United States District Court
Northern District Of Illinois
Local Rules
LR83.55.3. Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistants
With respect to a nonlawyer employed or retained by or associated with a
lawyer:
(1) each partner in a law firm shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the
firm has in effect measures giving reasonable assurance that the nonlawyer’s conduct is compatible with the professional obligations of the law firm and
its lawyers;
(2) each lawyer having direct supervisory authority over the nonlawyer shall make
reasonable efforts to ensure that the nonlawyer’s conduct is compatible with the professional obligations of the lawyer; and
(3) a lawyer shall be responsible for a nonlawyer’s conduct that would be a violation of these Rules if engaged in by a lawyer
if:
(A) the lawyer orders or, with knowledge of the specific conduct, ratifies the
conduct involved; or
(B) the lawyer is a partner in the law firm, or has direct supervisory authority
over the nonlawyer, and knows of the nonlawyer’s conduct at a time when its consequences can be avoided or mitigated but
fails to take reasonable remedial action.
Committee Comment. Lawyers generally employ assistants in their practice, including secretaries,
investigators, law student interns, and paraprofessionals. Such assistants,
whether employees or independent contractors, act for the lawyer in rendition of
the lawyer’s professional services. A lawyer should give such assistants appropriate
instruction and supervision concerning the ethical aspects of their employment,
particularly regarding the obligation not to disclose information relating to
representation of the client, and should be responsible for their work product. The
measures employed in supervising nonlawyers should take account of the fact
that they do not have legal training and are not subject to professional
discipline.