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In case you feel that these long hours of regular office are too much to handle, then something waiting for you is 'temping'. The legal industry has increasingly turned to temporary staffing as a means to keep a lid on cost. Industry analyst estimate this figure that legal temporary staffing, whether for lawyers , paralegals, or clerks, represents a $300 to $500 million market, with growth rates of over 25 percent annually.
The increase in the temp numbers has been accompanied by an increase in the reputation for temporary lawyers. Jeff Silber, an analyst at institutional research group Gerard, Klauer, Mattison, & Co., recently told The National Law Journal: "Temp lawyers used to have a stigma, but the legal staffing business is really starting to move upscale." For job seekers, the increasing availability and prestige of legal temping jobs means a better lifestyle, higher compensation, and the chance to crack some of the country's most exclusive firms.
There are two categories of legal temp these are: traditional temps and another is "wholesale lawyers." The wholesale temp was coined by David A. Robinson, author of the ABA's "Practicing Law Without Clients." Robinson defines this lawyers as a freelancer lawyers who finds heir own work they doesn't requires anybody help. producing legal product for the "retail lawyers" working for the client. "Most of what wholesale lawyers do is ghostwriting," Robinson told the NLJ, citing the example of a West Virginia lawyer who worked writing administrative law judge opinions for 15 hours a week at $75 dollars an hour.
Many traditional temp lawyers, like their counterparts in other industries go through the intermediary of temp agency. These organization have grown up their business in the 1990s, as the law firms remain wary of over hiring. Legal staffing agencies include New York's Strategic Legal Services (www.strategiclegal.com), Washington DC's Pat Taylor and Associates (www.pattaylor.com); and Law Corps (www.lawcorps.com). Pat Taylor and Associates boasts a sparkling client list featuring top notch firms and organizations such as Latham & Watkins, Patton Boggs, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Arnold & Porter; Skadden Arps; Mayer Brown, National Geographic Television, and Paul Hastings.
Over traditional lawyer temping arrangements offers several advantages. Many people say that the most prominent advantage of working part time is simply working part time. Wholesale lawyers can easily make their own hours and easily telecommute, a boon to those who wish to spend more time with families or wish to pursue law other than the law.
For those lawyers who works through an agency, there are two important advantage for them. Firstly these lawyers can easily avoid being pigeonholed into a particular career path or substantive area of the law, increasingly the fate of full-time associates at many firms. It is granted that these temporary lawyers may often get assignments in less exciting jobs, notably document management or discovery chores. However one temporary attorney told the NLJ, " discovery is on par with the rest of law - it's no more or less exciting."
Second temporary jobs aren't mean that they are temporary. 15 to 20 percent of temps get permanent offers temp staffing specialists estimates this figure. For those spurned during campus recruiting, the temp job can provide a handy back door
Of course, temping isn't all hearts and flowers. Pay can stoop as low as $14 dollars an hour (far, far below the compensation of most full-time lawyers). Although many law firms hire temp attorneys to cover themselves in case business goes down. Should things slow down, the temp gets the axe before anyone else. Many temp attorneys, however, seem willing to live with these risks to enjoy the independence and other benefits that temping affords.
The increase in the temp numbers has been accompanied by an increase in the reputation for temporary lawyers. Jeff Silber, an analyst at institutional research group Gerard, Klauer, Mattison, & Co., recently told The National Law Journal: "Temp lawyers used to have a stigma, but the legal staffing business is really starting to move upscale." For job seekers, the increasing availability and prestige of legal temping jobs means a better lifestyle, higher compensation, and the chance to crack some of the country's most exclusive firms.
There are two categories of legal temp these are: traditional temps and another is "wholesale lawyers." The wholesale temp was coined by David A. Robinson, author of the ABA's "Practicing Law Without Clients." Robinson defines this lawyers as a freelancer lawyers who finds heir own work they doesn't requires anybody help. producing legal product for the "retail lawyers" working for the client. "Most of what wholesale lawyers do is ghostwriting," Robinson told the NLJ, citing the example of a West Virginia lawyer who worked writing administrative law judge opinions for 15 hours a week at $75 dollars an hour.
Many traditional temp lawyers, like their counterparts in other industries go through the intermediary of temp agency. These organization have grown up their business in the 1990s, as the law firms remain wary of over hiring. Legal staffing agencies include New York's Strategic Legal Services (www.strategiclegal.com), Washington DC's Pat Taylor and Associates (www.pattaylor.com); and Law Corps (www.lawcorps.com). Pat Taylor and Associates boasts a sparkling client list featuring top notch firms and organizations such as Latham & Watkins, Patton Boggs, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Arnold & Porter; Skadden Arps; Mayer Brown, National Geographic Television, and Paul Hastings.
Over traditional lawyer temping arrangements offers several advantages. Many people say that the most prominent advantage of working part time is simply working part time. Wholesale lawyers can easily make their own hours and easily telecommute, a boon to those who wish to spend more time with families or wish to pursue law other than the law.
For those lawyers who works through an agency, there are two important advantage for them. Firstly these lawyers can easily avoid being pigeonholed into a particular career path or substantive area of the law, increasingly the fate of full-time associates at many firms. It is granted that these temporary lawyers may often get assignments in less exciting jobs, notably document management or discovery chores. However one temporary attorney told the NLJ, " discovery is on par with the rest of law - it's no more or less exciting."
Second temporary jobs aren't mean that they are temporary. 15 to 20 percent of temps get permanent offers temp staffing specialists estimates this figure. For those spurned during campus recruiting, the temp job can provide a handy back door
Of course, temping isn't all hearts and flowers. Pay can stoop as low as $14 dollars an hour (far, far below the compensation of most full-time lawyers). Although many law firms hire temp attorneys to cover themselves in case business goes down. Should things slow down, the temp gets the axe before anyone else. Many temp attorneys, however, seem willing to live with these risks to enjoy the independence and other benefits that temping affords.
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