Ethics Opinion

Opinion 70-1

FLORIDA BAR ETHICS OPINION
OPINION 70-1
February 16, 1970
Advisory ethics opinions are not binding.
Law, Inc. of Hillsborough County may permit law students employed as clerks to interview
prospective clients for the purpose of determining their eligibility to participate in the program
and to ascertain the general nature of a prospective client’s problem.
Canons:
Opinion:

35 and 47
66-56

Chairman MacDonald stated the opinion of the committee:
Law, Inc. of Hillsborough County, which was the subject of our Opinion
66-56 [since withdrawn], through its chief counsel, a member of The Florida Bar,
inquires whether or not it may employ law students as part-time clerks during the
school year and as full-time clerks when not in attendance at school, or law
graduates in the period between graduation and admission to The Florida Bar.
These employees would interview prospective clients of Law, Inc. for the purpose
of determining the interviewee’s eligibility to participate in the program and to
ascertain the general nature of his problem. In the event that the problem were
legal he would be referred to a member of the Bar employed by Law, Inc. In some
instances the interviewer would endeavor to solve nonlegal problems and in
others he would refer the person to an appropriate source of assistance. It would
be understood that the law clerk or intern would at all times be under the
supervision of a member of The Florida Bar who ultimately will be professionally
responsible for his actions.
We see no ethical objection to members of The Florida Bar permitting such action on
behalf of the employees of Law, Inc. of Hillsborough County. Compare Rule 1.860, Florida
Rules of Criminal Procedure.