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So I am going to be taking the LSAT in Oct and applying to law school for this cycle. I just graduated college in the spring and was just offered a job at a small law firm in Pittsburgh. The job would consist of mostly clerical tasks such as typing up letters, handling mail, filing papers, etc. I was offered a salary of 20k a year and am not sure if I should take the job or not. I already asked the person in charge of hiring if they would be wiling to work with me on the salary. I told them that I have undergrad loans I need to start paying back and that I also need to begin to save for law school. After a day of consideration she informed me that, "the salary is not based on need but based on the 'going rate' and that 20k is all they would offer. I don't really know what to do. I broke all the numbers down and 20k a year comes down to only $9.60 or so an hour. I know people who had paid internships that paid more than that. On the other hand it would be nice to get a consistent paycheck, lately I have been relegated to odd jobs here and there, and at least it would expose me to the legal field and I could see what goes on in a law office. Still unsure if it is worth it for the money, any thoughts???? Thanks in advance.

ITE, I would take it. You've only got a year left, and every week you wait for a better job is a week you could have been working.

Also, I think I'll be in your shoes this time next year. I'd like to have a job like that lined up for when I graduate undergrad. How'd you get yours?

How much have you looked? How many other jobs have you applied for? How many interviews have you landed? I would only accept this if I were desperate, but I don't know if you are.

Doesn't sound worth it to me. Sounds like they are betting on desperation of job seekers. Also, what happens if you get fired? Backup plan?

Stupe wrote:ITE, I would take it. You've only got a year left, and every week you wait for a better job is a week you could have been working.

Also, I think I'll be in your shoes this time next year. I'd like to have a job like that lined up for when I graduate undergrad. How'd you get yours?

Yeah that's what I am thinking. Plus I don't really have any expenses since I am living at home right now. I actually found an ad for the job on craigslist believe it or not. I sent my resume and a cover letter telling them that I want to go to law school and that I am eager to learn the legal field. They told me to come in and work for two days and at the end of the second day they offered me the job. Now that I think of it, from what I've seen in my 2 days working there it really is a great job for people like us. I've been learning about formatting motions, briefs, memos,I learned about all that is required to file motions with the court, I've seen how to properly keep track of how much time you are spending on a case so the firm can bill the client properly, and I am hoping to learn a lot more. Granted, I realize it is a small firm but still a great learning experience before law school and one that I am actually getting some sort of pay for.

IAFG wrote:How much have you looked? How many other jobs have you applied for? How many interviews have you landed? I would only accept this if I were desperate, but I don't know if you are.

Since March I have probably sent my resume out to over 40 different places and only received 2 or 3 interview where they ended up picking some one with more experience. I got a ton of offers for internships but I can no longer stomach working for free and need to save some money for law school.

Ohiobumpkin wrote:Doesn't sound worth it to me. Sounds like they are betting on desperation of job seekers. Also, what happens if you get fired? Backup plan?

No backup plan as of yet. I guess I would have to just suck it up and look for another job.

What I would do:

Take job. Look for better paying work. Quit when you find better paying work.

They should expect that if they're paying at that rate, and you should be looking out for number one.

Additional point: By "better paying work" I would include better paying retail/food service jobs.

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JusticeJackson wrote:

psm11 wrote:

IAFG wrote:How much have you looked? How many other jobs have you applied for? How many interviews have you landed? I would only accept this if I were desperate, but I don't know if you are.

Since March I have probably sent my resume out to over 40 different places and only received 2 or 3 interview where they ended up picking some one with more experience. I got a ton of offers for internships but I can no longer stomach working for free and need to save some money for law school.

You should try to send out 40 resumes a day. Err, but don't let that screw up your LSAT studying. That is number 1 at this point.

Haha I may have to if this doesn't work out.

Well it is only a bit less than the going rate for paralegals in more expensive markets. Make sure they pay you overtime if they ask you to stay late ever. Absolutely interview for other jobs though after you start. Generally any job posted on craigslist will be either a scam or extremely terrible so you might want to look in other places. Doesn't sound that bad to do for a year though, good luck with the LSAT.

prezidentv8 wrote:What I would do:

Take job. Look for better paying work. Quit when you find better paying work.

They should expect that if they're paying at that rate, and you should be looking out for number one.

Additional point: By "better paying work" I would include better paying retail/food service jobs.

Yeah that's what everyone keeps telling me. Right now at least I'm getting something while I study for the LSAT and look for something that pays better.

attractive_NUisance wrote:Generally any job posted on craigslist will be either a scam or extremely terrible so you might want to look in other places.

Ehhh just use common sense. I've gotten a few good jerbs off of craigslist.

attractive_NUisance wrote:Well it is only a bit less than the going rate for paralegals in more expensive markets. Make sure they pay you overtime if they ask you to stay late ever. Absolutely interview for other jobs though after you start. Generally any job posted on craigslist will be either a scam or extremely terrible so you might want to look in other places. Doesn't sound that bad to do for a year though, good luck with the LSAT.

Haha yes I know. I can't tell you how many things I applied to on there that ended up being a scam. Thanks.

attractive_NUisance wrote:Make sure they pay you overtime if they ask you to stay late ever.

This is key. Many paralegal jobs (which this seems to be) have a pretty low salary but substantial opportunity to work overtime and make a lot more. Obviously since the firm is small this may not be possible, but if they do expect you to work more than 40 hours/week, make sure you get paid for that time.

Besides that point, you basically just need to decide between getting legal experience or making more money. I personally think the experience will help down the road (plus give you something decent on the resume for your 1L job search), but if you need the cash, just get a job as a waiter/bartender -- after tips, you'll make more than $10/hour. There is nothing wrong with having a non-legal job, even if you are planning to attend law school in a year.

psm11 wrote:

Stupe wrote:ITE, I would take it. You've only got a year left, and every week you wait for a better job is a week you could have been working.

Also, I think I'll be in your shoes this time next year. I'd like to have a job like that lined up for when I graduate undergrad. How'd you get yours?

Yeah that's what I am thinking. Plus I don't really have any expenses since I am living at home right now. I actually found an ad for the job on craigslist believe it or not. I sent my resume and a cover letter telling them that I want to go to law school and that I am eager to learn the legal field. They told me to come in and work for two days and at the end of the second day they offered me the job. Now that I think of it, from what I've seen in my 2 days working there it really is a great job for people like us. I've been learning about formatting motions, briefs, memos,I learned about all that is required to file motions with the court, I've seen how to properly keep track of how much time you are spending on a case so the firm can bill the client properly, and I am hoping to learn a lot more. Granted, I realize it is a small firm but still a great learning experience before law school and one that I am actually getting some sort of pay for.

This is the right attitude. Work your butt off. Learn as much as you can. Someone will notice.

psm11 wrote:So I am going to be taking the LSAT in Oct and applying to law school for this cycle. I just graduated college in the spring and was just offered a job at a small law firm in Pittsburgh. The job would consist of mostly clerical tasks such as typing up letters, handling mail, filing papers, etc. I was offered a salary of 20k a year and am not sure if I should take the job or not. I already asked the person in charge of hiring if they would be wiling to work with me on the salary. I told them that I have undergrad loans I need to start paying back and that I also need to begin to save for law school. After a day of consideration she informed me that, "the salary is not based on need but based on the 'going rate' and that 20k is all they would offer. I don't really know what to do. I broke all the numbers down and 20k a year comes down to only $9.60 or so an hour. I know people who had paid internships that paid more than that. On the other hand it would be nice to get a consistent paycheck, lately I have been relegated to odd jobs here and there, and at least it would expose me to the legal field and I could see what goes on in a law office. Still unsure if it is worth it for the money, any thoughts???? Thanks in advance.

I think it depends what you're looking to get out of it - if you're just looking to make money, don't take it. The fast food BBQ restaurant on my street pays 16 year old kids $11 an hour to work the cash register.

If you're looking for a resume booster/to gain experience, then take it.