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Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:36 pm
by owlpride1
I am currently a summer associate at a medium size law firm. I don't really like the law firm. I recently found out that they have high billable 2200 and poor pay $65k a year. Should I accept the offer if given or forgo it and find another job? I also don't know if I'll be in the same state 5 years from now.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:45 pm
by rpupkin
owlpride1 wrote:I am currently a summer associate at a medium size law firm. I don't really like the law firm. I recently found out that they have high billable 2200 and poor pay $65k a year. Should I accept the offer if given or forgo it and find another job? I also don't know if I'll be in the same state 5 years from now.
Accept offer and then look for another job. As awful as the pay and hours sound, it beats unemployment. You definitely want that position there as a fallback in case you strike out.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:38 pm
by Bluem_11
Not disputing those facts but that seems incredibly out of wack rates. That's a $100/hr billing rate with billing attorney taking home 30%.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:10 am
by kryptix
Bluem_11 wrote:Not disputing those facts but that seems incredibly out of wack rates. That's a $100/hr billing rate with billing attorney taking home 30%.
Most NYC junior associates bill at over 400 and don't take home 30% of 800k-1M?
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:14 am
by reasonable_man
You're not at a mid law firm. You're at an insurance defense firm. There is a big difference.
I'm guessing you're at an average to below average law school with middling grades. You probably don't have any better options available. So don't throw the opportunity away.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:36 am
by yay
I know people have resorted to worse with 15 bucks an hour.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:08 am
by deadpanic
That is absolutely wild re: hours & pay, but like reasonable_man said, that is an insurance defense sweatshop. You have to bill so many hours b/c the insurance companies audit and slash the hell out of them and now pay terrible rates.
You will learn pretty good litigation skills and it is not unemployment. I agree with whomever said take it and start looking elsewhere.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:15 am
by PennBull
rpupkin wrote:
Accept offer and then look for another job. As awful as the pay and hours sound, it beats unemployment.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:13 pm
by reasonable_man
deadpanic wrote:That is absolutely wild re: hours & pay, but like reasonable_man said, that is an insurance defense sweatshop. You have to bill so many hours b/c the insurance companies audit and slash the hell out of them and now pay terrible rates.
You will learn pretty good litigation skills and it is not unemployment. I agree with whomever said take it and start looking elsewhere.
TITCR
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:33 pm
by tyroneslothrop1
Pretty bad even for insurance defense. I work at a firm that does a lot of insurance work ($200 billable hour) and the pay is 85 for 1950 in a non major city.
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:45 pm
by reasonable_man
tyroneslothrop1 wrote:Pretty bad even for insurance defense. I work at a firm that does a lot of insurance work ($200 billable hour) and the pay is 85 for 1950 in a non major city.
Sounds like you're at a firm more like mine.... A midlaw firm that has some insurance based clients, but lots of other non-insurance/institutional clients. In my opinion, that is fairly different than being at a true insurance defense firm (where 65k for 2200 hours isn't that unusual). There is a pretty big difference. And while I do have some insurance work where the rates are lower, I have plenty of non-insurance work that pays a real rate (allowing my firm to pay me like a real lawyer).
Re: Accept offer at firm after summer
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 4:05 am
by Magic Hat
Take the job and learn how to litigate.
Also learn very quickly how to pad.