Are Non-Partnership Track Positions Credited? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anon cause don't want to reveal lateral intentions and many people know who I am on this forum.

So I'm reading about these mid sized and larger firms with non-partnership track associate positions that essentially pay 66% of what associates typically make (still like 100k) while billables are at ~1500 hours which is amazing. Are these jobs credited? It seems to me like a fancy doc review type job and clearly if any heads need to roll for budget reasons I assume you're the first one to go. Would you consider these types of jobs or is there just too much risk?

[RedGiant]

Anon cause don't want to reveal lateral intentions and many people know who I am on this forum.

So I'm reading about these mid sized and larger firms with non-partnership track associate positions that essentially pay 66% of what associates typically make (still like 100k) while billables are at ~1500 hours which is amazing. Are these jobs credited? It seems to me like a fancy doc review type job and clearly if any heads need to roll for budget reasons I assume you're the first one to go. Would you consider these types of jobs or is there just too much risk?

These are generally called staff attorney positions. I suppose they are somewhat good gigs, if you want to work at a firm and make less than the 26 year olds that work down the hall from you, and be reminded of your lower place on the food chain all the time. My brother started as a staff attorney and became a regular associate and is now a counsel, but I have heard that this is exceedingly rare.

If you really want to work 1500 hours and make 100K, go be a Silicon Valley paralegal. Senior paralegals make more than that and target billables are about 1600 or 1650 at most firms. And you won't have law school loans on your head.

[Alive97]

Anon cause don't want to reveal lateral intentions and many people know who I am on this forum.

So I'm reading about these mid sized and larger firms with non-partnership track associate positions that essentially pay 66% of what associates typically make (still like 100k) while billables are at ~1500 hours which is amazing. Are these jobs credited? It seems to me like a fancy doc review type job and clearly if any heads need to roll for budget reasons I assume you're the first one to go. Would you consider these types of jobs or is there just too much risk?

These are generally called staff attorney positions. I suppose they are somewhat good gigs, if you want to work at a firm and make less than the 26 year olds that work down the hall from you, and be reminded of your lower place on the food chain all the time. My brother started as a staff attorney and became a regular associate and is now a counsel, but I have heard that this is exceedingly rare.

If you really want to work 1500 hours and make 100K, go be a Silicon Valley paralegal. Senior paralegals make more than that and target billables are about 1600 or 1650 at most firms. And you won't have law school loans on your head.

OP is clearly an attorney.

[RedGiant]

Anon cause don't want to reveal lateral intentions and many people know who I am on this forum.

So I'm reading about these mid sized and larger firms with non-partnership track associate positions that essentially pay 66% of what associates typically make (still like 100k) while billables are at ~1500 hours which is amazing. Are these jobs credited? It seems to me like a fancy doc review type job and clearly if any heads need to roll for budget reasons I assume you're the first one to go. Would you consider these types of jobs or is there just too much risk?

These are generally called staff attorney positions. I suppose they are somewhat good gigs, if you want to work at a firm and make less than the 26 year olds that work down the hall from you, and be reminded of your lower place on the food chain all the time. My brother started as a staff attorney and became a regular associate and is now a counsel, but I have heard that this is exceedingly rare.

If you really want to work 1500 hours and make 100K, go be a Silicon Valley paralegal. Senior paralegals make more than that and target billables are about 1600 or 1650 at most firms. And you won't have law school loans on your head.

OP is clearly an attorney.

Yep. And just FYI, since paralegals in Silicon Valley are making 120-160K right now (if you're a good senior), that's more than many attorneys would make. There are certainly attorneys who "drop down" to being paralegals when the pay and hours structure is like that. It's not a bad gig. I know, because I was a senior corporate paralegal in SV. It's a lot of money and you get to do good work.