Law Students

Sweatshop LLP: Schwartz Law Firm LLC

That said, I bring you the all-male Schwartz Law Firm LLC, run by Kenneth Schwartz:

I found this reputable firm because of another stellar associate position posted on craigslist. Ad text is in italics with bold highlights, with my comments following:

Recently established financial district law firm is offering an entry-level associate opportunity for an adventurous new law graduate. Founded by an experienced international private equity lawyer, the Firm is involved in interesting international business transactions around the world.

Ooh, sounds good so far! What's so bad about this?

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Well, read on:

Candidates must have a high tolerance for risk and be able to support themselves without income during protracted periods, as the position does not pay a salary [Emphasis added].

WHAAAAAAAAAAT? So basically this law firm wants a kid with a rich daddy who can put him up in a posh NYC loft while he "risks" his career working for zero salary. Note to Kenneth Schwartz: any person who will take this job will not be risking anything. He will not be "adventurous." Likely, the desperate person that you recruit will not have any student loans to pay; his parents will have financed his entire education and career thus far. How else will this future Esq. be able to live in commuting distance to Battery Park, the financial district of Manhattan, without any promised compensation?

Associate will be compensated based upon an agreed-upon hourly rate when the firm collects fees from its clients [Emphasis added].

Um, is it not collecting fees from its clients now? Check out the firm website, which boasts clients or associations with businesses such as Verizon, the Blackstone Group, and TMG Capital Partners. The website also claims that its founder has participated in "over a billion in negotiated corporate acquisitions and divestitures," and states that it "maintains extensive acting working relationships with leading law firms, bankers and advisers . . . enabl[ing] us to structure and execute private equity and other transactions in a large number of emerging market countries." It also has "close working relationships with several leading Wall Street and City law firms."

Bottom line, even if this is a fairly new law firm, its attorneys have a fair amount of experience and have plenty of contacts in the business and legal world. This is not a simple upstart where one builds up the firm in exchange for a future stake in the business and minimal compensation to start.

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So what kind of rich kid does this firm want?

The founder needs a highly-motivated attorney with sharp mind to handle heavy-lifting on fast-paced complex cross-border deals.

Heavy-lifting with feather-light pay? Are these some of the deals that the firm will collect fees from (necessitating that "agreed upon hourly rate"?) or is it some pro bono work that won't pay anything for that "protracted period."

Candidates must have recent JD from a U.S. law school, solid undergraduate and law school academic record, excellent English language skills, meticulous attention to detail and work well under pressure. Starting date immediately or as soon as possible following July bar exam. Qualified candidates should submit the following via e-mail to associate@slfglobal.com: (i) resume, (ii) law school transcript(s), (iii) college transcript(s), (iv) graded law school course writing sample (preferably with instructor comments), (v) (optional) prior work writing sample (e.g., summer associate research memorandum with confidential information redacted) and (vi) (optional) any other work demonstrating writing skill. Only qualified candidates with complete applications will receive a response.

Not only are you expected to work for very little (if any pay), in pressurized situations, and do "heavy-lifting," but you also need to submit a graded writing sample with your professor's scribbling and go back to college and give them that record as well. They want a super qualified person to work for zero dollars.

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So, give a big hand for our first Sweatshop LLP winner, the Schwartz Law Firm.

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Enjoy what you see here? Want to give the Schwartz Law Firm something to think about? I encourage you to send an email (anonymous if you like) to associate@slfglobal.com with the subject line: "I Am $X in Debt and No, I Will not Work for Free." Send a message to these law firms that while we don't expect to lavish in the big bucks straight out of law school, we worked hard and expect to be compensated fairly for our labor.

Full post as published by Wicked Words on May 19, 2008 (boomark / email).