tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post6905515198157302971..comments2024-03-25T04:26:39.471-04:00Comments on Temporary Attorney: The Sweatshop Edition: The Hard #'shelpme123http://www.blogger.com/profile/09049497942793554030noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-59688047676353480322008-03-11T11:01:00.000-04:002008-03-11T11:01:00.000-04:00Why isnt any blame placed on your temp agency? The...Why isnt any blame placed on your temp agency? They make money in the deal too. They are the ones that could pay more money to you. How much does the temp agency get for each hour?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-82562717269700078312008-02-15T00:23:00.000-05:002008-02-15T00:23:00.000-05:00And how much does the associate make? Maybe doubl...And how much does the associate make? Maybe double that. But how much does the firm pay to the temp agency? The associate ultimately does not cost the firm that much more money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-43780316941652375532008-02-11T21:38:00.000-05:002008-02-11T21:38:00.000-05:00I second that!pthfffffpttttShort and sweet-smellin...I second that!<BR/><BR/>pthfffffptttt<BR/><BR/>Short and sweet-smelling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-44536853489349005002008-02-11T11:21:00.000-05:002008-02-11T11:21:00.000-05:00Okay, pppfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff...Okay, pppffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffttttttttttttttt. <BR/><BR/>Ahh, feel better, thx for giving me the chance to "let it rip".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-40504367240038660552008-02-11T01:53:00.000-05:002008-02-11T01:53:00.000-05:00I've only performed attorney temping for a short p...I've only performed attorney temping for a short period. I'm now working in the law department of a NYC agency and I find that I don't necessarily enjoy it any more than the temping. The benefits and job security are great, but the pay is half what I'd make temping and the work environment is as bad as the worst places you read about on here.<BR/><BR/>So here's my question: is the grass just always greener on the other side? Am I nuts for seriously considering leaving this civil servant job that'll take me a lifetime to pay off my loans with? Should I return to the den of the temp attorney in order to climb my way out of debt?<BR/><BR/>Let 'er rip....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-61508042265183106292008-02-10T17:25:00.000-05:002008-02-10T17:25:00.000-05:00It doesn't take a high level of intelligence to co...It doesn't take a high level of intelligence to come up with what I wrote. I'd be the first to admit that. <BR/><BR/>Many of you are amazingly insecure. Its understandable because temping breeds fear and insecurity. But, I don't sit around worrying about how smart I am and, despite the fact that I temp, I have learned to stop being insecure. That's why I wrote that 10:42 post. It was a "think differently" post. You can fill in the blanks however you want.<BR/><BR/>You aren't going to get anything out of sitting on your ass beating your head repeatedly against the desk expecting a different result. I am in the same place as many of you. I am just not going to beat down by it. That was my only point. Not rocket science.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-50993959920976828072008-02-10T14:57:00.000-05:002008-02-10T14:57:00.000-05:00I second that, 12:16. But I'm still waiting for a...I second that, 12:16. But I'm still waiting for a secret recipe and curing instructions for a top-notch provolone. Someone moved mine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-6149836054098825642008-02-10T12:16:00.000-05:002008-02-10T12:16:00.000-05:00I agree. If you think an "On The Waterfront" stri...I agree. If you think an "On The Waterfront" strike is going to happen anytime soon, keep dreaming. The temp work force is too fluid and disjointed. Many of us are buried under debt and are just trying to pay the rent. <BR/><BR/>This blog is great, given the circumstances. It shows you what projects to avoid and what shady characters to watch out for. You may call it complaning, but I call it a god-send. <BR/><BR/>Information is power.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-1059080268896439752008-02-10T10:25:00.000-05:002008-02-10T10:25:00.000-05:00I forgot the 'r' in 'constructive'. Please don't ...I forgot the 'r' in 'constructive'. Please don't call me stupid. I cut the cheese quite competently, which makes up for my grammatical deficiency.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-38214167523696411922008-02-10T10:24:00.000-05:002008-02-10T10:24:00.000-05:00What should we do 'constuctive', 10:42? I've got i...What should we do 'constuctive', 10:42? <BR/><BR/>I've got it! How about we become cheese makers? With our educational achievements and levels of intelligence, I'm sure many of us can turn out killer gouda, bree, and feta. Then if someone moves our cheese again, it won't matter because we'll have plenty more where that came from.<BR/><BR/>You're a genius!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-29191689828501261012008-02-09T22:42:00.000-05:002008-02-09T22:42:00.000-05:00PSI really wish this blog would use the attention ...PS<BR/><BR/>I really wish this blog would use the attention and traffic this site gets (from even law firms) to actually do something more constructive than bitching. Some of us know the problems already- we would like something more than wallowing in it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-16750868952771413312008-02-09T22:39:00.000-05:002008-02-09T22:39:00.000-05:00I wouldn't disagree with the central thrust of the...I wouldn't disagree with the central thrust of the last post except to say that it really has nothing to do with the issue at hand. One can be okay with temping and still want more money. . And, what you call reality is not necessarily reality 9:26. There are temps out there who have cut out the middle men, and are making the kind of money that makes temping lucrative. There is nothing that says that it can't be done. I do agree people here tend to only bitch rather than come up with workable solutions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-69544288729047142282008-02-09T21:26:00.000-05:002008-02-09T21:26:00.000-05:00People who do not like temping, should go to work ...People who do not like temping, should go to work in a law firm. I have worked in 3 firms and in between I have temped. <BR/><BR/>Each has its ups and downs. There can be a lot of pressure in a law firm. Long hours and one never really goes home. You must check your blackberry and sign on at home and carry work with you every where. I personally can only do it for so long.<BR/><BR/>If you cannot get a job, maybe you need to take a hard look at yourself and perhaps hire a life coach.<BR/><BR/>Or perhaps, go do something else for a living if you don't like temping. Many, many people with JDs do other things besides practice law.<BR/><BR/>I suggest that every one buy this book called "Who Moved My Cheese". It is a very easy read and is about dealing with reality. When a situation changes, you too must change in reaction to that. If you hate temping and have not done anything else in years, then it is time to move on. Your cheese has moved. Stop whining. Go find yourself some new cheese.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-19207006292515436182008-02-09T18:43:00.000-05:002008-02-09T18:43:00.000-05:00And I am even more sick of the whorish recruiters ...And I am even more sick of the whorish recruiters who sold us out like cheap Malaysian prostitutes to that disgusting Hughes Hubbard sweatshop with that nasty, fat, out of control Lisa Hart monster. Zuckerburg and Cohen may you rot in hell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-78920992204042176752008-02-09T18:38:00.000-05:002008-02-09T18:38:00.000-05:00I am tired of these biglaw whores billing us out a...I am tired of these biglaw whores billing us out at $250 and paying $35. And they wonder why we are so lazy and unmotivated. TIME TO CUT OUT THE MIDDLEMEN!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-56139741756289302142008-02-09T16:48:00.000-05:002008-02-09T16:48:00.000-05:00Did anyone contact Karen Donovan to tell her that ...Did anyone contact Karen Donovan to tell her that her $50/hour quote is about $15 more than the actual average contract attorney rate in NY?<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't mind making $50 an hour. Then my only gripe would be getting decent benefits and a good 401k.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-84680932389415263642008-02-09T11:05:00.000-05:002008-02-09T11:05:00.000-05:00http://law.shu.edu/administration/admissions/caree...http://law.shu.edu/administration/admissions/<BR/>career_opportunities.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-33366437185710435292008-02-09T11:04:00.000-05:002008-02-09T11:04:00.000-05:00http://law.shu.edu/administration/admissions/caree...http://law.shu.edu/administration/admissions/career_opportunities.html<BR/><BR/>I'm really curious to know how many members of the nebulously entitled category, "employed in large firms" are temps....any care to hazard a guess? I would say 85-90% of that total based on the postings here and other places.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-59670221936859797902008-02-08T20:30:00.000-05:002008-02-08T20:30:00.000-05:00Corporate America Revolts Against Its LawyersIn ev...Corporate America Revolts Against Its Lawyers<BR/><BR/>In every business lawsuit, mountains of electronic data must be sorted through and eyeballed as the opposing sides gather evidence in the discovery process.<BR/><BR/>Wading through "e-discovery," as it is called, creates many headaches, but the companies ultimately footing the bills for the legal services have a big gripe:<BR/><BR/>Law firms hire temporary or contract attorneys at $50 an hour, then turn around and charge two or three times that amount to their corporate clients.<BR/><BR/>"It's a profit opportunity for many firms," Robert Bjornsti, vice president at AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, told a packed audience at LegalTech New York, an annual trade show at the Hilton New York. Big firms see the labor-intensive discovery process as an opportunity to create "another profit center."<BR/><BR/>He added: "My view is, 'Why would we pay any more than we need to?'"<BR/><BR/>Bjornsti is not alone. At a panel discussion on managing e-discovery costs, Martha Mazzone, associate general counsel at Fidelity Investments, said she has taken discovery and document review in-house at her fund-management firm.<BR/><BR/>Security was one reason, but Mazzone said she also got fed up with bills that included temporary or contract lawyers whose fees were doubled or tripled when Fidelity was asked to pay.<BR/><BR/>Joining Mazzone on the panel by Jeffrey Fowler, a lawyer with O'Melveny & Myers — one of Fidelity's outside law firms. He was there, she said, because the law firm figured out how to lower document review costs by setting up discovery centers and didn't charge more than it was paying for its temps.<BR/><BR/>Bjornsti said AXA has gone a step further, by bringing much of the discovery process in house. AXA now hires the technology company vendors and temps, and makes it clear that the corporation, not its outside law firm, is the client.<BR/><BR/>The AXA executive's speech preached a "new paradigm" for using outside counsel, which he delicately suggested will "affect law firm profitability."<BR/><BR/>Bjornsti told the crowd he wants to be free to hire smaller, cheaper law firms from, say, Peoria, Illinois, rather than be tied to the "marquee" firms in big cities. Marquee firms have the "scale" required for complicated discovery processes, that feature comes at an increasingly unpalatable price: as much as $1,200 an hour for senior partners.<BR/><BR/>Bringing discovery in house opens the door to hiring less-expensive litigators, he said. At any rate, corporations are usually better equipped to handle massive amounts of data than law firms, because corporate IT departments "bigger than the entire law firm, very often," he said.<BR/><BR/>"Why would this be a core competency of a law firm?" he asked rhetorically.<BR/><BR/>"We can hire temporary attorneys," Bjornsti told the crowd. At the panel, Mazzone said highly skilled contract lawyers will "charge a fourth of what a law firm is going to charge you," she said. "The model that outside counsel has worked on will go away."<BR/><BR/>So let's hear it for the temps! But surely, there are some associates who are counting on document review to meet their requirement to bill those thousands of hours. What do they make of this corporate counsel revolt?<BR/><BR/>by Karen DonovanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-39961621476657512072008-02-08T20:26:00.001-05:002008-02-08T20:26:00.001-05:00Nice article. Should wipe the smirks off of every...Nice article. Should wipe the smirks off of every condescending shithell associate/partner when they realize that the ones who pay their office rent can go direct to the corporations' in-house legal departments. Win-win for corporation and contract attorney - loser, big law firm. Hello quiet layoffs.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-51095200331396778212008-02-08T20:26:00.000-05:002008-02-08T20:26:00.000-05:00Nice article. Should wipe the smirks off of every...Nice article. Should wipe the smirks off of every condescending shithell associate/partner when they realize that the ones who pay their office rent can go direct to the corporations' in-house legal departments. Win-win for corporation and contract attorney - loser, big law firm. Hello quiet layoffs.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-39772856961919174992008-02-08T18:14:00.000-05:002008-02-08T18:14:00.000-05:00It isn't an issues shipping privileged highly conf...It isn't an issues shipping privileged highly confidential documents to India until their internet goes out due to cable pipeline cuts, and that Fortune 500 client misses its discovery deadline and the judge renders sanctions. Not to mention the work product is horrible in India.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-76825128621807833812008-02-08T17:17:00.000-05:002008-02-08T17:17:00.000-05:00We are behind the curve....Please go to Portfolio....We are behind the curve....Please go to Portfolio.com's article on'Corporate America's Revolt Against its Lawyers"...e.g. bye-bye outsourced agencies and contract attorneys........it isn't even an issue of shipping it all to India.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-64630539575849110832008-02-08T14:07:00.000-05:002008-02-08T14:07:00.000-05:00There is no ethical justification for this crass r...<I>There is no ethical justification for this crass rapacious and utterly craven unprofessional use of other human beings as fodder for the wealth of the owners of the firms. In no other business would such horrific treatment of a valuable set of employees be allowed.</I><BR/><BR/>Is this a joke--it's called CAPITALISM. Where have you been?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19584611.post-46105177007770465782008-02-08T12:01:00.000-05:002008-02-08T12:01:00.000-05:00http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/daily-brief/2...http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/daily-brief/2008/02/07/corporate-america-revolts-against-its-lawyersAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com