Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm) Forum
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting
Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
Anonymous Posting
Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.
Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
-
- Posts: 428548
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Hey everyone. I need some help/advice about deciding on a job offer. While I know that I'm blessed to be facing this problem instead of still being unemployed, I really need some guidance on this situation.
Background: Graduated from top-20 law school last year. Slightly above median grades. Plan on working in Atlanta for 2 years before moving to Florida with my fiancee.
Options: 1) Work for one of the biggest firms in Atlanta in their document review department at $50/k per year, 2) work for a 2-lawyer eminent domain practice in a far northern suburb of Atlanta for $35/hr ($70/k per year), 3) stay at my current contract real estate job that pays $45/k per year with the option to possibly move to a satellite office in Florida in 2 years.
Questions: Pros/Cons? Best choice? Are there good exit options for doing document review at a major firm? Any advice is much appreciated.
Background: Graduated from top-20 law school last year. Slightly above median grades. Plan on working in Atlanta for 2 years before moving to Florida with my fiancee.
Options: 1) Work for one of the biggest firms in Atlanta in their document review department at $50/k per year, 2) work for a 2-lawyer eminent domain practice in a far northern suburb of Atlanta for $35/hr ($70/k per year), 3) stay at my current contract real estate job that pays $45/k per year with the option to possibly move to a satellite office in Florida in 2 years.
Questions: Pros/Cons? Best choice? Are there good exit options for doing document review at a major firm? Any advice is much appreciated.
-
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:48 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Exit options from big law doc review are not strong. I work at a large firm and there is a guy in my office that did doc review at a large firm for 3 years before he came - he's viewed as a first year associate. The guy had strong credentials coming out of school - so it's not like the doc review job lifted him to a higher caliber job.
I would go with the small firm job. You might get some legit experience. You might learn things.... Doc review will not help you develop professionally.
I would go with the small firm job. You might get some legit experience. You might learn things.... Doc review will not help you develop professionally.
-
- Posts: 18203
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:47 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Doc Reviewers are treated as turds. Take #2 as long as they can guarantee full time hours hours.Anonymous User wrote:Hey everyone. I need some help/advice about deciding on a job offer. While I know that I'm blessed to be facing this problem instead of still being unemployed, I really need some guidance on this situation.
Background: Graduated from top-20 law school last year. Slightly above median grades. Plan on working in Atlanta for 2 years before moving to Florida with my fiancee.
Options: 1) Work for one of the biggest firms in Atlanta in their document review department at $50/k per year, 2) work for a 2-lawyer eminent domain practice in a far northern suburb of Atlanta for $35/hr ($70/k per year), 3) stay at my current contract real estate job that pays $45/k per year with the option to possibly move to a satellite office in Florida in 2 years.
Questions: Pros/Cons? Best choice? Are there good exit options for doing document review at a major firm? Any advice is much appreciated.
-
- Posts: 428548
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
#3 is my current job. I'm waiting on #2 to decide on whether or not I get the job, but he seemed to indicate the job was mine. #1 is an interview on thursday. Should I cancel the doc review interview?Desert Fox wrote:Doc Reviewers are treated as turds. Take #2 as long as they can guarantee full time hours hours.Anonymous User wrote:Hey everyone. I need some help/advice about deciding on a job offer. While I know that I'm blessed to be facing this problem instead of still being unemployed, I really need some guidance on this situation.
Background: Graduated from top-20 law school last year. Slightly above median grades. Plan on working in Atlanta for 2 years before moving to Florida with my fiancee.
Options: 1) Work for one of the biggest firms in Atlanta in their document review department at $50/k per year, 2) work for a 2-lawyer eminent domain practice in a far northern suburb of Atlanta for $35/hr ($70/k per year), 3) stay at my current contract real estate job that pays $45/k per year with the option to possibly move to a satellite office in Florida in 2 years.
Questions: Pros/Cons? Best choice? Are there good exit options for doing document review at a major firm? Any advice is much appreciated.
-
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:42 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Don't cancel anything until you have offers in hand.
Want to continue reading?
Register now to search topics and post comments!
Absolutely FREE!
Already a member? Login
-
- Posts: 428548
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
For the love of god take this advice. In fact, I would recommend you continue sending your resume out until you actually start your job.arodtoo wrote:Don't cancel anything until you have offers in hand.
-
- Posts: 18203
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:47 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
What kind of work do you do at your job.
-
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:36 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
.
Last edited by lecsa on Thu Mar 27, 2014 12:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 1396
- Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:50 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Contract doc-review is a scarlet letter. Avoid if possible.
-
- Posts: 911
- Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:26 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Based exclusively on the post subject, I say small firm. Never do doc review unless it's 100% financially necessary.
-
- Posts: 428548
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
I currently do real estate. Just lots of title work for several large scale residential property acquisitions.Desert Fox wrote:What kind of work do you do at your job.
I already did doc review for a month last year to pay some bills, so that "scarlet letter" is already attached to my resume. I know I probably won't ever get on with a big firm (or not at least until I'm a real attorney with business to bring to it), so the scarlet letter doesn't scare me in this economy. However, I do want to do what is best for my legal career, so I think my current firm is a better option than doc review at the big firm. I do think I will take the eminent domain guy's offer if he makes it since the work would be more substantive and higher paying, but that offer isn't yet in hand and I wanted to get some other people's opinions before I cancel the document review interview.
-
- Posts: 18203
- Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:47 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
A month long gig shouldn't be on your resume unless it is impressive. But nobody is going to find one month of doc review a scarlet letter. It's only bad for your resume because it's not real legal work. But its still weird to put a month long temp gig on your resume. A resume isn't a list of places you worked.Anonymous User wrote:I currently do real estate. Just lots of title work for several large scale residential property acquisitions.Desert Fox wrote:What kind of work do you do at your job.
I already did doc review for a month last year to pay some bills, so that "scarlet letter" is already attached to my resume. I know I probably won't ever get on with a big firm (or not at least until I'm a real attorney with business to bring to it), so the scarlet letter doesn't scare me in this economy. However, I do want to do what is best for my legal career, so I think my current firm is a better option than doc review at the big firm. I do think I will take the eminent domain guy's offer if he makes it since the work would be more substantive and higher paying, but that offer isn't yet in hand and I wanted to get some other people's opinions before I cancel the document review interview.
- legalese_retard
- Posts: 339
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:14 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
#2 is your best option then. The doc review gig at a big firm will only benefit you for future doc review gigs at big firms. Since you are moving to a new market in a few years, you need experience more than a big firm name while doing doc review.Anonymous User wrote:However, I do want to do what is best for my legal career,Desert Fox wrote:What kind of work do you do at your job.
Register now!
Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.
It's still FREE!
Already a member? Login
- downinDtown
- Posts: 203
- Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:01 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Agreed, employers' suspicions are only raised if there is a noticeable gap in your resume (at least several months long); you don't need to keep a travel log of every place you've worked. Recommend taking off the doc review now that you've held a legal position for some period of time. And don't cancel anything until you've got offers in writing.Desert Fox wrote:Anonymous User wrote:A month long gig shouldn't be on your resume unless it is impressive. But nobody is going to find one month of doc review a scarlet letter. It's only bad for your resume because it's not real legal work. But its still weird to put a month long temp gig on your resume. A resume isn't a list of places you worked.Desert Fox wrote:What kind of work do you do at your job.
-
- Posts: 428548
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
I've decided on the eminent domain office. It was the best option, and I feel like I'm actually taking a real step towards starting my legal career.
- transferror
- Posts: 816
- Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:42 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
CongratsAnonymous User wrote:I've decided on the eminent domain office. It was the best option, and I feel like I'm actually taking a real step towards starting my legal career.
-
- Posts: 428548
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
I just got called for an interview at the Small Business Administration in downtown of the major city near me. She said it should pay the same, if not more, than my new eminent domain gig. Interview on thursday. Thoughts?
Get unlimited access to all forums and topics
Register now!
I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...
Already a member? Login
-
- Posts: 3436
- Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 2:39 pm
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
Why not just say Atlanta?Anonymous User wrote:I just got called for an interview at the Small Business Administration in downtown of the major city near me. She said it should pay the same, if not more, than my new eminent domain gig. Interview on thursday. Thoughts?
What do you want to do? All things equal I'd take a job at the SBA, because that sounds like it would be by far the most secure of these options, but who knows.
- rayiner
- Posts: 6145
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:43 am
Re: Need help deciding on job offer (doc review v. small firm)
$70k/year doing substantive legal work in a low-COL city like Atlanta is a good gig! Its really sad that law school is so expensive that people feel like this sort of thing is inferior to big firm work.
Communicate now with those who not only know what a legal education is, but can offer you worthy advice and commentary as you complete the three most educational, yet challenging years of your law related post graduate life.
Register now, it's still FREE!
Already a member? Login