Rule 5.2 Responsibilities of a Subordinate Lawyer

If you're a lawyer working under someone else, like a senior partner or supervisor, you still have to follow the rules of professional conduct yourself. You can't excuse bad behavior by saying "my boss told me to do it." Every lawyer is personally responsible for following the rules, no matter their position in a law firm or office.

That said, the rule gives some breathing room for junior lawyers. If there's a genuine gray area, a question where reasonable lawyers could disagree about the right thing to do, a junior lawyer can follow their supervisor's judgment call without getting in trouble. This only applies when the issue is truly debatable. It does not protect a junior lawyer who follows instructions to do something clearly wrong or unethical.

In short, this rule means junior lawyers can't hide behind their bosses' orders, but they also aren't punished for trusting reasonable guidance on tricky, unclear situations.