Comments on: Wait: “Temporary Attorney” is a Career?

By: C C

C C — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:59:35 +0000

Well instead of watching them fumble along, perhaps you should assist them. I am quite sure that no one who graduates from law school has the skill set to be a trial lawyer off bat ( including you). I see new prosecutors bout as often as I see new defense attorneys. New prosecutors who are itching to try everything, start way high, etc. so who really is making your job harder?
Try being a young fumblers safety net for the week. Perhaps you can unlock their hidden trial skills that have been suppressed by the many hours of document review!

By: Anonymous Contract Lawyer

Anonymous Contract Lawyer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:42:39 +0000

Oops, that should be “the agency pays taxes on my wages”

By: Anonymous Contract Lawyer

Anonymous Contract Lawyer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:41:24 +0000

Clarification on the salary/self-employment tax issue. Every placement agency I have worked for as a contract attorney has hired me as an employee. Thus they pay taxes/SSI on my salary. The 6 figure claim is a little delusional, though. Projects do not last years on end, there is almost always a lag between gigs. I am doing contract work, professing and very odd jobs and have not cracked 6 figures. And I work at $40/hr. I do make double what I did as a full-time, tenure-track college professor.

By: The Delayed Project « Thoughts of a NYC Temporary Attorney

The Delayed Project « Thoughts of a NYC Temporary Attorney — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:27:39 +0000

[...] old posts at Temporary Attorney and Above The Law. I even branched out to MyShingle, and some other sites. I think there is part of the Temporary Attorney story that is not being told. [...]

By: Mark Bennett

Mark Bennett — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:59:20 +0000

I’m afraid I’ve become a less-sloppy eater in these lean economic times.

By: Mark Bennett

Mark Bennett — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:58:44 +0000

That’s really the point, innit? If the job can be sent to India, it will be; crying about it does no good.

By: Edintally

Edintally — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:29:45 +0000

I plan on making a comfortable living by picking up whatever falls off of Mark’s table Until I can afford my own table of course

By: Mark Bennett

Mark Bennett — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:45:04 +0000

Look! Nested comments! Just click on the “Reply” beneath the comment to which you want to reply! Neat!

By: Mark Bennett

Mark Bennett — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:44:06 +0000

I’m not making my point clearly. SE income is apples, salary is oranges. Apples X 0.7 (or so) = oranges. That’s all.

By: Robert Guest

Robert Guest — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:42:10 +0000

The fantasy- go to law school, make $200k a year, become a trial rock star like all those TV lawyers.

The reality- We have more than enough law schools, which provide more than enough lawyers to meet demand. The law schools raise tuition in lock step with government student loan guarantees. That leaves new lawyers with huge debt and bleak job prospects. Finally, to complete the Big Law fiefdom real world skills are verboten in law school curriculum. Status quo firmly in tact, new attorneys compete for any job available and spend time doing mindless legal busy work.

Temporary Attorney should be required reading for 1ls, along with “The World Is Flat” by Friedman. Every job that isn’t bolted down in America is going to India.