COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW Forum

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:16 pm

Name some legal specialties that are difficult.

09042014 · Post by **09042014** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:22 pm

ERISA

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:24 pm

Desert Fox wrote:ERISA

That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.

A. Nony Mouse · Post by **A. Nony Mouse** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:27 pm

sometimesIwonder wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:ERISA
That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.

Um, ERISA is employment benefits (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Which I'd think you should know as an employment lawyer?

You might get more helpful responses if you explain why you're asking the question and how it relates to legal employment.

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:19 am

A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sometimesIwonder wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:ERISA
That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.
Um, ERISA is employment benefits (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Which I'd think you should know as an employment lawyer?

You might get more helpful responses if you explain why you're asking the question and how it relates to legal employment.

Good point. Well I feel like employment law is too easy and I feel like I need a more complex area of law to supplement my employment litigation practice. So I was thinking of either switching to something more substantive and difficult to master or supplement my practice with same.

dead head · Post by **dead head** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:30 am

sometimesIwonder wrote:
A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sometimesIwonder wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:ERISA
That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.
Um, ERISA is employment benefits (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Which I'd think you should know as an employment lawyer?

You might get more helpful responses if you explain why you're asking the question and how it relates to legal employment.
Good point. Well I feel like employment law is too easy and I feel like I need a more complex area of law to supplement my employment litigation practice. So I was thinking of either switching to something more substantive and difficult to master or supplement my practice with same.

If you're a 3d year biglaw lawyer, wouldn't it make more sense to kind of start by looking within your own office and its practice groups, and maybe even talking to lawyers who work in those groups? Or is it somehow better to ask some random people on the internet about areas of law your office may not even engage in? And if you don't know what ERISA means after three years as an employment lawyer, I'm not sure it's a good idea to try and master a "more substantive and difficult" area of law just yet. Sorry, but this just seems a little weird and I don't really get where it is coming from.

6lehderjets · Post by **6lehderjets** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:31 am

sometimesIwonder wrote:
A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sometimesIwonder wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:ERISA
That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.
Um, ERISA is employment benefits (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Which I'd think you should know as an employment lawyer?

You might get more helpful responses if you explain why you're asking the question and how it relates to legal employment.
Good point. Well I feel like employment law is too easy and I feel like I need a more complex area of law to supplement my employment litigation practice. So I was thinking of either switching to something more substantive and difficult to master or supplement my practice with same.

ERISA isn't something you could necessarily supplement easily with your employment lit practice. It takes time developing the expertise in that area. With pension funds, ESOPs, and changes imposed by ACA, it's can be a challenging yet rewarding area. You should talk to some attorneys that practice ERISA. In my market, I generally see employment attorneys as seperate entities from ERISA attorneys. YMMV.

LeDique · Post by **LeDique** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:35 am

A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sometimesIwonder wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:ERISA
That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.
Um, ERISA is employment benefits (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Which I'd think you should know as an employment lawyer?

You might get more helpful responses if you explain why you're asking the question and how it relates to legal employment.

Knowing ERISA/doing ERISA is still relatively uncommon for most employment lawyers. No one wants to do ERISA, but it would make sense to go with an employment law practice. It's just uncommon because it's so complex and no one likes it.

rad lulz · Post by **rad lulz** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:41 am

A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sometimesIwonder wrote:
Desert Fox wrote:ERISA
That's kind of like a tax specialty right? Rather than something an employment lawyer could get into.
Um, ERISA is employment benefits (Employee Retirement Income Security Act). Which I'd think you should know as an employment lawyer?

You might get more helpful responses if you explain why you're asking the question and how it relates to legal employment.

Nah ERISA is like it's own deal; closest related area is probs tax

It relates to employment but its not really what I'm thinking of when I think of employment law

When I think employment law I think employment discrimination or wage/hr or collective bargaining

LeDique · Post by **LeDique** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:44 am

It's not uncommon for ERISA and ADEA/ADA claims to overlap tho

A. Nony Mouse · Post by **A. Nony Mouse** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:53 am

Oh, sure, ERISA is its own thing and very specialized - I didn't mean to suggest that your average employment lawyer has anything to do with it. I just assumed that an employment lawyer would know what it was, but that's because I learned about it in employment law.

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:05 am

I appreciate the responses. Well one reason I don't want to bring it up at my firm is because I don't want to make the partner I work with doubt my commitment to employment law practice. If ERISA is not an ideal supplement to employment law, what are some good procyclical or cyclical practices that I can supplement a counter-cyclical employment law practice? I figure the more complex, the better.

Royalduck · Post by **Royalduck** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:09 am

sometimesIwonder wrote:Name some legal specialties that are difficult.

human rights in domestic courts (alien tort statute, etc.)

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:11 am

Royalduck wrote:
sometimesIwonder wrote:Name some legal specialties that are difficult.
human rights in domestic courts (alien tort statute, etc.)

lol complex AND profitable.

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:13 am

Just some background on why I became so concerned about finding a more complex area of law: I have been reading a lot of articles recently re the future of law practice and how routine non-specialized non-complex legal work will be significantly minimized by technological advancements + competing non-lawyer legal service providers. The solution: find high-quality, complex, hard to learn areas of law to specialize in. That's what I am looking for.

General background: I do employment litigation at an AmLaw100 in a secondary market (3rd year).

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:32 am

sometimesIwonder wrote:Just some background on why I became so concerned about finding a more complex area of law: I have been reading a lot of articles recently re the future of law practice and how routine non-specialized non-complex legal work will be significantly minimized by technological advancements + competing non-lawyer legal service providers. The solution: find high-quality, complex, hard to learn areas of law to specialize in. That's what I am looking for.

General background: I do employment litigation at an AmLaw100 in a secondary market (3rd year).

Usually when articles mention this, they are talking either about:

(1) technologies like predictive coding that massively simplify the gruntworks aspects of legal practice (a single reviewer's accurate coding of a few thousand documents can be extended to millions)
(2) form-based legal tools like a website that helps you create a will or do your taxes.

If you are actually working on the substance of employment litigation, you are probably OK. The tough part is getting through the door in today's climate. I do not think technology will be able to write briefs, connect the law with the facts, argue in court, meet with opposing counsel, etc. If you are an employment litigation document reviewer, maybe you should be concerned.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:27 pm

Depending on what level you're working at bankruptcy

joetheplumber · Post by **joetheplumber** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:26 pm

What about Secured Transaction/A9.
That shit is hard

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:06 pm

joetheplumber wrote:What about Secured Transaction/A9.
That shit is hard

Maybe something I can supplement employment law with?

84651846190 · Post by **84651846190** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:07 pm

sometimesIwonder · Post by **sometimesIwonder** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:30 pm

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:stop

okay Mr. Biglaw-is-my-entire-identity-in-life.

jarofsoup · Post by **jarofsoup** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:46 pm

Commodities/Futures/Swaps.

TTRansfer · Post by **TTRansfer** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:04 pm

Law and Love

COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW Forum

COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Register for access!

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Register now!

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Register now, it's still FREE!

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Re: COMPLEX AREAS OF THE LAW

Seriously? What are you waiting for?