Monday, January 11, 2010

Doc Review R.I.P.?




Can NYC doc review finally be pronounced dead? It's been months since any large projects have gone up on Posse List or craigslist, and the few projects we do hear about seem to pay abysmal rates ($25-$30/hr) with no chance for any OT.

Is anyone working out there? If so, post agency, rate, and expected duration below in the comments.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are tons of projects, not sure where you've been. I've seen at least 5 including some over $40 per hour springing up in the last week. I think people are reluctant to spill the beans because they want to keep working.

Anonymous said...

The ones that pay $40.00 an hour require the reviewer to speak Mandarin and German fluently. In addition, they require a degree in biochemical engineering and a willingness to blow the staff attorney.

Anonymous said...

New York has a pretty large market for Doc Review right? If you have to search that hard to locate a project then there is a problem with that market!

Anonymous said...

I'm not looking for a doc review job (I have a regular one), but I've been getting calls from recruiters about ones. And these are the recruiters that I haven't told that I have a regular job.

I think it's probably picking up to some extent.

Anonymous said...

I don't think the doc review market is as good as it was before the economy crashed (what is?) but it's not dead either. I still get calls about jobs. And while a lot of them are 40hrs/wk or are paying flat rates for the OT, I haven't seen anything besides the Bloomberg project that was paying less than $32/hr. As for there not being any "large projects" I'm not even sure what that means? Do we really miss the days of the Newark cattle call and its concentration camp atmosphere? The best projects are usually the smaller ones.

Anonymous said...

Been almost 3 months since I've had a project here in Houston. It's slow everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Slavery.

"Fast-paced boutique litigation firm seeks a licensed attorney with at least 2 years of document review experience to assist with a MANUAL document review. The project will entail 70 to 80 hours of work starting next Monday, January 11th, until Friday, January 18th. $25/hour flat rate. No car/meal service, or overtime.The document review will take place in our office."

Anonymous said...

I think it is dead and what there is, has been staffed up with certain people who have an "in" or meet some need of the agencies or their clients in a very specific way. I have been out of work for ober a year and not for lack of trying. No doc review has panned out and I am experienced.

The Yuppie Attorney said...

10:28 PM

It was/ still is funny; when I am employed Recruiters are ringing my phone constantly, trying to set me up for interview on projects that needed me yesterday. This happened when I worked in I.T. and now legal. But, I talk to unemployed people, and they can't get the recruiter to take their calls.

It's a cosmic law of the universe, such as gravity, "if you have a job, then it is easy to find and get a job than if you were unemployed."

Anonymous said...

If you leave a job to take another, the recruiter will get all ghetto on you and threaten to blacklist you. If you finish out a job and then look for another, you will branded "unemployed" and will not be placed on another. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

Anonymous said...

Well, new project being staffed in NY area by Yorkson Legal for Labaton-Sucharow...
I received this post this morning:
****We are staffing a document review project that starts asap. There will be interviews with the client prior to being hired.
***Qualifications:
Prior document review experience or substantive experience in the healthcare, pharma or science industries.
NY Bar admission.
***Must clear conflicts, which are:
Countrywide, BOA, Vivendi, Broadcom, AIG, Amgen, Bear Stearns, British Petroleum.
***Rate 32/hr, 40-50 hrs/wk, straight time.
***Wall Street Area. Plaintiff's class action firm. Healthcare-related case.
If you are interested and qualify, please e-mail your interest, verification of conflicts clear and updated word resume to cstein@yorkson.com.

Please make sure your resume includes the year you were admitted to the NY Bar as well as any document review and/or healthcare, pharma or science experience you have.

Thank you.


Warm regards,

Cheryl Stein
Legal Recruiter

Tel: (212) 265-1400 x210
Fax: (212) 265-1441
cstein@yorkson.com
www.yorkson.com

Yorkson Legal, Inc.
Legal Staffing & Recruiting
136 East 57th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY 10022

J said...

i heard about that doc review project but the problem with it is that it's a plaintiff's firm. doesn't that conflict you out of a lot of future projects?

Anonymous said...

Where's the Protect Access Group guy.

Protest Access Group guy show yourself! Give us an update. The People need to know!

Anonymous said...

those conflicts in the Yorkson/Labaton ad are funny. They just want to make sure none of the reviewers they fired try to get back to Labaton!

Anonymous said...

Sadly, the legal industry is dead, especially for all you loser doc reviewers, why did y'all go to 3rd tiers anyways? could have saved yourself a lot of trouble by skipping law school and becoming an electrician via trade school..or look @ me, im a sandwich maker @ Cosi and am LIVING!

Anonymous said...

The overwhelming majority of you have been scammed and rendered useless. You are the american versions of the untouchables and I am not talking about Elliot Ness hand his comrads.

Whether you are an associate in biglaw, shitlaw or the nearly non-existant midlaw or a lowly temp in doc review or a solo so-called 'practicioner' (really, what the hell is it to 'practice'law anyways? Law is mostly make work, boiler plate, monkey work) it matters not.

The law scam jig is up. The billable hour scam is up. Resultingly, the legal profit pie is much smaller now.

There was little or no room in the lawland inn for the likes of most of you before that pie permanently shrunk and now with the bad economy there is barely room for those who are damn near elite.

Law, more than ever, is only for the priviledged, classist, racist folks mostly are of 2 particular ethnicities that I am apparently not allowed to mention here or on other so-called legal scam busting sites.

Stop deluding yourselves lemmings.

The legal money pie shrinks daily and the powers that be will be damned if the likes of you even get to eat any of its crumbs anymore. The lawland and doc review crumbs are gone forever for most except for a few fortunate ones.

Leave law now and get lives before you all perish with the sinking ship and losing proposition that is the so-called legal 'profession'.

Anonymous said...

Nope, it aint dead. I'm on a big project at S&C with 75+ clickers and growing. No internet, unpredictable hours, filthy kitchens and bathrooms, etc. but if you can bear it this place is hoppin, plenty of people over here. But word on the street is that it will end by the first week of Feb.

Anonymous said...

BREAKING NEWS: Hoping to curry favor with the African-American community, Sen. Reid was arrested late this afternoon after breaking into his own home.

Democrats couldn't win an election without the black vote, but the Democratic Party keeps treating blacks like stage props, wheeling them out for photo-ops and marches now and then but almost never putting them in charge of anything important.

President Bush appointed the first black secretary of state and then the first black female secretary of state. Meanwhile, the closest black woman to Bill Clinton was his secretary, Betty Currie.

The one sitting black Supreme Court justice, Clarence Thomas, was appointed by a Republican.

The head of the Republican National Committee is black -- medium-skinned, but liberals treated Michael Steele like a dark-skinned black when they threw Oreo cookies at him during the Maryland gubernatorial campaign in 2002.

After the 2000 election, Democrats had a chance to make one of the rare smart Democrats, Donna Brazile, head of the Democratic National Committee. Brazile had just run a perfectly respectable campaign on behalf of that bumbling buffoon Al Gore.

She also happens to be black. Again, blacks give 90 percent of their votes to the Democrats.

But the Democrats skipped over Brazile and handed the DNC chairmanship to the goofy white guy in lime green pants, Howard Dean.

UPDATE: Harry Reid has just apologized to the light-skinned people of Haiti for the 7.0 earthquake that hit them Tuesday afternoon.

The single most insulting remark made about blacks in my lifetime was Bill Clinton's announcement -- after being caught in the most humiliating sex scandal in world history -- that he was "the first black president."

He did not call himself "the first black president" when liberals were dancing and singing to Fleetwood Mac at his inauguration. He did not call himself "the first black president" when he was feeling our pain and being lionized by the media. He did not call himself "the first black president" when he was trying to socialize health care or passing welfare reform.

Not until he became a national embarrassment did Clinton recognize that he was "the first black president."

At least he could finally get his own coffee.

Better Coder said...

Hey all,

Thought I'd let everybody know that I am still on my project. Three weeks ago was my thrd year anniversary. Also thought I'd let everybody know I am still at my increased pay rate of 50 and time and half or 50/75. Hours have been cut back a bit. We are currently at 60 hours but get Saturday and Sunday. Fortnately, the firm just let go some first levels. Couple of them were real useless - probably about 38 both had kids at home. Just couldn't cut the hours. I'm glad I was asked to be the one to let them go.

Anyway, the second year I was banging apparently went paralegal on me. She's givng it up to this guy who's barely 24. Apparently the partner caugt wind of it. The fourth year relayed to me that the partner has said that "he'll give her some paralegal."

Alternatively, I have been banging an older of counsel lady who has massively floppy tits. Needless to say I bat those around whenever possible. Plus she's assured me that my cack size has ensured me whatever future project I want. Can't wait for this Saturday. Not only will Of Counsel lady take me to Lucky and Triple Five Soul like she has the past couple weekends, but she also has expresssed an interest in anal.

Very Truly Yours,
Big Swingin Donger Coder
www.bettercoderthanyou.com

Anonymous said...

new york craigslist > manhattan > jobs > legal/paralegal jobs
please flag with care:


miscategorized


prohibited


spam/overpost


best of craigslist

Avoid scams and fraud by dealing locally! Beware any deal involving Western Union, Moneygram, wire transfer, cashier check, money order, shipping, escrow, or any promise of transaction protection/certification/guarantee. More info
DUE DILIGENCE REVIEW (Midtown)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-01-13, 11:47AM EST
Reply to: job-cbbzn-1550698717@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




We are currently staffing a temporary DUE DILIGENCE review which should last several weeks.

This project will involve reviewing agreements and summaries for consistency and accuracy.

No prior experience is required, however any experience with contract review would be a plus.

The right candidate will have superior analytical skills as well as the ability to read and comprehend complex documents.

This project is scheduled to last several weeks. 40/hr work week.

Paralegals, JD's and recent college grads are encouraged to apply.

Please forward your resume in WORD format for immediate consideration.




•Compensation: $22.00/hr
•Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
•Please, no phone calls about this job!
•Please do not contact job poster about

Anonymous said...

Better Coder is a pathological liar and an unfunny cunt.

Anonymous said...

Whats with the huge delay in approving comments? This new system sucks, when there is a job notification we need to start calling within minutes not hours. The whole point of having comments on this blog in the first place is that they are supposed to be current and relevant.

Anonymous said...

There seems to be many contradictions about the doc review market from bloggers. My experience recently is that projects exist but that the agencies seems to have their own "friends of friends" list and short list, and just are not expanding beyond that list. Either they all went to law school together, bar hop and work out at the same gym, or the staffing agency recruiters merely sit back and wait to be "twittered" by their key contact who provides them with a posse of preferred to have worked together constantly, moving from project to project together, throwing each other the info and leads, and keeping others out. It is pure competition and quid pro quos going on here to keep friends working etc....it reminds me of law school and whether or not you are on the list to have passed to you to key canned course outline, past exams etc. and other key information that either gets you higher on the curve, or pushed you lower.....it is more of what we did in law school...just now repeated in the doc review market.....As for numer of projects, the key is being with that staffing agency that has regular turn-over with one law firm. My understanding that list is short: Update, LSP, Quinn Emmanuel..it is very very rough out there right now. My understanding is that it is WORSE in D.C. presently. It seems the only way this cycle of exclusivity is going to be broken is to see new agressive staffing agencies, willing to start out small, and take only a small piece of each project....it is going to require new entrants to start hussling and taking on "sales" calls to kick out the other recruiters who apparently are lazy and just relying on twitters from contract attorneys....someone has to break through this current hoarding of projects by the same usual suspect doc reviewers......Could someone out there just "do it"....only way we can move this "club" out of the way.Someone needs to get inside the law firms to partners and bring the problem to the firm's attention, so the partners can bust their own HR department who apparently are doing quid pro quos with certain agencies, to everyone else's damage.I wonder if NHYSBA, ABA, opr ABCNY would even bother getting involved and bring pressure to bear, since their membership are sitting idle and being damaged by the hoarders?

Anonymous said...

There's work out there... low $30s with OT. But more places are cutting hours down to 45 hours or less.

Anonymous said...

Posse List used to be free. No longer. So many agencies are not using it anymore. Complain to them.

Anonymous said...

FUCK $25/HR. We should not take below $30/HR. Got 2 pitches for $25/HR with no OT. If the employers think they can get 50 lawyers who'll take whatever shit thrown at them, they'll low ball the bids. If you take it, you'll be screwing yourselves over in the future. No, unless you've been out of work for 2 mos, let's make $30/HR bare minimum!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't think Kelly Law Registry or LSP has had any contract work in over a year.

Alice Overtime said...

Thanks so much for this post! I followed it through to The Posse List, and pasted the full list of NYC recruiters to my site.

If interested in a humorous look at unemployment, and a blog about a former attorney turned cleaning lady, check out Alice Overtime at www.aliceovertime.com