WHAT LAWYERS DO FOR GOVERNMENT

An analysis to determine the similarities between the modus operandi of the Florida Bar and organized crime utilizing a series of articles from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel on government lawyer legal fees.

The article herein is from the 1/7/98, electronic edition of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sun-Sentinel.

  1. WHO WORKS

  2. IN-HOUSE: Lawyers hired as employees by local government. They are paid an annual salary and benefits.

  3. CONTRACT FIRMS: Private lawyers who are employed by outside firms and also serve as attorneys for cities. Cities pay them a set amount each year to do the same thing as in-house lawyers. In addition, they bill an hourly rate for work beyond their retainer.

  4. SPECIALISTS: Outside law firms are often hired case-by-case. Rates range from $100 to $300 an hour for attorneys.

  5. WHAT THEY DO

  6. IN-HOUSE: Lawyers attend meetings and provide legal opinions to elected officials and other governmental boards. They also write contracts and deal with personnel problems.

  7. CONTRACT FIRMS: They handle the same work as in-house lawyers, but in addition they do specialty work, such as defending lawsuits and handling employee disputes.

  8. SPECIALISTS: These firms specialize in such fields as litigation, labor negotiations and bond work.

  9. Sun-Sentinel Copyright (c) 1998, Sun-Sentinel Company and South Florida Interactive, Inc.

This Web page is one in a SERIES OF WEB PAGES examining the modus operandi of the Florida Bar.

The home page of this Web site is entitled LEGAL REFORM THROUGH TRANSFORMING THE DISCIPLINE OF LAW INTO A SCIENCE