Ethics Memorandum To: Supervising Attorney
From: Halie Nguyen
Re: Scenario #2
Date: 3/3/2020
I.
Issue: You have been doing great work at the firm and your supervising attorney wants to pay you a bonus. The firm recently settled a big case on which you did extensive work. Your
supervising attorney has decided that the best way of determining the bonus is based upon the hours you worked on the case. Can you get a bonus? If so, can it be calculated as proposed? If not, how should it be calculated?
II.
Rule/Ethics Opinion: OPINION 02-1: “Based on the rules and opinion, the inquiring attorney may pay the legal assistant a bonus based on the legal assistant’s extraordinary efforts on a particular case or over a specific period of time. While the number of hours the legal assistant works on a particular case or over a specific period of time is one of several factors that can be considered in determining a bonus for the legal assistant, it is not the sole factor
to be considered.”
III.
Analysis: From Opinion 02-1 it is to be IV.
Conclusion:
