5 Things A Contract Attorney Can Actually Be Thankful For

There isn't much good about being a contract attorney, but there's still stuff to be thankful for.

It’s that time of year again. Turkeys are being pardoned, Americans are furiously trying to make their way across the country into the loving embrace of family and friends and everyone is dutifully ignoring the cognitive dissonance inherent in the fact our national holiday of thankfulness and reflection is built upon genocide. That’s right, Thanksgiving is upon us. And despite whatever trepidation one may have about the historical underpinnings of the holiday, it is undeniable that taking a day (or a part of a day if you’re unlucky enough to work in retail) to contemplate those things that we have, rather than what we don’t is healthy. In that spirit I have created my own, personal list of things that I as a contract attorney am thankful for.

Sure, contract attorneys are generally considered the very bottom of the legal industry barrel — and that generally creates plenty of fodder for complaints. But that doesn’t mean I’m completely unable to find silver linings, or at least some low quality silver-plated linings.

1 — Having A Job

Okay, lets start this out nice and slow. I currently have a job, or at least a project I am working on and that is great. Sure, there is no job stability, no OT and the conditions are poor, but we’re starting small here. Being a contract attorney was never my life’s ambition, but now that I am in the industry, I can appreciate it for what it is… okay, that is mostly just a paycheck, but there can be moments of zen. The truth is, I’ve spent time as an unemployed lawyer and that’s definitely worse. With this job I don’t have to fill out student loan deferment paperwork, deal with the particular strictures of unemployment checks or worry about eviction.

2 — Copy From Previous

The project I’m working on is using the review platform, Relativity (like the vast majority of projects out there). The powers that be (read: case managers) have decided to turn on the copy from previous function. For those who haven’t used that before, it is… pretty much exactly what it sounds like. But it enables reviewers to copy the coding (of whatever fields are enabled) from one document to another. With all the clicks for responsiveness, issue tags, privilege, confidentiality — and all of the related subtags — this saves me between 3-6 clicks per document. I’m pretty sure this has delayed the onset of my carpal tunnel syndrome by at least a year or two.

3 — Co-Workers That Don’t Suck

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We all know that those of us in the document review business can be… a bit of a mixed bag. While there are absolutely some reviewers that are relegated to contract work due to poor timing and bad market conditions, there are others who, well, let’s just say not everyone would flourish in a law firm environment. So actually winding up working with someone you don’t hate and can exchange the normal daily pleasantries with can make all the difference.

4 — My Health

Cliched? Definitely. But still true. I spent the majority of my contract attorney career without heath insurance. At the time, the projects I was able to get weren’t regular enough that I could justify the enormous expense. Workplace insurance was difficult to secure, and the one time I signed up for a project with a staffing agency that offered coverage the plan was so bad it wasn’t worth it. So for years, I dealt with any heath issue with a prayer and whatever I could get OTC. Obamacare forced me to get actual insurance, and now I can fully appreciate knowing for sure that I am in good health.

5 — Having A Forum To Complain

I do a lot of venting in this column. Whenever something strikes me as unjust, silly, annoyingor just plain wrong for the last year I’ve had a forum to let the world know about it. I have to say, it’s done wonders for my blood pressure (see: gratitude point 4). But more than that, I hope I’ve shed light on what it’s like to be the bottom cog in a massive industry. And now it’s time to spread the wealth. Feel free to use the comments to vent about your own document review disasters, and if you have anything particularly juicy you can also email tips@abovethelaw.com (we’ll keep everything anonymous unless otherwise requested).

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Alex Rich is a T14 grad and Biglaw refugee who has worked as a contract attorney for the last 7 years… and counting. If you have a story about the underbelly of the legal world known as contract work, email Alex at alexrichesq@gmail.com and be sure to follow Alex on Twitter @AlexRichEsq