ABA Work Limit Agreement

The American Bar Association prohibits students from working more than 20 hours a week in any semester in which they are enrolled for 12 credit hours or more.

A lawyer cannot delegate his professional responsibility to a law student employed in his office. He may avail himself of the assistance of the student in many of the files of the lawyer’s work, such as examination of case law, finding and interviewing witnesses, making collections of claims, examining court records, delivering papers, conveying important messages, and other similar matters. But the student is not permitted, until he is admitted to the Bar, to perform the professional functions of a lawyer, such as conducting court trials, giving professional advice to clients, or drawing legal documents for them. The student in all his work must act as an agent for the lawyer employing him, who must supervise his work and be responsible for his good conduct. ABA Opinion 85 (1932)