Black "List" Discovery Temp Agency

Blackletter Discovery placed a group of 35 attorneys on a job in San Francisco, based on the following terms:

1) It would last 3-4 months
2) There would be "plenty of overtime"
3) There would be suitable working conditions

Instead, here is what we got:

1) One week into the job, we were told that, oops, the job would be ending in two weeks. So, for those of you doing the math, the job went from 3-4 months to 3 weeks. We were also told that regardless of the changed circumstances we were required to finish the job and not look for other work.
2) Overtime was also cut off at the same time. Of course, when we asked the recruiter if we could look into other contract opportunities that included overtime, we were harshly scolded (i.e. if you do that, our firm will never hire you again, and we will tell every other firm that you don't follow through on your commitments).
3) There was no air conditioning, and no windows. Let me tell you, an enclosed space, with no ventilation gets extremely stuffy, smelly, and hot within hours. Try living in it for 8 hours a day for 3 weeks.

W'ere Back

After a long hiatus in posting we are back with the New York Divorce and Family Law, a blog for New York attorneys and judges.



We hope that we will be able to make a meaningful contribution to the continuing legal education of the New York matrimonial bench and bar by responding to posts from attorneys with regard to any aspect of New York Divorce and Family Law.



New York attorneys and judges are encouraged to post on our site and respond to questions or comments posted by other attorneys with regard to about any aspect of New York Divorce and Family Law practice, procedure, court decisions or legislation.



Our objective is to create an forum for the exchange of knowlege and information among the bench and bar. We need your input, questions and comments to make it work. We need to hear from you.

Shyster Deans

Tom the Temp,



Because you’re a blogger who is a member of the legal education community, we thought you and your blog’s readers would be interested in an ABA Journal cover story about U.S. News & World Report’s law school rankings that was posted today (http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/the_rankings_czar/). And we’re holding a live online chat next month with the rankings czar from U.S. News in which you can participate.



Robert Morse, the man who created the law school rankings for U.S. News, offers an olive branch to law school deans who have long complained about the effect of the rankings on legal education. “Deans are welcome to call me or come by my office in Washington,” Morse says. “I want to work with them to improve the rankings.”



Some deans and former deans think they should engage the magazine, rather than just complain about it. “I think rankings need to be changed, and the only way that will happen is if law school deans sit down with Bob Morse for honest discussion,” says Nancy Rapoport, who resigned as dean of the University of Houston Law Center after her school dropped almost 20 points in the rankings. “I would attend a meeting like that without hesitation.”



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Advice to Mr. Morse:



We have argued for years that a system to gather and audit actual salary data would be 1.) easy to implement and 2.) healthy for the profession.



A simple index card that could be filled out and completed with basic salary and employment info 12 months, 24 months, and 48 months after graduation would be a simple and easy way to compile spot-on accurate salary and employment info. Naturally, subhuman scum like the "Valvoline Dean," Pat Hobbs, Joan King, and others of their ilk want no such part of any such survey. How fast would Seton Hall enrollment nose-dive if prospective students saw how utterly abysmal salary and employment truly is?



I would have the card ask these simple questions, and make non-compliance (or fraudulent compliance) with the survey a disciplinary offense with a hefty fine.



1.) Are you employed in the legal profession?



2.) If the answer to #1 is yes, are you a temporary or contract attorney?



3.) Do you practice full time (over 40 hrs week) or part time (under 40 hrs week).



4.) What is your title at your legal job?



5.) What is your current yearly salary?



6.) firm name, city/state, practice area (or non-legal job title), and debt load at graduation (that would go right under current yearly salary....)



This data could be published in an ABA book and then we'd have a solid, accurate idea of the real prospects for post-graduate employment. Random & independent audits would assure accuarcy and truth- you need to remember that sleazy rodents like the Valvoline Dean really, really enjoy their no-show "jobs" and huge salaries & perks, and will (and do) lie thru their teeth to keep them.

Serving The Common Good By Exploiting People In Cockroach Infested Basements

"Then I will try once again, outside of politics, to serve the common good and to move toward the ideals and solutions which I believe can build a future of hope and opportunity for us and for our children."

-Spitzer Resignation Speech, 3/12/08.

I hope this future of "serving the common good" doesn't include a stint at Paul Weiss, as was suggested by the New York Post. Paul Weiss is a shitty law firm that shoves heavily indebted lawyers into cockroach infested basements, makes people work 14 hour days, pays crappy wages and benefits, shamelessly violates labor laws, and fires anyone who complains to the media about dangerous working conditions and potentially unethical billing practices. If Spitzer does eventually wind up working there, at least he will be able to afford more of his high priced hookers without having to rely on anymore of his daddy's trust fund money.

Note

Someone forwarded me a depressing email today. Sadly, a popular DC contract attorney passed away this week from a heart attack. My deepest sympathy goes out to said contract attorney's family and everyone that worked with him.

In between his 40-80 hour workweeks, said contract attorney befriended a destitute 8 year old and had assisted in caring for the child. A memorial fund has been established in said contract attorney's name to continue to provide funds for the child. If you would like to contribute, please email me and I will provide you with details regarding the memorial fund.

The Hudson Legal "Newark" Project: An Update

"There are over 400 of us here. The work ebbs and flows, but there is a strong sense that the axe will fall any day now, creating a major blood bath. I would hate to be looking for work in this economy, after the axe comes crashing down over dozens of people.

Vlad is being a major pain in the ass. I think the fact that he is supervising all of these people has gone to his head. He seems to have forgetten that he is still a member of the legal proletariat."

Is There Really Such A Thing As A Reputable Legal Recruiter?

"I am a DC contract attorney and I read your blog periodically. Kudos for setting up a place where people can air their grievances and expose the garbage that goes on in NYC.

I do have a question, though. Are there any agencies in NYC that have good reputations?"

What do you think? Is "reputable recruiter" an oxymoron, or are there people you can actually trust in this bottom-feeding, cesspool of an industry? Everyone can't be like "throw grandma into oncoming traffic for a nickel" Krowitz, or are they?

The Glorious State of The Legal Job Market

Let's look at some of the hot jobs up for grabs this week in the NYC metro legal market:

On the permanent job front: "I think a full-time retail manager/mcdonald's manager pays more: Attorney position available for uptown firm specializing inadministrative hearing, criminal, and real estate law. Starting salary $30,000 plus immediate bonuses.MUST BE FLUENT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH! Please email resume to Murphy.Associates@yahoo.com"

In tempdom: "Kelly Law Registry is seeking admitted attorneys with document review
experience. We have a document review project located in Midtown
Manhattan starting tomorrow, March 14th and lasting through Friday, March
21st. Our client requires a background & drug screen to be completed for
selected candidates; however, you will be able to start with the results
pending. Kelly will begin the background screen once you are selected
and you will receive the form and information regarding reporting for the
drug testing when you start the project. Having to pee in a cup after completing seven years of higher education for a five day temp job; no thanks.

How To Roll With The Snakes

"Tom I enjoy your website I need some help from you - I am a recruiter for the legal industry I place contract and temp attorneys but I am having trouble getting into these law firms it sea{e}ms like it is a closed group that gets the job orders ..... do you have any insight or words of advice ....... "

As you can already tell, placing contract attorneys is a different kind of animal; any rules relating to decorum and professinalism are out the window; think mafioso. To compete with the big boys, my advice would be the following:

A. Find an initial pool of investment capital and start using it to hand out bribes. Better yet, create a complex private equity tax-emempt structure where ill-gotten "deflate the rate" contract attorney wage gains can be kicked back to the partners.

B. Hire a staff of female recruiters who are exclusively under 30, grils who aren't afraid to wear a cocktail dress on a Monday morning and who aren't afraid to set the women's movement back thirty years.

C. Open a Mumbai office, but do not publicize it on your website.

D. Find the most low rent, filthy, tinder-box of an urban workspace (think 21st century version of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory) and pack it with as many computers, wires, hardware, and contract attorneys as possible.

E. Employ the most psychotic, mentally instable person you can find (prefably someone who used to light small animals on fire) and make them team leader.

F. Crate a sophisticated database and fill it with the names of "troublemaker" employees. Be especially on the look out for anyone who has a tendancy to speak to fire marshalls and reporters.

G. Kick back a large portion of your profits to your equity biglaw partner clients.

Time to Update the Temporary Attorney Salary Chart

"Stradley, Ronan in Philadelphia paid $40 per hour flat. The agency for this was Oxford Legal Services.

Dechert in Philadelphia uses, mostly, Hudson Legal, but they are notorious for their firings. I would never work for them. They did pay me $35 per hour plus time and a half plus $2 for overtime which is why I stayed at such a place for 2 years!"

Please send in project, rate, hours, and benefit information. Information is power! Let's update the chart for Spring 2008.