime pay, especially in D.C., a jurisdiction in which contract lawyers are required to pass the D.C. bar exam, or waive into D.C., in order to be entitled to the $35/hr. rate, regardless of whether they are barred in other jurisdictions, such as New York, with higher bar passage standards (more subjects to study for) than D.C. Additionally, D.C. lawyers, at many large firms, received raises to $160,000, not including bonuses, which are around $30,000+/yr.--the New York salary--even though the D.C. cost of living is below that of New York. Therefore, the time and a half in overtime that contract attorneys receive is a mere pittance, compared to what clients would otherwise have to pay a team of full-time associates, to do the same work. I know that there was some litigation in Seattle on this topic. The court held that contract attorneys performing document review are not practicing law and are, therefore, entitled to overtime pay.

Contract attorneys should still receive overtime pay, especially in D.C., a jurisdiction in which contract lawyers are required to pass the D.C. bar exam, or waive into D.C., in order to be entitled to the $35/hr. rate, regardless of whether they are barred in other jurisdictions, such as New York, with higher bar passage standards (more subjects to study for) than D.C.

Additionally, D.C. lawyers, at many large firms, received raises to $160,000, not including bonuses, which are around $30,000+/yr.–the New York salary–even though the D.C. cost of living is below that of New York.

Therefore, the time and a half in overtime that contract attorneys receive is a mere pittance, compared to what clients would otherwise have to pay a team of full-time associates, to do the same work.

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