Working 40 hours and no pay Forum

[dixiecupdrinking]

a lot of things could be illegal or borderline illegal. If it is for the sake of gaining educational experience by someone who still makes tons of mistakes and/or very inefficient, then the whole thing makes more sense.

Once upon a time people were presumed able to make mistakes while learning on the job and still worthy of actual wages.

[cantaboot]

which is why I said it makes more sense to be paid a very low wage as an intern. not that it is an ideal situation

[ben4847]

If the firm paid, then some kid from a better school with a better GPA would have taken the job and you'd be stuck trying to twist your starbucks summer into "legal experience".

This is probably true (but we need to know more about OP first to know for sure).

I don't see what you are upset about.

This is asinine. Just because being exploited puts you in a better off position does not mean that you should not be upset about being exploited. If my options were: starve or be enslaved, I might take the enslavement, but I think I'd be a little upset about it.

Well, sure you'd be upset if your choice was starve or be a slave. But the question is not whether OP should be upset, but whether he should be upset at his employer.

If you were starving, and an employer offered to hire you as a slave for a job that you were otherwise less qualified than the other candidates for, you would be upset at the employer? Why? Would OP really be happier if the job paid 10k for the summer and went to a different candidate?

[sundance95]

This is asinine. Just because being exploited puts you in a better off position does not mean that you should not be upset about being exploited. If my options were: starve or be enslaved, I might take the enslavement, but I think I'd be a little upset about it.

Well, sure you'd be upset if your choice was starve or be a slave. But the question is not whether OP should be upset, but whether he should be upset at his employer.

If you were starving, and an employer offered to hire you as a slave for a job that you were otherwise less qualified than the other candidates for, you would be upset at the employer? Why? Would OP really be happier if the job paid 10k for the summer and went to a different candidate?

this is an enlightening hypothetical

[LOLyer]

You're getting the proverbial shaft.

[Reprisal]

OP there's very few ways you could bring this up without pissing your partners off. They know they're fucking you over, but you signed on to it so if you bring it up they'll tell you "tough shit".

The only thing I can think of that would work is some type of public shaming, but I cannot think of a way that you could induce the incident without suffering consequence.

It sounds, though, like this is a good enough job to justify the lack of pay. I took unpaid internships my 1L year that paid great dividends, and I hope the same is true for you this summer. I have a few friends in your same situation (working for free at relatively prestigious firms); hell you could be one of them posting anon, so I feel ya.

[bartleby]

Are you getting credit hours (the ones YOU have to pay for)? Or are you just getting below minimum...

[ru2486]

Just like how ATL reports which firms pay below market bonuses, the OP should out this firm so we can advise future law students to never work there again.

/fuckin BOOMERS

[Anonymous User]

Working in government - no pay, ~40 hours a week.

[Anonymous User]

I am working at a private firm 40 hours a week with no pay as a law clerk. Is this not normal?

No, it isn't. I know several 1Ls from my school (including me) who are law clerks at small-ish firms, and we're all getting paid fairly well.

If a choose to stay on in fall (as a part-time paid clerk), I get a signing bonus to compensate for the uncompensated summer. The problem is, however, that I will not be staying on this fall because I made law review and I don't think I can balance all of that without hurting my grades.

Also, I turned down a full-time law clerk position that would have paid 18 dollars an hour and an internship with a government agency to take this job for the experience (very small firm but well regarded locally). I don't really regret it. Just sucks that I won't get the bonus.

Take the job and do law review. if you need to slack off on law review than fuck'em. Law Review will give you a second chance before kicking you off. And I guarantee it won't be before January.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I am working at a private firm 40 hours a week with no pay as a law clerk. Is this not normal?

No, it isn't. I know several 1Ls from my school (including me) who are law clerks at small-ish firms, and we're all getting paid fairly well.

If a choose to stay on in fall (as a part-time paid clerk), I get a signing bonus to compensate for the uncompensated summer. The problem is, however, that I will not be staying on this fall because I made law review and I don't think I can balance all of that without hurting my grades.

Also, I turned down a full-time law clerk position that would have paid 18 dollars an hour and an internship with a government agency to take this job for the experience (very small firm but well regarded locally). I don't really regret it. Just sucks that I won't get the bonus.

Take the job and do law review. if you need to slack off on law review than fuck'em. Law Review will give you a second chance before kicking you off. And I guarantee it won't be before January.

I agree with this. Congrats on making law review but IMO getting some money and some work experience is more important than doing a stellar job on your cite checking. (If it comes to that; chances are you'll find you have plenty of time to do both.)