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Just offered a job with a very small plaintiff's firm in Midwest, partner said pay for 1L law clerks is $17/hr. Is this typical for small firms/decent pay for a 1L job that is not BigLaw?

Anybody? It would be great to hear your collective thoughts.

Most 1L's are working for free. I think RA's make around $15-20 so $17 seems fine.

Anything above minimum wage is good for a small shop.

For free at a firm? Or government job?

>$0

1200/wk at a medium-sized MW firm for 1L SA. They didn't specify how many hours in a week, though, so it could equal 17.

koalatriste wrote:>$0

TITCR

I'm going to be getting $15-17 per hour for a small/midsized firm in Chicago to clerk this summer.

i made $18/hr. at a small firm in madison, wi last summer. sounds about right to me.

2LsAPlenty wrote:For free at a firm? Or government job?

Gov/nonprofits don't have to pay people. Firms can't not pay people. I'm sure most small firms would pay their 1L interns nothing if it was legal so I think getting almost double min wage is pretty good.

bk187 wrote:

2LsAPlenty wrote:For free at a firm? Or government job?

Gov/nonprofits don't have to pay people. Firms can't not pay people. I'm sure most small firms would pay their 1L interns nothing if it was legal so I think getting almost double min wage is pretty good.

Good point!

It's a fair rate.

bk187 wrote:

2LsAPlenty wrote:For free at a firm? Or government job?

Gov/nonprofits don't have to pay people. Firms can't not pay people. I'm sure most small firms would pay their 1L interns nothing if it was legal so I think getting almost double min wage is pretty good.

I'm curious what you mean by the bolded.

kalvano wrote:

bk187 wrote:

2LsAPlenty wrote:For free at a firm? Or government job?

Gov/nonprofits don't have to pay people. Firms can't not pay people. I'm sure most small firms would pay their 1L interns nothing if it was legal so I think getting almost double min wage is pretty good.

I'm curious what you mean by the bolded.

it's generally illegal

I.e., violates wage and hour laws?

kalvano wrote:

bk187 wrote:

2LsAPlenty wrote:For free at a firm? Or government job?

Gov/nonprofits don't have to pay people. Firms can't not pay people. I'm sure most small firms would pay their 1L interns nothing if it was legal so I think getting almost double min wage is pretty good.

I'm curious what you mean by the bolded.

Well I guess they technically can have unpaid positions but I bet most, if not all, summer law clerk positions at firms don't meet the requirements to be unpaid.

I've spoken with many firms that require full-time work, just like a summer associate, but will not pay you, as they feel that you should feel lucky to have any opportunity in this economy.

I refuse to consider them, as it seems to be a very sketchy practice. But, there are a bunch of firms out there that do it.

kalvano wrote:I've spoken with many firms that require full-time work, just like a summer associate, but will not pay you, as they feel that you should feel lucky to have any opportunity in this economy.

I refuse to consider them, as it seems to be a very sketchy practice. But, there are a bunch of firms out there that do it.

I didn't mean that there weren't a glut of firms (or any employer really) that didn't do this, but that they weren't supposed to. Yeah their comments seem especially douchey too.

made $20/hr for my summer gig in minneapolis...if you're not in with a SA weekly salary...I wouldn't expect more than 15-20/hr

.

Made $1600/wk my 1L summer in Minneapolis. Going to make $42/hr for my 2L summer at a diff. firm in Minneapolis. Both firms are about 20-25 attorneys.

Made $20/hour in-house.

Great, thanks for the responses. It sounds like 17/hr is very reasonable for smaller firms for a 1l summer. I have biglaw sa interviews lined up, but its nice to have options if those don't work out (and I'm certainly not counting on those).

kalvano wrote:

bk187 wrote:

2LsAPlenty wrote:For free at a firm? Or government job?

Gov/nonprofits don't have to pay people. Firms can't not pay people. I'm sure most small firms would pay their 1L interns nothing if it was legal so I think getting almost double min wage is pretty good.

I'm curious what you mean by the bolded.

Department of labor made a release that seemed to imply that unpaid interns at a law firm are a no no.