Craigslist, Job Searches

Did You Go to Law School to Make $15/Hour?

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Maybe I’m elitist, but I feel like a job that pays $15/hour is something that you should be able to get with a “some college” educational background. I feel like the only college educated adults that are busting their ass for $15/hour should be actors and novelists (and the like) who wait tables while following their dream, people just out of rehab/jail, and children of old money.
I mean, at some point, it isn’t even about the money, right? It’s about respect (or lack thereof). It’s about somebody saying to you: “Thanks for that hour of your time, can you break a twenty?”
But in the free market of the legal economy, we’re at the point where people with post-graduate degrees are being offered a low hourly wage. From Craigslist:

Per Diem Attorney – Criminal and PI

Our firm has several positions open for per diem attorneys with experience in the following areas:
(1) Personal Injury – complete representation (initial contact through trial) $15/per hour
(2) Criminal Defense- court appearances, motions, trials $15/per hour

The job has already been up for two days. Jump on it now before Massachusetts approves a new law school.
Some more details about the position after the jump.


The blog, Exposing the Law School Scam, captured one problem with this position:

Experience in litigation is required, but that 15 buckaroos an hour will sure come in handy. The NY city area is a low cost of living area, so that is a decent wage for an experienced lawyer.

Quick, how many hours would you have to work at these levels to pay off tuition at, say, St. Johns School of Law? St. Johns charges $42,200 per year, so you’re looking 8,440 $15 hours to pay off three years. If you spend every single penny you earn on debt repayment, of course.
But like I said, it’s not just about the money, it’s about respect. Notice the job responsibilities. Complete representation on personal injury matters, court appears and motion practice for criminal defendants. Doesn’t that sound suspiciously like the kind of work lawyers usually charge clients for by the — what is the word — “billable hour”?
If you really want to do this kind of work, just hang out your own shingle. I’m positive you can find clients that will pay you more than $15 an hour to go to court on their behalf.
Per Diem Attorney – Criminal and PI [Craigslist]
The invisible hand of the free market has spoken [Exposing The Law School Scam]

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