Temping as an attorney -- tips?

[Anonymous]

After several years as a sahm, I'm looking for a job, but unfortunately unsuccessfully. I'd like to start pulling in some income. I was a litigator for many years. How can I get these temping gigs? Can anyone recommend an agency? I have no experience with ediscovery - we were pretty much still reviewing actual pieces of paper in my day -- does that shut me out?

Any tips, thoughts etc. are appreciated. TIA.

[Anonymous]

There are tons of agencies in dc with tons of projects. I would make a list of them and send them your resume. Sign up for posse list and keep a close eye on crAigslist. Most projects are staffed well before you even hear about it so the key is to get established well with an agency that habitually has work. I can tell you tons more if you want. I was a contract attorney for a couple of years and it served my purposes well.

[Anonymous]

There are several agencies in DC -- the Posse List website has a long list. Some of the ones I have heard highly recommended are Lexolution, Special Counsel, Kelly, Hudson, and Legal Placements. Ediscovery/online doc review is not hard to pick up, even after many years out of the work force, as long as you have good general computer skills and can learn to use new software quickly -- which you would have to do anyway because there are several different platforms that different firms use for their reviews. I've been doing the contract attorney thing for over two years and I have to say it is a pretty cushy gig. The work is not exciting, but you can usually listen to your iPod or whatever while you are working. The going rate right now is $32/hr (though some offer $30 and also there is an increasing practice of offering a flat rate, meaning no overtime pay, which has not been a welcome development), it was $35 when I started.

The question is, how hard is it to form a relationship with an agency and get placed on a project right now? It was pretty easy when I started in 2008, but that was before the recession. If you have a strong resume, and especially with your years of experience as a litigator, agencies will probably take an interest in you. I have found that a smaller agency is easier to form a relationship with, and once you have that relationship, one agency or two at most will be able to keep you employed most of the time, though there are periods where things are slow and you will be out for a few weeks. I have had a great experience temping and highly recommend it. Post back if you have any more specific questions and I will answer them as best I can.

[Anonymous]

If you speak any foreign languages, make sure your resume highlights that and make sure you stress it during interviews with staffing companies.

[Anonymous]

I really like Firm Advice, based in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Agree--if you have good foreign language skills, make them known because you'll make a lot more. I made good money that way.

I haven't worked as a contract attorney for a couple of years but know several people who do still. The market has really changed. I don't know that many people doing more than 40 hours a week. 5 years ago projects required tons of hours but many now cap you at 40. There's just not as much work.

Don't work with just one agency. Submit your resume to a handful, do the interviews and then you'll be ready when they call and offer you a project.

[Anonymous]

NP here -- sorry to hijack but I am in a similar situation to OP. Do you have to be licensed in DC, MD or VA to get these projects? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

makes me depressed just thinking about it. sounds like such a soul-sucking miserable job. I temped years ago, and I remember feeling the shame of being down in some proverbial boiling room (windowless basement) taking orders from junior associates who for whatever lucky reason had the good job that I did not have. a few friends I know did it for YEARS. one finally landed a real job, the other never did.

[Anonymous]

To work on a project in DC, you need to be DC barred or DC-pending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:makes me depressed just thinking about it. sounds like such a soul-sucking miserable job. I temped years ago, and I remember feeling the shame of being down in some proverbial boiling room (windowless basement) taking orders from junior associates who for whatever lucky reason had the good job that I did not have. a few friends I know did it for YEARS. one finally landed a real job, the other never did.

I think it all depends on the context. I did it for a short period in between jobs, and it was wonderful. Easy work, easy money.

Sure I could have looked at it the way you described - ugly room with some odd people and a supervisor who didn't really know what she was doing. But I didn't see it that way. I appreciated having the extra income while I planned for my next job, and I was grateful for how easy it all was.

As for "shame," I didn't feel a bit of that at all. I knew I was a very smart person who was working to pay the bills in between permanent jobs. Nothing to feel ashamed about there!

By the way, I got my temp jobs through Special Counsel in DC. They were great. I "interviewed" with them first, and stressed both my background (top law school, top law firm) AND my positive outlook and flexible approach. Basically, I made myself an attractive candidate to them (someone the law firm would not end up having a problem with down the road) and they sent me good jobs.

For the PP who asked, yes, you need to be licensed/barred in DC to do temp work in DC. i think there was a relatively recent ethics decision about this and the firms require temps to be members of the DC bar. Not sure about firms located in MD or VA.

[Anonymous]

11:36, for every graduate of "top schools with experience from top firms" working as a temp lawyer, there are probably 25 from lower tiered schools with no chance of having a big name on their resume. For them, this is not a few month break to pay the bills while job searching, but a career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:makes me depressed just thinking about it. sounds like such a soul-sucking miserable job. I temped years ago, and I remember feeling the shame of being down in some proverbial boiling room (windowless basement) taking orders from junior associates who for whatever lucky reason had the good job that I did not have. a few friends I know did it for YEARS. one finally landed a real job, the other never did.

It really depends on what you want. I chose to temp after I had a child because I knew I was going to have more and wanted to be able to take off as much time for "maternity leave" (unpaid of course) as I desired, and because I wanted to have more control over my time when I was working. Temps can leave work at work -- no emails, no conference calls, no working at home, no working over 40 hours per week period without being compensated accordingly. I found it to be a much better situation for me than working as an associate. Of course, my intention was to abandon law as a career, and temping was my transition out of the legal world, so the so-called "stigma" of having temped was really not an issue for me. I do understand that for people who want a career as an attorney, temping is a comedown or a setback. But as far as soul-sucking and miserable, I was FAR more miserable as an associate every single day than my very worst days temping. I've met as many people who do it by choice than those who do it because they haven't been able to find a permanent job.

[Anonymous]

13:02--how did you temp with a child? Was he school age? I am looking to get back to work and, while I loved temp work, I can't picture doing it with a baby. What did you do about childcare? The work is inconsistent, so how did you manage? Was your LO in full time daycare and you just sucked it up while inbetween gigs?

[Anonymous]

I temped for 5 years and never once did I feel shame. The shame comes from within. I've met great people at great firms and have always felt part of a team--usually working on a high profile case. I have learned a lot about the law and like the PPs have said, the money is good and so is the flexibility. I was lucky in that i landed on long term projects so that probably contributed to the overall good feeling. There IS NO SHAME in temping. Go in, be professional and you will be treated accordingly.
I highly recommend signing up with lots of agencies but listening in on what people are saying of the market--you will be with people who know it inside and out and they're usually your best bet to get on a project.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I temped for 5 years and never once did I feel shame. The shame comes from within. I've met great people at great firms and have always felt part of a team--usually working on a high profile case. I have learned a lot about the law and like the PPs have said, the money is good and so is the flexibility. I was lucky in that i landed on long term projects so that probably contributed to the overall good feeling. There IS NO SHAME in temping. Go in, be professional and you will be treated accordingly.
I highly recommend signing up with lots of agencies but listening in on what people are saying of the market--you will be with people who know it inside and out and they're usually your best bet to get on a project.

Good luck!

I just don't see it. So you walk past dozens of attorneys with their own offices to sit at some table or maybe a cubicle doing grunt mindless work all day, not thinking or having interaction with the client, and you don't see the shame? You spent 3 years and passed the bar for this??? And the money is not good anymore.