Attorneys Put Focus Of Their Practice On Intern Laws

New Jersey Partner Kathie Caminiti was interviewed for the September 4 NJ Biz article "Attorneys Put Focus Of Their Practice On Intern Laws." There has been a recent increase in lawsuits from unpaid interns against their former employers for unpaid wages. Kathie noted: "The intern can't replace a regular employee from doing that work without being paid a wage, even if they're getting academic credit for it. There's more traction for these lawsuits now and, in a large measure, it's an outgrowth of the poor economy. Employers have tighter budgets and are increasingly doing more work with less people, so when they take on an unpaid intern, it looks more like they're replacing an employee." Though many companies have formed partnerships with academic institutions to better meet unpaid internship standards and avoid litigation, she added that the easiest way for them to solve the problem is to pay the minimum wage.