Salary Ranges Until you Pass the Bar
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:52 pm
I've had the worst 5 years ever since graduating from a top tier law school and I am posting to get some idea if I am alone, or what if any advice you would give me. I currently work as an Independent Contractor equivalent to a legal secretary, or paralegal (some of the work is mind numbingly boring and simple, while other work is more equivalent to a paralegal, although obviously I am capable of a lot more than they are giving me) working from home for a really big prominent law firm located in another state. They pay me $20 an hour. I applied through a recruiting / temp agency last year and was told I can't make more than I make now until I pass the bar because all employers view me as a risk that I will be taking off very soon. For this reason I did not even tell my current "employer" I was studying for the bar exam.
Due to some personal issues including a really difficult custody case and not passing the bar the first time as well as having babies after law school and a new marriage, I have just not passed the bar.
I've been working the same job for almost 2 years now. I looked up the starting salaries online and found an article that says they pay paralegals at my firm a starting salary of $80k and legal secretaries $54k which is a lot more than they pay me. This could sort of be my fault because I just don't know how to negotiate salary, but when they hired me they asked my fee, I hinted that I wanted more than they offered me the first time that they had offered me a contract, but said that "well last time you hired me it was for $20 an hour and that was a few years ago, so" and they said, oh, ok $20 an hour?" and then they just kind of went with that.
I am hoping to pass the bar and get results in November but there is also a chance I failed a second time and will have to retake in February.
I was looking for other opportunities and the first job I applied for was going to actually turn out to pay me less take home than I am making now.
I guess my main question is, as a person with a law degree who has not passed the bar, how in the world am I supposed to ask for a raise, find a better job, or expect to make any money until I pass the bar... all advice welcome, as I am feeling rather down.
I am in Texas, and my law firm is in California.
Due to some personal issues including a really difficult custody case and not passing the bar the first time as well as having babies after law school and a new marriage, I have just not passed the bar.
I've been working the same job for almost 2 years now. I looked up the starting salaries online and found an article that says they pay paralegals at my firm a starting salary of $80k and legal secretaries $54k which is a lot more than they pay me. This could sort of be my fault because I just don't know how to negotiate salary, but when they hired me they asked my fee, I hinted that I wanted more than they offered me the first time that they had offered me a contract, but said that "well last time you hired me it was for $20 an hour and that was a few years ago, so" and they said, oh, ok $20 an hour?" and then they just kind of went with that.
I am hoping to pass the bar and get results in November but there is also a chance I failed a second time and will have to retake in February.
I was looking for other opportunities and the first job I applied for was going to actually turn out to pay me less take home than I am making now.
I guess my main question is, as a person with a law degree who has not passed the bar, how in the world am I supposed to ask for a raise, find a better job, or expect to make any money until I pass the bar... all advice welcome, as I am feeling rather down.
I am in Texas, and my law firm is in California.