Why do some California firms pay overtime?

I’m really curious why some companies in California (and some everywhere: WF) classify their interns as non-exempt, paying them hourly with overtime, while others make them exempt employees.

Why on earth would so many firms choose to pay interns more when they could legally get away with paying less? What are the reasons or legal quirks behind these different choices? It just doesn’t make much sense to me... Or how do some firms get away with having exempt interns in California..?

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