I saw a post today talking about median and average salary's for attorneys in my area. I knew my salary was low, I had no idea how low. I'm currently making 32% of the median salary and 28% of the average salary for my area. Sucks all the more since we have a pay freeze and lay offs are right around the corner. I'm honestly hitting the point were I'm ready to jump ship and join the private sector. If congress goes forward with the proposed budget cuts to LSC, we are doomed.
A common complaint among legal aid attorneys involves family law clients and their frequent phone calls. Because we are free they will call with the most mundane/obnoxious of issues. If each phone call cost them money, there is no way they would call with their questions and complaints. They no their is almost no consequence to call to deal with the "emergency" that has developed. If I were charging $150 an hour and my family law clients called with the same frequency, I'd only need 4 clients to make an excellent living. For $150 an hour I'd be happy to discuss with you what it means if your soon to be exhusband calls your child pre-school (hint it means he cares about your child) Hell for $150 an hour I'm happy to debate what it means that he has a new girlfriend (hint it means he's moved on, you should try it).
Also I'm announcing some new life rules.
1. If I get you a restraining order against your abuse spouse who harasses you and then file divorce paperwork on your behalf, you aren't allowed to reconcile. You are required to get divorced.
2. If you are on a dating website and you have kids, you must list that fact in your profile.
Lastly, good luck with your trial mellancollyeyes
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Been far too long
Got an email asking me to allow a comment someone made on my post about being the rebound guy. Honestly before seeing that email I'd all but forgotten about this website. (Well actually that's a lie, I remembered every time I read notforthemonosyllabic) Here's an update on my life for the 94 of you who read my blog this past year.
I'm still in legal aid and can't say that I love it. I'm in a very small office and turnover has been very high. It is very frustrating seeing everyone around you leave. I understand why they are leaving, I envy them at times even, but it still disrupts office life for quite awhile.
I never realized as an intern how much the practice of law is just slogging through mundane crap day after day. It was all new and exciting as an intern. Writing a letter to a client letting them know that you will not accept their case no longer has any appeal to me. I also miss the good old days at the PD office when I didn't have to worry if I'd chosen the right person to help, I just helped whoever was assigned to me. Lastly, to end my rant sooner rather than later, I did not foresee how much I would dislike all the paperwork required for grants. Just give me money and tell me to help people. I'll help more people that way. Having me fill out 4 forms that no one every reads does not help anyone.
Onto my dating life. It's going about as well as my career. Dated a couple people over the last year. First one wasn't very serious. Second one got way too serious too quickly. Entirely my fault. Learned a valuable lesson. I thought I could get over any demons in someones past, I was wrong.
It has taken a long time to make friends and build a support system in a new community. I still have no idea how to meet people outside of school and the internet. My office is too small and my coworkers too married for anything to happen there. My social life consists of sitting alone at a bar having a couple beers and engaging in some idle chit chat with whoever sits next to me. You'd think that I'd meet someone this way sooner or later, but instead I swear I always sit next to a businessman from out of town. One guy was pretty cool, but he lived 3 states away.
Onto the positives. I was right about being a big fish in a small pond. I'm quickly getting a lot of experience, I'm well respected in the community and local bar, and I can afford to eat at any restaurant in town. I have a 4 minute commute to work. I almost never have to work weekends.
Maybe I'll start posting on here some more. Don't hold your breathe.
I'm still in legal aid and can't say that I love it. I'm in a very small office and turnover has been very high. It is very frustrating seeing everyone around you leave. I understand why they are leaving, I envy them at times even, but it still disrupts office life for quite awhile.
I never realized as an intern how much the practice of law is just slogging through mundane crap day after day. It was all new and exciting as an intern. Writing a letter to a client letting them know that you will not accept their case no longer has any appeal to me. I also miss the good old days at the PD office when I didn't have to worry if I'd chosen the right person to help, I just helped whoever was assigned to me. Lastly, to end my rant sooner rather than later, I did not foresee how much I would dislike all the paperwork required for grants. Just give me money and tell me to help people. I'll help more people that way. Having me fill out 4 forms that no one every reads does not help anyone.
Onto my dating life. It's going about as well as my career. Dated a couple people over the last year. First one wasn't very serious. Second one got way too serious too quickly. Entirely my fault. Learned a valuable lesson. I thought I could get over any demons in someones past, I was wrong.
It has taken a long time to make friends and build a support system in a new community. I still have no idea how to meet people outside of school and the internet. My office is too small and my coworkers too married for anything to happen there. My social life consists of sitting alone at a bar having a couple beers and engaging in some idle chit chat with whoever sits next to me. You'd think that I'd meet someone this way sooner or later, but instead I swear I always sit next to a businessman from out of town. One guy was pretty cool, but he lived 3 states away.
Onto the positives. I was right about being a big fish in a small pond. I'm quickly getting a lot of experience, I'm well respected in the community and local bar, and I can afford to eat at any restaurant in town. I have a 4 minute commute to work. I almost never have to work weekends.
Maybe I'll start posting on here some more. Don't hold your breathe.
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