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I asked a former friend about what he was doing when I saw him for the first time in years. He told me that he was working for free at a law firm. He is a licensed attorney.

Free!? I know people do it. I am aware of the current flock for free work to get some experience.

But unless someone does it during law school, it should not be allowed. Can I offer to work for free in the Major Leagues or the NFL? Of course not. But since we are talking small businesses, no one cares. Obama probably wants to give the employer a gold medal.

But someone needs to step in and not allow this. Lawyers need some sort of union--but the ABA and their steak lunches would do all they can to prevent this. Working for free helps destroy this profession even more. Giving your free time to a lawyer makes his life easy and puts a lawyer who needs to put food on the table out on the street.

This profession has gone to **** and there is no end in sight.

Free?! Give me a break. That's why I actually am in favor of TTT's. They SOMEWHAT teach you how to practice instead of that useless theory B.S.

KingJones wrote:Obama probably wants to give the employer a gold medal.

Lawyers shouldn't be allowed to work for free? That's got to be one of the more idiotic suggests I've seen here on TLS.

Cavalier wrote:Lawyers shouldn't be allowed to work for free? That's got to be one of the more idiotic suggests I've seen here on TLS.

They shouldn't be. Employers should be allowed to engage in free projects in which no one profits but they should not be allowed to employ associates that offer to work for free. You can't go to Target and say "Well, I'll work for 3.00 an hour." Our economy will go even more down the tubes. So why should lawyers?

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You should probably make a few non-trolling posts every once in a while. I think people who are solely trolls get banned.

I see that as sort of doing an internship. In a time when no one is hiring and people are being left out in the cold, that guy working for free is gaining experience, making connections, and probably working himself toward a paying position as soon as the firm can afford to pay him. So essentially he is guaranteeing himself a job, while so many have absolutely nothing. He will be ahead of many graduates in the long run because of this. Sure, working for free isn't the best, but I know many people (at least out of my undergraduate) who took internships or no-pay jobs, and got themselves the ins that led to full-time paying positions in this down economy. I'd say it seems worthwhile.

Pearalegal wrote:

KingJones wrote:Obama probably wants to give the employer a gold medal.

Obama wants to grow the economy, not shrink it. That said, I'm pretty sure your friend would take a paying job if he could get one. It's not like there's a legion of licensed lawyers out there looking to work for nothing. They're not gonna take a job away from you. Sheesh.

This thread reminds me of the MA state clerkship debacle:
--LinkRemoved--

Perhaps you should almost consider investing in adult diapers?

Reminds me of the JDUnderground posts.....

I think OP's rationale is that the law firm makes profits and so his friend shouldn't be working for free.
It's not like interning for a judge or a non-profit.

Unpaid internships are standard in many industries, though. During my senior year, I worked three ten hour days every week at a fashion magazine, and was paid zip. I couldn't even get school credit since I had exhausted my internship credits. It was an adventure... I won't say I liked it, but the situation hardly merited adult diapers. I learned a lot, like the fact that I never want to see that place again.

Unpaid internships are standard in many industries

standard in any industries that require a degree beyond undergrad?

FrankReynolds wrote:

Unpaid internships are standard in many industries

standard in any industries that require a degree beyond undergrad?

Generally, anyone who wants to break into this industry winds up interning without pay, unless he or she has amazing connections. Most of these positions don't require advanced degrees, so I can't speak with any certainty on the issue. I certainly agree that the lack of paying work is awful. My point is that, in the absence of any paying job, there are benefits to be had for the new graduate in interning for free. These things also frequently turn into paid jobs. To use the magazine example, a friend of mine got hired after interning 30 hours a week, unpaid, for a year. My associate editor was an unpaid intern for three years (at various magazines) before he was hired. It definitely sucks, but it's not rare at all.