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Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 541', '§ 541', '§541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 321', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541', '§ 541']

6.-Classification of Law Firm Employees | Overtime | Fair Labor Standards Act
6.-Classification of Law Firm Employees
Uploaded by Clarissa Bustarde
Classification of Law Firm Employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act By David M. Fuqua, Esq.
Abbie Decker, Esq. Hope, Fuqua & Campbell, P.A. Little Rock, Arkansas Employees of law firms fall into numerous wage and hour classifications, some generally exempt from overtime pay requirements, some generally not, and some performing jobs less easy to categorize. This article will analyze some of the common jobs in law firms and discuss wage and hour issues related to those jobs. The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) requires that any employee be paid overtime pay after working 40 hours in a workweek unless the employee’s job duties meet a specific exemption from overtime pay requirements. The following analysis focuses on broad categories of law firm employees and on general rules for determining wage and hour exemptions. The application of an exemption to a particular employee or employee classification should be based upon an analysis of the employee’s specific job duties, compensation, and other relevant factors. A. Attorneys Most full-time attorneys employed by a law firm will be exempt employees. As a highly compensated employee (earning at least $100,000.00 annually), an attorney can be exempt from overtime pay requirements with very little analysis of job duties as long as the attorney has executive, administrative, or professional duties1. Although a number of other exemption tests may also be applied to attorneys, the easiest exemption to apply to an attorney, after the “highly compensated employee” exemption, is the “learned professional” exemption, which should cover partners and associates. To qualify for the
29 C.F.R. § 541.601(c). 1
605(a).” Contract attorneys may be paid on a fee basis rather than on a salary basis and be exempt7. 5 29 C. an attorney could be hired on a fee basis to review and catalog discovery documents and be paid a lump sum for the work regardless of the amount of time the attorney takes to complete the task.F. § 541. Department of Labor regulations state: To determine whether the fee payment meets the minimum amount of salary required for exemption under these regulations. §541.R.” For example.R. 29 C. 79. This contract attorney would be exempt from overtime requirements.301(d). § 541. 29 C. The contract attorney must nonetheless earn the equivalent of $455 per week. p.F. § 541.learned professional exemption.F. 6 Employer’s Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act § 321. § 541.F. which is “an absolute requirement. 4 The specialized instruction must be a prerequisite to the application of the learned professional exemption. 8 29 C.F.F.R. 7 29 C.R.300(a)(1). § 541. In addition.R.301(c).301(b). the amount paid to the employee will be tested by determining the time worked on the job and 2 3 29 C. the attorney must primarily perform work that requires advanced knowledge2. A part-time attorney may also qualify for the learned professional exemption provided that she earns at least $455 per week.605. “Fee basis” means payment of “an agreed sum for a single job regardless of the time required for its completion. no matter whether the worker is full-time or part-time6. Payments based on the number of hours or days worked and not on the accomplishment of a given single task are not considered payments on a fee basis8. in a field of learning that is customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction 3. such as law school4.R. the attorney must be paid at least $455 per week 5. including the use of discretion and judgment. 2 . Law is specifically included in the regulations defining specialized fields of science and learning.
As to paralegals. if a law firm hires an engineer as a paralegal to provide expert advice on product liability cases or to assist on patent matters. therefore. 11 Wage and Hour Opinion Letter dated April 13.301(e)(7) (emphasis added). For example. This is particularly true because of the wide range of job functions that law firms assign to 9 29 C. although paralegals are generally not exempt employees and must. be paid overtime pay. 10 3 . Department of Labor regulations provide that: Paralegals and legal assistants generally do not qualify as exempt learned professionals because an advanced specialized academic degree is not a standard prerequisite for entry into the field. 3:91-CV-2655-P (March 10. in the wage and hour context. No. Paralegals Paralegals work roles that are sometimes closely analogous to those of attorneys. § 541. a jury did find that paralegals qualified for the administrative exemption12. Paralegals do not qualify under the administrative exemption either because they are “production workers and also do not exercise discretion and independent judgment11. 1994.R. However. 12 Reich v.)(decided before Wage and Hour Opinion Letter in footnote 11). § 541. the learned professional exemption is available for paralegals who possess advanced specialized degrees in other professional fields and apply advanced knowledge in that field in the performance of their duties.” However.F. B..R.605(b).C.F. 29 C. Unlike attorneys. Page & Addison P. Tex. in one case. N. 1995. Paralegals will continue to be difficult to classify under wage and hour laws. most specialized paralegal programs are two-year associate degree programs from a community college or equivalent institution. paralegals are not “learned professionals” and are more correctly viewed. Although many paralegals possess general four-year advanced degrees. that engineer would qualify for exemption10.whether the fee payment is at a rate that would amount to at least $455 per week if the employee worked 40 hours9.D. as production workers.
human relations. The “matters of significance” test distinguishes the employee who is entitled to the administrative exemption from other employees. Executive and Administrative Assistants Job titles mean little if anything in determining whether an employee is exempt from overtime pay requirements. C. To satisfy the requirements for the “administrative” exemption. Matters that relate to management or general business operation include accounting. Most secretaries will be non-exempt employees. the employee “has been delegated authority regarding matters of significance” that can be exercised without specific instructions or prescribed procedures13. who have significant responsibility but who do not meet the exemption criteria.paralegals and due to the increasing education and professional qualifications that usher paralegals into the workforce. not based on a general description that applies to all the paralegals. Positions in law firms described as executive or administrative assistants are a good example of this. like secretaries. 4 .R. Until paralegals can be clearly classified as exempt or non-exempt without question. then it should analyze the exemption separately for each employee based on specific descriptions of the job responsibilities of each paralegal.F. employee benefits. and computer 13 29 C.” If a law firm wants to claim that its paralegals are exempt. § 541. employers whose paralegals are performing legitimate executive or administrative duties should give those employees titles other than “paralegal.203(d). The exempt administrative assistant must do office work that relates to management or general business operation and must be paid a salary of at least $455 per week. personnel management.
19 29 C.F. Whether an administrative assistant uses discretion and independent judgment must be determined in light of all of the facts but does include such things as the authority to formulate and implement policies and the authority to commit the employer in matters that have a substantial financial impact on the company15. § 541. the application of the administrative exemption should be applied on a case-by-case basis to the specific duties and responsibilities of the employee and not on the basis of titles assigned and general job descriptions. Something is not a matter of significance just because the employer will suffer a financial loss if the employee fails to perform the job properly17. for example.L. however. 18 Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996. An office manager could meet the administrative exemption if the duties and responsibilities meet the necessary tests and the salary is at least $455 per week. 16 29 C. a computer professional can qualify for exemption using the “salary basis” test provided the salary is at least $455 per week19.R. § 541.R. including overtime18.202(f).400(b).202(a). D. Department of Labor regulations specifically list “computer 14 15 29 C.F. 541. P. § 541.R. Support Staff – IT Department Employees with “computer-related occupations” may be exempt even though the employee is paid on an hourly basis.63 per hour for every hour worked. 29 C. § 541. “Matters of significance” is not a defined term in the regulations16.F. 104-188. 5 . must be at least $27. The regulation give examples of what are not matters of significance even though the employer would suffer great loss if the employee failed to perform – a messenger. who loses a check or an equipment operator who causes damage or injury with the equipment. Alternatively.R.201(b).network and database administration14. Again. 17 29 C.R.202(b).F.F. The hourly rate of pay.
F.R. documentation. They are not yet learned professionals because they have not graduated from law school. § 541. if not all of their job duties. or o A combination of the aforementioned duties. 22 29 C. some will obviously not be exempt. Some employee classifications within a law firm will be obviously exempt.400(b). software engineers [and] other similarly skilled workers in the computer field” as examples of employees covered by this exemption20. Law Clerks None of the exemptions discussed above clearly applies to law clerks. creation or modification of computer programs related to machine operating systems.systems analysts. Conclusion The application of the FLSA to law firms is no different than the application of that law to any other business. the performance of which requires the same level of skills22. 29 C. software or system functional specifications. the employee must have a primary duty that consists of: o The application of systems analysis techniques and procedures. based on and related to user or system design specifications. 20 21 29 C. For the exemption to apply.400(a). creation. this alone does not create the computer professional exemption21. § 541.R.R. o The design. They will not qualify for the administrative exemption because they will rarely exercise the level of discretion required or participate in management or operation of the business. 6 . testing or modification of computer systems or programs. documentation. While many employees are dependent upon the use of computers to perform most. development. testing.F.F. including consulting with users. to determine hardware. o The design. computer programmers.401. analysis. including prototypes. and some classifications will require close study to determine if an employee meets the requirements for exemption from overtime pay. § 541. E.F.
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