We received a tip about a back and forth war of words on the Craigslist legal hiring board (chain of posts available here). It all started as a posting for an open Paralegal position, hiring at $9 an hour (post available here). A debate began over whether a decent paralegal could be found for $9 an hour, even in this economy.Then the hiring law office shot back with this comment:
I never wrote that a paralegal was worth only $9 per hour or that it was a fair wage - what I said was that I posted on CL and that there were people requesting that much due to the economy - the average requested was probably in the $10-$12 range. I even had a couple of attorneys, who were having trouble finding work, ask for $10 per hour.
(Craigslist post available here)(emphasis added)
What do you think readers? Just a Human Resources person mouthing off to Craigslist detractors or has it gotten bad enough for attorneys to offer their services for $10 an hour?
If so, watch out Mr. Stokes. I'm pretty sure that price is even cheaper than a half-price lawyer.
Posting responses on Craigslist like that is just crazy. One time I posted an ad looking for cleaning person to clean my house for $100 for the day, and I got people bitching at me that I was ONLY paying $12/hr for a cleaning person when a professional company charged twice that.
ReplyDeleteCome on people - if you aren't interested in the job, don't send the person an email saying you won't take less than what they're offering.
As for out-of-work NV licensed Attorneys offering themselves for $10/hr, that's just crazy talk. I guess work is work, but damn.
If you read everything now posted that was written by this wanna-be- employer attorney, you can clearly see the need for a legal assistant with good grammar. I'm pretty sure that not all posts included in WWL's chain are connected to this guy's original ad, which was, Legal Assistant Needed, and which may have been deleted from CL by now. Some of the items you include in that chain are written with much more skill in the English language than the original ad and all of the attorney's "ReRe" responses.
ReplyDeleteI believe the original post was titled, Legal Assistant Needed for Solo Practioner (Summerlin/Las Vegas) and was dated 06/22/08.
ReplyDeleteCL also has several recent ads for receptionists and file/scanning clerks offering pay ranging from $8.50 to $11.00/hour. I just don't believe this guy (or gal)is getting offers from licensed members of the Nevada Bar to help him out for $10/hour.
ReplyDeleteMy question to this attorney posting for a Paralegal is would he/she work for $9.00 an hour doing the requested job??? I am a legal assistant and I work for two attorneys who I completely trust and respect as counsel and NEVER would they ask, nor expect me to work for these wages. This person is obviously oblivious to what the market rate for a legal assistant/paralegal is. Curious though, as to how he would feel if he/she were asked to work for at these wages as either a legal assistant or an attorney.
ReplyDelete$9.00 per hour for a paralegal with any decent level of skill? $10.00 per hour for a licensed attorney? Who is he/she kidding?? There are plenty of recent job openings (from a variety of sources)for legal secretaries in the 50K range. Get real!
ReplyDeleteI don't see the problem with $9 an hour. No secretary with a lot of experience will apply, and it will provide an opportunity to a person with less experience to get some on the job training. At my firm, we always require at least 5 years experience for a legal secretary. That 5 years has to come somewhere, and usually it is a small firm that doesn't pay much.
ReplyDeleteIf attorneys were begging to work for 10$, why didn't the poster hire them?
ReplyDeleteHe's not going to hire someone with any skills for $9 an hour. As for his claims that the average wage requested was $10 an hour, or that attorneys offered to work for that, I don't believe him.
ReplyDeleteI would go back and wait tables again before I would do legal work for $10 an hour. I am 100% serious.
ReplyDeleteI am graduating law school, I don't have a job, and I don't have any real experience. After the bar, if I didn't have any other options, I would work for 10$ an hour until I could find something better.
ReplyDeleteDid you read this attorney's very defensive & poorly written reactions to the responses to his ridiculous ad? Who would take him seriously? He can't even write a simple CL ad without sounding uneducated & just plain stupid. What an ass!
ReplyDeleteAt least if he can get some poor inexperienced young thing to play assistant he can blame her for all the poorly written documenta coming out of his office.
ReplyDeleteYou guys can talk all the smack you want about what should or should not be the pay for paralegals/LA's. The truth is that 2 years ago, I had to pay $50-60 for the same position but for less qualified people. NOW, I can pay about $38-$45 for the most qualified's out there. From an employer's standpoint it is great, especially since I'm getting pinched in the middle with clients that are declaring BK, ID cutting bills and my PI cases settle for less. So it is all as it should be. We are all gettin beat up in this economy.
ReplyDeleteI'm a paralegal who'd rather work at In-N-Out for $10 an hour before taking a $9 an hour legal job. At least I'd get free fries and less stress!
ReplyDeleteLegally Unbound says it's "great" and "all is as it should be" when he can acquire the most qualified support staff out there for 38K-45K? Not only is he off base for what the most qualified paralegals can garner from good employers, he may be deluding himself in thinking he has the most qualified staff.
ReplyDelete11:42 Have you read LU's other posts where he/she proclaims how great and all-knowing he/she is and nastily belittles and derides associates about how inept/clueless/stupid/greedy we all are?
ReplyDeleteIf LU's posts are any indication of how he/she treats employees, competent people would not work for this person. I know I have a TON to learn and respect the abilities and wisdom of those with years of experience, but I'm not a lazy idiot and don't expect to be treated like I'm something someone found on the bottom of his or her shoe.
Maybe the attorney offering $9 per hour & LU should team up. Since they both seem to have no respect for anyone but themselves it could work out for them.
ReplyDeleteAssociates beware! If good paralegals are reduced to working for $9 an hour, what do you think firms will be willing to pay entry level associates? Wake up people!!
ReplyDelete