Happy President’s Day to the Philly Doc Review Crowd!

Hello everyone.

If you are like most Doc Reviewers, you worked today, even if the firm that you are working for was “officially” closed. Why? It probably wasn’t dedication to the project or the firm, rather likely it was because of money issues. Most contract firms do not give a President’s day off (some like Hudson have cut Paid Holidays in recent years). I know what some might say, “many associates were working today.” But associates are getting paid a high salary to get their work done regardless of their hours. Associates can also sometimes work from home, there is no such luxury for most doc reviewers. In addition junior associates will get the benefit of their bosses viewing them as workhorses if they put in more hours. A doc reviewer will not even appear on a Partner’s or Senior Associate’s map for working on a day the firm has off.

SO, who worked today for a firm that was “officially” closed?

Let’s face it, if you are like many doc reviewers, you got into this line of work as a hold over until you found something better, but What? Where? The economy is getting worse, most of the legal community knows that you learn few if any skills that add to your legal career on a doc review, and each year new law grads are graduating that are willing to take the entry level positions. If you have been working doc review for about 6 months and started fresh out of law school, it is time to buckle down and start your “real” legal career someplace. If you have been working a doc review for longer then that, it is time to start getting creative. If you look around, and determine that it is best that you stay where you are for now, then you should think about what would make your situation better. Think about whether your quality of life, and/or wallet would be better off with paid holidays off, and think about how you can get them either now or on your next job. The only way that I can see is be lucky, or unionize. I would love some other suggestions.

I have a few updates for the site today. I have added the following websites to the links:

http://stateofbeasley.blogspot.com/--a contract attorney with some definite opinions about the worth of legal education in the current market.

and

http://jdunderground.blogspot.com--this reader focuses on the exploitation of young attorneys by people who are supposedly experienced attorneys (including partners, law schools, and attorney organizations).

The original blog the writer pulls from is http://www.jdunderground.com.

I will have a jpg salary chart soon, though I have scant updates to some of the previously published information.

Here are a couple of links that have appeared on a number of other blogsites recently, what do you think:

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/02/15/sound-of-the-first-year-workin-on-the-doc-review-gang/

http://www.vault.com/articles/Temping-as-an-Attorney-22656398.html

Yours truly,

--The Black Sheep