"Hi Tom,
I'm a doc reviewer out in California. I like reading your column
for the horror stories, but sometimes they leave me in disbelief.
Is this a regional thing? Out here in the SF Bay Area, what you
describe sounds like another planet to me, or at least a distant,
third world country. My DR experience has been the complete opposite.
Our firm treats us so well, you could almost cry.
Just yesterday they invited us to a special Thanksgiving lunch
with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, whipped cream and
even wine. And this isn't the first time they've done something like
this. They feed us all the time.
In addition to that, we get $40 an hour, generous overtime, and
even double time (which is allowed at the moment). They're flexible
with your work schedule, they let us work from home evenings and
weekends, they let us listen to satellite radio on the job and we have
our own offices.
At this point, I'm making a heck of a lot more money than even
the associates. And I don't have half the responsibility they do.
This job is as close to paradise as I could imagine. The worst thing
about it is that it makes it tough to get motivated to find a
permanent job."
Yes, when it comes to being a contract attorney, we in NYC are living on another planet. We have to constantly deal with the crowded/dangerous working conditions, tyrannical bosses, high cost of living, and tightly controlled blacklists. Only N.Y. could spawn off the likes of Lily, Frankendine, Poxolution (a.k.a. Lex-Pollution), and the Paul Weiss cockroaches. Even Florida gets to have Mickey Mouse, and not Mickey from Simpson Thacher.
16 comments:
ohmygod I expected to read "April Fools" at the end of that. Is this real? Can this be substantiated? Watch out San Francisco. Are they taking applications?
Maybe its because there are so many idiots in NY. You cannot show up to work with a bitchy attitude and entitlement issues and expect a firm/the agencies to treat you well. 90% of the stuff NY doc reviewers bitch about wouldn't exist if it weren't for their own stupid behavior.
Apparently lawyers in SF know how to bring a spect of professionalism to work with them. Trust me, very few know how to do that here.
I agree with above, new york lawyers are horrible compared to SF ones.
they both suck the dilsnik
Ok then who wants to take the leap, pass the CA bar, and move to CA?
I have NEVER been fed while doing doc review. Even the pizza that you guys got at 27 Broadway is something I have never experienced. Being allowed to listen to music? Never happens in my world, hell I dont even have internet access always. $40 an hour is also a pleasure I have yet to see. Market is $35 and that's the best I've ever gotten.
For what it is worth, I was fed lunch and dinner every single day while working at the NY office of O'Melveny & Myers, which is based in LA. Maybe it is a California custom. A friend who worked at MoFo was also treated quite well, even being invited to firm functions.
I've made 40 in NY, gotten food, cars, work at home, real office, etc. Of course, I'm not a dumbass that gets drunk at noon or sleeps all day or plays video games. I click my documents - for the whole time I bill - and shockingly enough, the firms treat me well.
Imagine that - an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. I know why some of these temps will never get jobs - its them!!!!! Socially retarded, greedy, lazy and think they deserve it all.
It only takes one project to get a reputation as a good worker - and then the agencies will send you to the good jobs. And it only takes one to get a repuation as a waste of space. Pick one.
"It only takes one project to get a reputation as a good worker - and then the agencies will send you to the good jobs."
That is so not true. Being a good worker doesn't necessarily mean an agency will place you on a better assignment. More likely, an agency will place you with a difficult client (cause they know you will eat the shit), or place you on an assignment that is being staffed by multiple agencies. GOOD WORK IS NEVER REWARDED IS THIS CESSPOOL OF A PROFESSION. GOT IT?
San Francisco SUCKS!!!! The always cold weather, the aggressive bums that will stab you with a hypodermic needle if you are not careful, the overpriced housing market, the annoying middle aged hippies that will pick a fight over anything, the nasty asian girls with attitudes..........
I will take my crap $35 an hour New York temp job anyday.
11:44 - Really? come on, man. You can't truly be this bad in real life. HR can smell an attitude problem before you get off the elevator. Suck it up, work your ass off, and eventually you'll get somewhere. This has worked for people since man first put on a suit. You aren't too good for it, and neither is anyone else with a law license and a bad transcript.
Alot of is firm and agency dependent.
STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stop complaining about how terrible your profession is and get a real f'ing job! CHange your situation! NO MORE WHINING! Tom the temp is a toolbox and this site does nothing but promote the "woe is me" whining attitude that is so prevalent in the world today and clearly rampant in the temp world. Just cause you were stupid in law school doesn't mean you have to be stupid afterwards too.
I do doc review in LA and it's pretty much like the SF temp described (except no offices, just cubes). Good money, good food, nice people, and I'm not even licensed in the state.
I worked for O'Melveny & Myers and was treated well too. I've found that you get treated better in New York if you have a good manager (staff attorney/legal analyst) on the project. Otherwise it's hell, mostly because some miserable co-workers become assholes and a bad manager might actually encourage people to cheat on their hours and not do any work.
I have been a staff attorney at a major national firm in Upstate NY for over 2 years. I am told that after using many NYC temp agencies and getting awful disgruntled workers, the firm decided to keep the document review in house and create permanent positions below that of associate. Originially, it was to be titled Non Partnership Associates, but they went w/ Staff Attorney instead. It is a salaried position with full medical/dental benefits from day 1, 401k after 6 months, free parking, a kitchen stocked w/ every beverage and light snack imaginable and a discretionary year end bonus dependent on yearly billables. The job is tedious and menotinous, but it is what it is. Just work hard and hopefully parlay it into something better.
So consider moving upstate if you if the NYC doc review grind is really getting you.
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