Tom,
This is the project at Skadden where half of the people are on hold and the rest (I haven't been called back yet) are working....it is a very bad feeling, as it creates ill will.
TUESDAY, 5/20
"As most of you know, you have been asked not to return tomorrow, Wednesday (May 21) given that they do not have enough data for tomorrow. That being said, they do not want to lose you and you should be back on Thursday morning or afternoon. I will give you a call tomorrow with this information. I appreciate your flexibility and truly apologize for this.
It is a pleasure to work with you and I know this is a huge inconvenience. I wish I could have control over it!!!
Please confirm that you received this."
THURSDAY, 5/22
"Hey! No word back from Skadden. The same thing stands. They want you back but they are just not ready for that. I truly apologize and I feel terrible for this. Believe me, I was a contract attorney myself. As soon as I have any news I'll let you know. If I do not call you tonight it means that you shouldn't go in tomorrow. I'll keep you posted though. You are still on the project, I know that is not that comforting, but this is all we have been told as of right now.
Hope to talk to you soon with better news. I should have an update later today. Worst case scenario, you'll have the weekend off, they will finally get their act together at that time and then it should all be ok after that. Best case scenario, they get back to me soon!!!"
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Will you be pawned once again by the Skadden sock puppet?
56 comments:
Of course you'll be pawned! Skadden pays a top rate and you have no real alternative but to hang around until they ask you back. The only other gigs out there are 1-2 week junkers or below market longer term jobs, so you just have to sit there and wait for the phone to call. Better than jumping ship and getting blacklisted by Skadden.
But when are we striking?? Soon, right?
Cute blog. For and by third-rate lawyers who can't get a real job, right?
6:55 Do you have a job? Or does leaving anonymous messages on blogs make you feel like you are better than others?
7:25 - your message is anonymous too, right? Does THAT make YOU feel better?
7:25 - your message is anonymous too, right? Does THAT make YOU feel better?
easy people... 6:55 am is probably an unhappy associate taking his/her anger out on the temps... we know that drill... just get the cash on the table people... FOCUS !!!!!!
Law Firm Files Suit to Bar Outsourcing of Client Data
Pedro Ruz Gutierrez
Legal Times
May 27, 2008
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Law firms looking to cut costs by outsourcing their legal support services overseas could be jeopardizing their client confidentiality, according to a recent federal suit filed by a Bethesda, Md., firm.
Joseph Hennessey, name partner at Newman McIntosh & Hennessey, turned to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on May 7 seeking a ruling on the outsourcing of privileged client data that may be subject to eavesdropping by the U.S. government.
Hennessey, who in 2005 wrote a column for Legal Times on the Fourth Amendment and privacy rights, says foreign companies have no presumption of privacy because the National Security Agency is free to spy on them without constitutional constraints.
"We are really heading toward a collision between globalized economic interests and the limited extension of constitutional rights," Hennessey says.
The lawsuit names President George W. Bush as a co-defendant along with Acumen Legal Services of India and its U.S. subsidiary, Acumen Solutions of Houston, Texas.
The firm is looking to the court to rule on whether outsourcing of legal services compromises constitutional rights and whether consent should be required before such data is sent abroad. It also wants the court to order law firms to disclose their use of foreign legal support and to order that the government establish protocols to shield attorney-client information from surveillance.
"It seeks this declaration knowing that foreign nationals who reside overseas lack Fourth Amendment protections," says the firm's complaint for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief. "It seeks this declaration having been informed ... that the United States government engages in pervasive surveillance of electronically transmitted data."
Hennessey, who also has filed requests for opinions with the D.C. Bar and the Maryland State Bar Association, says Acumen solicited his company via e-mails earlier this year.
"It's not paranoia. It's just fact," Hennessey says. "Now that we're outsourcing services, we have given no consideration to the ongoing practice of the government harvesting information out there."
He says he's also concerned that information from his firm, which especializes in personal injury and medical malpractice, could -- through discovery -- fall into the hands of competitors who employ outsourced services.
District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who also is chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, has been assigned to the case. A representative for Acumen's corporate headquarters in India had no comment.
First reported in The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.
"We are really heading toward a collision between globalized economic interests and the limited extension of constitutional rights,"
Amen.
That's great news, finally a dash of common sense in this horrible, outsourced world.
which agency is staffing the Skadden project?
Clutch.
Clutch, a new entrant into the NY market, is quickly sucking as much as the other already established agencies.
Oh c'mon they're so much better, and they outsource too!
Query: I have a wage claim against a temp agency and its management, along with that agency's client....which NYS, NYC, and federal forums are best to file a complaint within the SOL? Which has proven to be effective in getting results and penalties in contrast of investigating a complaint and merely going through the motions. The key issue is a wage complaint filed by a contract attorney working on an extremely long term project, with no cause complaints, and nothing but good comments etc...........
3:31
please describe what you think is/or would be the ideal staffing agency.
the email (assuming it is clutch) is professional and informative. how would you like to be notified about the project? if you are not interested, move on. afraid about being blacklisted? people post on this blog all the time that agencies put anybody on these projects because they are greedy and just want to make money? making money/blacklisting - a bit of a contradiction, yes?
have you ever had a perm job? do you think that it is some kind of utopia out there for lawyers with perm positions?
hating everybody makes you lose credibility.
8:26 is on to something, maybe we should all start wage claims against these evil doers that lie to us and treat us like garbage.
I'm not aware of the appropriate forum, but I would start with the City of New York web site and see if there as a City Agency that can help. The New York Dept of Labor may be a good place, too, but I'm not a Labor Lawyer.
Clutch would love to have everyone start on the project- they aren't making $$ with the temps sitting home on their asses either.
Skadden is prob. in settlement negotaitions and the project (or what's left of it) will simply fizzle out. This was looking like a big cattle call with all the craigslist postings, etc. but instead might turn out to be a huge bust.
One of many huge busts lately, the temp atty market is a joke.
My God, you people need to take some antidepressants.
In my experience, taking antidepressants (not to mention klonopin, ativan, etc. for the anxiety of maybe not being able to pay the rent) does not solve the problems contract attys face.
Re: Law Firm Files Suit to Bar Outsourcing of Client Data
Wow. It's about darn time. We should all write Amicus Briefs
Anyone notice how many projects have busted lately, some at the last minute?
With a steep, dark recession well underway, maybe corporate America is getting a little sick of the Skaddens and Sullivan Clownshops of the world racking up 7 figure bills for the idiotic time-wasting festivals they've been holding the past few years.
Make no mistake, the "biglaw" culture is in for some big changes. They've already cut back on first-year associate hiring, and other firms are laying off associates. In these leaner times, corporate America might finally question paying a 25 year old who knows nothing $500 an hour.
And this biglaw culture of overbilling leads to this:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/ITeS/
LPOs_rake_it_in_from_spurt_in_US_litigation/articleshow/3074605.cms
LPO's are "raking it in" during the US economic downturn. They are poised to steal even more jobs from US trained and licensed attorneys in addition to their staff.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/ITeS/
LPOs_rake_it_in_from_spurt_in_US_
litigation/articleshow/3074605.cms
The article references Integreon, here is one of the American lawyers that works for them....
http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=
&sik=1211730014733&keywords=
lisa-wiener&sortCriteria=4
I'm only making $7.50!
A fight nearly broke out on a large scale investigation project downtown. One shaggy haired, shirt-tail hangning out temp complained that the room was too hot. The buttoned-down temp by the window refused to open the window. Then shaggy dude went all psycho saying "You're such a child. I'm not tolerating this crap." Luckily the supervisor broke it up before punches were thrown. I think shaggy haired dude would have got his tail beat.
It's psychology 101 -
When you enclose a bunch of people in a tight space for long periods of time, the psychological stress begins to build. I am actually surprised there aren't more fist fights on some of these jobs.
"I am actually surprised there aren't more fist fights on some of these jobs."
Medication.
I think it is a surprise that more fights don't break out...it's such a horrible way to work, like turn of the century garment workers.
I agree with the button down shirt guy though, opening the window is just disgusting, with all of the filthy street dust and truck exhaust pouring in. It's much healthier to keep the window closed and use the office ventilation system or a fan. It's not like your at your beach house in the Hamptons, you're in the middle of the filthy city and windows should be kept closed except for extreme circumstances.
I think it is a surprise that more fights don't break out...it's such a horrible way to work, like turn of the century garment workers.
I agree with the button down shirt guy though, opening the window is just disgusting, with all of the filthy street dust and truck exhaust pouring in. It's much healthier to keep the window closed and use the office ventilation system or a fan. It's not like your at your beach house in the Hamptons, you're in the middle of the filthy city and windows should be kept closed except for extreme circumstances.
I am tired of the people who want the room to be sweltering like they are on some tropical island or in equatorial Africa. When it's too hot, you are more likely to pick up a cold or some other bug. There are so many sick people on these projects and they come to work no matter how sick they are. So stop whining about the air conditioning. If you don't have air conditioning, demand it. And don't put up with the crap you get from Ernie from Update when you ask him to turn up the air conditioning. I know his lazy ass doesn't like to be disturbed from doing nothing, but be persistent with this prick and complain to the higher ups at Update if necessary, even though it is unlikely that it will do you any good.
8:30pm
Your platitudes don't merit a cogent response so for now I will just say: BITE ME!
Focus on the fact that if projects are busting suddenly, it is bc/the client is pulling the plug. The lay-offs will accelerate by August simply bc/ there is a new shoe to drop at the major investment banks from an area not directly related to sub-prime. Lehman may be the next to drop, and certainly to be followed by another. Effect for us is that law firms' will accelerate layoffs far above current levels - it is only the beginning........you will be lucky to find a long-term contract project. If they will exist, they will require certain skill set not the usual - such as tax, accounting,etc. and those requirements will be "real" e.g. just bc/ you've got a long standing relationship of prior gigs won't be enough to make the cut......forget the minor annoyances, keep your eye on the goal - paying your rent and student loans, and putting food on your table.
No, 7:44- it's much more fun to blame the agencies than the clients or the firms that represent them. Your logic has no place on this blog o' retards.
I can not understand all these negative posts about Africa. We are some of the hardest working contract attorneys yet the American born contract attorneys constantly complain against us. You have had all the advantages of living in the U.S. but you blame us for your own inferiority. Please try and make yourself a better person and leave us alone.
8:44
haven't you figured it out yet? the haters on this blog are always finding someone to blame. either it is the law schools, the agencies, the law firms and even you.
8:44 - Stop trying to keep the room 100 degrees then! If you're cold, put on a freakin' sweatshirt! You're not in Haiti, Jamaica, or Nigeria anymore! You no longer have to sit in sweltering heat - you've made it to the USA! Celebrate by turning up the air full blast!
The post at 7:44 has it dead on. Already a lot of these projects are getting VERY picky about the experience requirement(s). Peak has a gig right now that requires some heavy tax and accounting background and is only paying $40 an hour. The "run of the mill" coding gigs where ex-ID lawyers and fresh toilet grads from NYLS, Pace, et al were guranteed failrly steady work at 35-40 hour plus OT are rapidly vanishing. Many "garden variety" coding gigs are being outsourced to India, and the recession has crushed M&A and realestate work.
With the demise of coding, the toilet law school racket will finally disintegrate. THousands of TTT grads have for years used doc review as an "insurance policy." Let's face it- 50 K a year doing gutter work at a small firm is far worse than making 80-100 K coding docs.
Though a TTT moron myself, I have many friends who went to good schools and work NYC biglaw, and all are shitting their pants. THe layoffs have just begun, kids. True, these kids at least get severenace and can hopefully lateral to another biglaw shop or a mid-size botique, but the ax is coming down regardless. Look for OCI this year at even the Ivy schools to be far, far reduced. The legal industry is going to shit in a hurry.
10:16, The difference between ethnic attorneys and yourself is that they are probably employed and your not. Stop spewing your hate and complaining and figure out why you are unemployed. Learn a new language while your at it, a skill set that ethnic attorneys have already done.
7:49 - "ethnic attorneys?" Nice PC term invention! You should be a linguist instead of a lawyer.
7:49 - I suspect your command of English is far inferior to the image of your prowess that occupies your minds' eye.
Don't worry, with the economic downturn/upheaval well underway in the legal job market, expect to be the first to be let go from the projects. As 12:10 so aptly puts it, far more experienced attorneys with substantive work filled resumes will be lining up shortly to take your job and consequently force you back to your homeland.
But there's good news. You are obviously a hard working go-getter, you can set up an offshoring services company in your native land and put these uppity Americans out of work. That will be your revenge. One caveat, however, referring to yourself as "an ethnic attorney" is a regrettable phrase and should not be uttered. Rather refer to yourself as "of a minority class" or as a foreign born lawyer. It will give you greater credibility and a better platform from which to lob your ultimate attention getting excuse, "racism". Good luck in our country, I hope you're saving your money, rocky times ahead!
Call a spade a spade. I'm not voting for Obama.
104- take your political race baiting somewhere else please. Who cares for whom you are voting?
10:19 The first rat to leave a sinking ship is usually the smartest. As for the rest of your comments, you can take your hate and flush it down the toilet. I am proud to be a contract attorney where at least I know I'm getting paid, proud to click for the ones that gave that right to me. So I'll Stand Up and defend her still today.
We are bitter.
People that worked hard, were loyal, and acted in a professional manner were rewarded by Hudson with weeks of unemployment. The Nigerians who do nothing but run scams, jump ship the minute another project pays $1 dollar more, and didn't have to pay sky high TTT tuition get to move seamlessly from one project to another, while giving us all a horrible reputation.
3:49
I appreciate what you are saying, but the temp world is topsy turvy. You are not rewarded for loyalty or diligence. Temps have had a bad reputation for a long time. It is worth repeating that doc review is by and large a scam. It is an opportunity for the law firm to bilk the client and for the agencies to screw the temp. The Nigerians play the system and make the money. If you don't know how or choose not to do the same, then that's on you. The temp world is full of scammers and lazy people, and a lot of them are home grown. It is frustrating to witness this if you are a decent worker, but just focus on what you are doing and ignore the garbage around you.
4:59 - that is just a laughable justifcation for the aforementioned dishonest and sleazy behavior. Don't you think part of the reason for the move to India is that fact these projects are a horrendous pain to manage by law firms? These projects are social experiments in dumping random people from anywhere into a cesspool to see which survive.
I'm not going to run down Nigerians or other groups specifically, as it only inflames everyone. But let's just say that there are different, non-american value systems at work here. An American's idea of of right v. wrong and of professionalism is far different from someone that was raised in a developing nation. No American trained lawyer ever imagined, spending three years of graduate schools and untold thousands of dollars that they would be forced to compete for their jobs with foreigners with undergrad degrees admitted to local bars and now, offshored lawyers given crash courses in our legal system to do our work.
No, it's not acceptable by American standards, according the ABA, to lie cheat, overbill and contribute to an overall environment of dishonesty, lie to agencies about your friends credentials. It's called a scam and a criminal network.
Many of us actually strive to do good work and behave in an ethical manner and didn't go to law school to be treated some ignorant slob. That's why we're offended by this disgraceful behavior.
6:12
If you read my posting carefully, you might see that I am attempting to explain the dynamics of the temp world rather than trying to justify lazy, dishonest behavior. I do respect the few who are diligent in this cesspool, but I have quit caring long ago about what the scammers do; I am just responsible for my own behavior.
I am a little confused over where you are getting this wonderful "American standard." Frankly, I do not see it on these projects. What I see is more of an entitlement attitude among our home schooled brethern. And the ABA with their alleged standards or any other association do very little to protect our interests. It is easy for you or law firms to blame foreign educated attorneys for the pain of running doc review projects, but I would say that 90% of these projects are staffed by your so called "professional" US attorneys.
I agree that we spent the time and money going to law school not to be disrespected like this, but the reality is that we are in temp hell now, so make the best of it or else try to get out. We need to look at ourselves, not blame foreign trained attornys for our predicament.
6:55 Home School is the best school!
Lol, I thought old Skool wwas the best school.
No one is blaming them for this hell, they are simply part of the unbearable conditions. It's a daily culture clash. Just because we bring it up, doesn't constitute bashing or whatever pc term you would prefer to use. Personally I like to meet/befriend/network with attorneys from all over the world.
7:44
You really sound like a citizen of the world. I bet you have black friends too.
lol, is that the best you can do, some sort of lame racist comment?
I gave it my best shot! Next time, I will consult with Rev. Michael Pfleger.
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