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Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 4:00 pm
by lawschoolfiasco
http://abovethelaw.com/2013/01/are-you- ... e+the+Law)

On a related note, if anyone wants to file an ethical complaint against the attorney Kenneth A. Beck you have to fill out and mail a complaint form to the Connecticut Bar. You can find the relevant information here: http://www.jud.ct.gov/OCDC/faq.htm#complain

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:48 pm
by zomginternets
I don't see what ethical rule this person has violated.

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:20 pm
by manofjustice
zomginternets wrote:I don't see what ethical rule this person has violated.
The ABA will find one.

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:22 pm
by MinEMorris
Yeah, I have to say, even though it's very, very sad news for the legal job market and what he's doing strikes me as super sleazy, I'm not sure that he's doing anything that would strike me as uniquely unethical. If Beck & Beck were offering a 6 month getaway seminar targetted at newly grads for $6k where they put on performances showing you what they do and explaining what entry level legal work is like and how to do it, everyone would know that that's just a really shitty seminar deal. The fact that it's on the job shadowing and is paid in monthly installments doesn't really change that characterization in my mind. It's just an unusual version of an overpriced, really lame seminar or talk. I'm open to different perspectives on this, though. There's probably something I'm not seeing. The whole case recommendation thing was certainly absurd.

Edit: I'm always annoyed when the ABA swoops in and tries to play hero in these situations when they're basically Beck & Beck's accomplices. http://abovethelaw.com/2012/01/the-amer ... nemployed/

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:37 pm
by ph14
I would rather pay to do this than pay to do 3L.

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:42 am
by dixiecupdrinking
They may not be violating a professional ethical rule but they're almost certainly violating labor laws.

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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:31 am
by Myself
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Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:41 am
by IAFG
dixiecupdrinking wrote:They may not be violating a professional ethical rule but they're almost certainly violating labor laws.
how? did you read the listing?

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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:47 am
by Myself
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Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:12 am
by Agent
+1. Not particularly outraged about this Beck situation.
ph14 wrote:I would rather pay to do this than pay to do 3L.

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:30 pm
by dixiecupdrinking
IAFG wrote:
dixiecupdrinking wrote:They may not be violating a professional ethical rule but they're almost certainly violating labor laws.
how? did you read the listing?
Yes. This right here...
Once admitted to the bar, the goal is to have you handling matters with and eventually without supervision.
... basically means they are seeking free labor... in fact, employees that will pay them for the privilege of handling their cases. Unless there's another payment arrangement for admitted attorneys, which seems doubtful to me.

That's not legal, IMO. (Not saying the advertisement itself is illegal, just that it seems to be proposing an illegal employment arrangement.)

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:37 pm
by prezidentv8
ph14 wrote:I would rather pay to do this than pay to do 3L.
That is an oddly excellent point.

Re: Firm CHARGING law grads to work for them: Beck & Beck

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:40 pm
by dixiecupdrinking
prezidentv8 wrote:
ph14 wrote:I would rather pay to do this than pay to do 3L.
That is an oddly excellent point.
How about paying to do this after paying to do 3L? Even better?