Last weekend, a friend I grew up with unexpectedly passed away. As sad as it was, I was able to attend to my business and pay my condolences.
Unfortunately, one of my temporary attorney colleagues wasn't so lucky when she had to attend a funeral several years ago. At the time, she was working for the HireCounsel temp agency. In the middle of the funeral, piercing high above the somber chants of Dies Irae, went the ring of her cell phone. Apparently, it was Denise Fischler, who was demanding to know when my friend was going to return to work. My friend kindly informed her that she was in the middle of a funeral, and that it wasn't the best time for a conversation. After hanging up, Ms. Fischler immediately called back, and left a message on voice mail requesting that my friend mail back in her employee I.D. badge! Talk about nerve.
I had my own personal run in with this crackpot, when I quit the Paul Weiss gulag. Despite sending in a kind, professional e-mail to Ms. Fischler, informing her that I didn't take my doc. reviews with cockroaches, I received a nasty, scathing telephone call from her, at 10 P.M. She berated me like a child, scolding me for walking off a project. "How dare you just quit like that," she sneered. I was so exasperated, I merely apologized. Surprisingly, one week later, she called me for another assignment.
Fortunately, Ms. Fischler no longer works for the HireCounsel temp agency; remember, only the good die young, and Denise probably went off, crawled under some rock, and will in all likelihood survive the next nuclear winter. Just be thankful, however, that you will never again have to hear the HireCounsel funeral dirge.
52 comments:
Your lucky the market was busy and that you sucked up to her and didn't tell her off. She would have put you on the blacklist.
hello?
Hi, I just wanted to apologize and I really do appreciate that you tried to help me accomplish my dream.
Denise was just doing her job. You made her look bad to the client, & you made yourself look bad by quitting via e-mail. You should have called her, explained the situation, & waited until she found a replacement for you before bailing.
Denise placed me on several projects a few years ago & I never had any problems dealing w/ her. She was a straight-shooter, and never engaged in outright lying like Andrew Rider or Scott Krowitz. I believe she still works for Hirecounsel, but in another state.
Please. I find it curious that someone like Denise would expect to receive the upmost in professional courtesy, after having placed a candidate in an abusive, sub-standard workplace.
If a project is particularly bad, I always document my reasons for leaving in writing.
The agencies always hate to communicate via email......wonder why?
The law firm partners allow the agencies to take such a large cut because they need someone to play the "bad cop" role. Distinguished law firm partners serving on prestigious ethics committees don't want to be seen as playing dirty when it comes to employment practices.
I think you guys should spend less time attacking the agency straw men, and focus more on the greedy biglaw partners, who are really pulling the strings.
Where do the breed recruiters? Normally, if you call a person in the middle of a religious service, especially a funneral, you say "I am sooo sorry! I did not know. Excuse me." then hang up. YOu don't recall then fire a person.
Because Denise was playing the "bad cop" role. While this temp was attending a funeral, some biglaw partner wasn't receiving their lucrative billable hour cut. It's the job of the "bad cop," Denise, to step in and replace the non-billing temp with a billing one.
The "profession" has devolved to such a level that basic humanity and human decency are no longer respected.
Denise works for HireCounsel in Philly. Who answers their phone during a funeral? Who even has their ringer on? Those are poor choices just like not letting your employer know when you will not be in to work. Denise probably got bitched out by her client because your friend never showed up. I was working a temp file clerk job in college when my grandmother died and I still managed to call the agency to let them know I wouldn't be in.
The fact is that the client kept telling her that she did not want to replace the contract attorney because the contract attorney was doing her job. Denise was and still is a greedy person who does not respect life nor the dignity of someone grieving. That is the reality. Exposing her arrogant behavior does not enable her to continue to profit from our labor. To the prior person who wrote the comment, shame on you for jumping into a conclusion--who answers the phone at a funeral? Bad choices, what are you talking about? You do not know the facts, so why are you judging? People were grieving.
Reflect and think before you speak.
"Anonymous said...
Denise works for HireCounsel in Philly. Who answers their phone during a funeral? Who even has their ringer on? Those are poor choices just like not letting your employer know when you will not be in to work. Denise probably got bitched out by her client because your friend never showed up. I was working a temp file clerk job in college when my grandmother died and I still managed to call the agency to let them know I wouldn't be in."
WHO LEAVES THEIR CELL PHONE ON DURING A FUNERAL? duh. A temp attorney who has to remain in the good graces of someone like Denise to keep receiving their paycheck, that's who, which is all of us. The Devil doesn't always wear Prada...
Try providing the facts so people can "reflect". Truth is you probably don't know all the facts because you are getting a one-sided view from your friend. In addition, you already had a negative view of the recruiter because she bitched you out for quitting your job in an unprofessional manner, and now after hearing your friend's tale,you feel justified for quitting your position in the fashion of a 16 year old. If your friend let the recruiter know when she was returning to work (like a professional would do) she wouldn't have received a call on her cell phone(which most people turn off when they are at a funeral).
thats why you guys all should work at Satan's Workshop. These kind of stories never emanate from there.
you people are sooo pathetic. doesn't anyone practice common sense?
65 rulz
65 rulz
hi ya'll.. if you're a doc reviewer, and you're bored.. come chat at
http://docreviewers.googlepages.com/talk
Denise is hot. I'd tap that.
There is a Denise in HireCOunsel Philly; not sure if she's the same Denise. Her last name isn't Fischler.
Anyway, she seemed relatively nice to me, but I have heard some stories about Philly Denise.
Everyone should definitely have their phones on vibrate at a funeral. Even if you're an on-call hospital doctor.
ok you seriously need a reality check
1) no one should have a phone on during a funeral... did your friend call both her supervisor and the temp agency to tell them she would be missing a day or did she just decide to be unprofessional and not show up
2) speaking of taking time off - these temporary jobs are nice in that you CAN take time off -- try being in a real lawyer job where you CAN'T go have thanksgiving dinner with your family or attend that wedding you wanted b/c the judge set a hearing for that monday
3) and 3rd - as far as the work conditions - temp agencies don't set those -- they're limited by the law firms and what they decide to provide
think about it - you have a law degree and can't get a REAL lawyer job so you do doc review where you mindlessly look at documents all day for $35-45/hr -- wow.... must be a REALLY tough life!!! so you have to put up with some minor difficulties -- GET OVER IT!!! it's called WORK for a reason -- you should BE so lucky you even got a call back for another project - after the unprofessional way you left
bottom line is - maybe instead of blamming everyone else, you should look at your own unprofessional behavior --- and the reason you're doing doc review and blogging about it instead of working at a top law firm billing 100 hours/week -- and then you can complain.....>:0
Awwwww, poor Denise. TTT made her look bad in front of the human rights violators at Paul Weiss. What a travesty!
I worked in the Paul Weiss basement & didn't see any roaches while I was there. A few years later, I did hear about an older AA female contract attorney at PW who would bring bags of food with her from home. People saw roaches coming out of her bags. so it's probably all her fault.
no roaches @ 65
Denise is a scumbag and that is the truth. She also put down another friend of mine for taking a week off because the woman had an ear infection and a high grade fever. So, she is greedy, nasty and brutal. She is a dog!!! Shame on anyone who defends such a scum of human being.
I would've just got my money's worth and told Denise Fischler to go fuck herself, in those exact words. Sometime a bridge is worth burning to get a good "fuck you" in.
kudos to the douchebag who answered their cell phone at the funeral and then blamed it on the agency. That's your problem and the problem with everyone on this blog- you blame everyone else for your shortcomings and stupid actions.
You're all idiots and crazy unemployable mouth-breathers. The sooner you realize that the better, for you, for the agencies and the legal profession in general.
the problem is today that there are too many idealistic stupid people who go to law school and have no idea how the real world works prior to making such a decision. Once they find out that they're really just overly optimistic and seriously underequipped to handle themselves in the real world they become temporary attorneys and end up as the scourge of the legal profession.
There, that's all of your careers in a nutshell. Now move on.
Denise is nasty as they come. She staffed that cockroach infested Paul Weiss horror shop for years. She then harasses someone at a funeral and expects professional courtesy in return? Please. Someone really should have spit in her face.
10:10- Why don't you reveal yourself so we can spit on your face? Oh wait, you are jobless and get your kicks here. A blog.
I guess life spits you in the face everyday, huh?
10:29, let me buy you a drink and take a bat to your fkin skull.
I laugh at most of the stories that get posted here. There is plenty to complain about in this industry, but this is really a bad example of it. You have to be responsible even if the agencies and their employees are not. If you don't notify the agency that you're gonna be out, then it is absolutely normal for them to try to contact you, and how would they know you are at a funeral? That's irrelevant, as sad as it may be. Regarding Denise, and other recruiters like her, I fully agree that all they care about is what the client wants and they don't give a damn about the unfair or even outrageous treatment we may receive on the job. I personally got fired by her because I complained after a colleague wrote me a nasty email calling me a fat pig, a f--ken bitch, because I asked him not to use my computer to write inappropriate emails after work hours. And, I never even had had a conversation with the guy prior to that. The behavior exhibited by some of my colleagues on my project was extremely unprofessional bordering on outrageous, and no one did anything about it. We do not get the benefit of the protection that permanent employees usually get against outrageous behavior in the workplace. Instead the victim is treated as part of the problem and promptly fired along with the perpetrator. So, instead of just complaining about the agencies, how about focusing on how some of our colleagues are the reason why the atmosphere on some of these projects suck. Why don't doc reviewers just do their job and stop complaining, gossiping, and competing with their fellow doc reviewers. Why are there so many paranoid people on these projects? I hate to think that we're just a bunch of losers, but when I read the postings here and see how people have no clue about the responsibilities they have in the work world, it makes me wonder.
Hey TTT, this incident did not happen last week. It was a couple years ago.
This blog has gone down hill so quickly it's unbelievable.
Can't you tell us anything that is relevant to TODAY?
Welcome back, "This Blog Has Gone Downhill" Troll!
So, let me see, you're saying that unprofessional behavior on projects, and backstabbing, paranoid colleagues are not relevant today? I'd rather deal with cockroaches anytime.
Were any of the dozens of people who were fired after the ALM article given professional notice? Fuck Paul Weiss and fuck Denise.
10:22- Fuck you, and your inability to support your sorry ass without an agency.
Have fun shopping for the holidays. Not.
No, fuck you back. Fuck your agency, I don't need it, and have a Merry Fucking X-mas.
Of course you need it, you are a slave to your student loans. See you in our next temp basement!
I'm not a slave to anything. What are they going to do if I stop paying?
Throw me in debtor's prison? There are no debtors' prisons anymore.
Call me over and over? I'll just disconnect my phone.
Garnish my wages? I'll just get a fake SS#, like all the illegal Mexicans do.
Who cares about student loans?
Sounds like a great future you are going to have. And with those values- an upstanding attorney as well.
What are your hourly rates? I would love to hire you to wipe my dog's shit.
Denise is now married & living in Philly. Her agency sucks. you are better going directly to the HR Dept. then going thru a headhunter. Denise was once a disgruntal paralegal and got into this type of biz. If you ever meet her in person she has no personality. Try another agency. I wouldn't recommend her to walk my dog.
Does anyone know Jennifer from Philly @ HireCounsel
Are agencies no longer calling people back after conflicts check? Seems like a lack of common courtesy and perhaps even an extended fishing expedition--some of the posted jobs probably don't exist.
How much do managing directors at these agencies make? One at HC sounds really stressed out.
Got a call back from one but not another on unrelated projects--guess it just depends on the person or office.
BS sucks
Are HireCounsel ads fake?
HC doesn't have name badges or whatever one poster said. But they do sometimes treat you the way (I imagine) the pimp treats the ho - my "recruiter", who didn't let me know an assignment was about to end, insisted that I contact her/him FIRST before talking with the law firm about changes/future/etc.
Post a Comment