Assistant Who Does Everything

[Ed.-- But wait, if you can do anything with a law degree, then isn't 'assistant who does everything' the perfect job for you?]

http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/lgl/4797769693.html

Managing Attorney of busy Winchester law firm seeks go-to legal assistant to do everything necessary to increase productivity, improve client communication, enhance client service, and help attract new referrals. Experience in a law firm or other professional practice helpful but not strictly necessary if you have prior confidential executive assistant experience. Experience in hospitality, restaurant or customer service industries is helpful. Duties including managing one attorney's entire life from calendar, client meetings, travel, personal needs, document creation to coordination of all other services within a fast paced law firm focused on elder law, probate, real estate and estate planning. This job will be challenging, but not boring. Compensation from high 40's with opportunities for advancement and bonuses. Limited evening and weekend obligation as needed. Competitive benefit plan including 401k after one year, generous vacation allowance, etc. Work hard and get rewarded for it! NO ATTORNEYS OR LAW STUDENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED, please DO NOT reply.

IP LITIGATION PARALEGAL

[Ed.-- I truly don't understand the trend of job ads in all caps.  It's a law office.  They surely don't write the rest of their correspondence this way.  So why a job ad?  Note, as is often the case, that having a four year degree is optional, but not having a JD is mandatory.]

INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM SEEKS HIGHLY QUALIFIED LITIGATION PARALEGAL WITH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION EXPERIENCE. PREFERENCE WOULD BE FOR PATENT LITIGATION EXPERIENCE.CANDIDATE MUST HAVE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ENTIRE LITIGATION PROCESS FROM DISCOVERY TO TRIAL. STRONG SKILLS IN LITIGATION SUPPORT DATABASES SUCH AS CONCORDANCE OR SUMMATION.PREFERENCE FORLARGE FIRM EXPERIENCE, CITE CHECKING AND/OR BLUE BOOKING SKILLS, ABILITY TO DO RESEARCH IN LEXIS-NEXIS AND WESTLAW.MUST HAVE SOLID WORK HISTORY WITH AT LEAST 4 YEARS RELATED EXPERIENCE FROM COMPARABLE LAW FIRM. 4 YEAR DEGREE IS PREFERRED.COMPETITIVE SALARY FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATE. FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION PLEASE SEND RESUME IN WORD WITH SALARY EXPECTATIONS. NO JD'S PLEASE.

Professional Legal Administrative Assistant

[Ed.-- "Degree preferred but nobody with a law degree" is a fascinating sub genre.  Your law degree is so toxic that it's negative value may be greater than the positive value of your college degree.  But hey, at least you know all about the hairy hand, right?]

https://jobs.washingtonpost.com/job/35729921/professional-legal-administrative-assistant/?rx_job=31724649&rx_source=simplyhired&rx_campaign=simplyhired15&wpsrc=MK0000004&wpmk=MK0000004&rx_medium=cpc

Energetic Legal Assistant sought for busy partner paring.  Must have 3 years litigation experience and knowledge of Virginia courts.   If you are looking for a firm where you can grow, take on additional responsibility and thrive, look no further than this gem of a firm that is right across the street from the Metro.   Degree preferred.  

Job Requirements

Here are the must haves:

• 3 years legal administrative assistant experience
• Litigation experience
• Virginia State Court knowledge
• Strong MS Office Skills
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask

Additional Information

Please no JD's

Litigation Secretary/Assistant (Huntington Beach)

[Ed.-- Back after a holiday break!  Let's see if employers still hate law degrees, shall we?]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/lgl/4770263722.html

Small litigation firm in OC looking for Litigation Secretary/Assistant. Applicant should be well-versed in calendaring rules for Orange and Los Angeles Counties and be able to calendar manually as well as with computerized docketing systems. Applicant must be experienced in filing pleadings in federal and state court, preparing trial binders, and must be proficient (not just familiar) with WordPerfect as well as Microsoft Word. Applicant must have at least 3-5 years of experience. Please send resume and salary requirements via fax to (714) 288-9520 or by email. No phone calls please. No JD's please.

Duties will include:
• Filing documents with Court
• Contacting clients, opposing counsel, etc. by mail, email or phone
• Indexing documents
• Calendaring
• Filing
• Binders for appearances
• Research
• Second line for answering phones, take messages, direct incoming calls to appropriate staff
• Respond to client questions and/or paperwork as needed

Paralegal/Legal Assistant (Broadway Junction)

[Ed.-- "Need someone to learn a lot and quickly.... and if you could learn quickly, then you would not have gone to law school."]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/lgl/4770858873.html

Busy law firm in East New York area of Brooklyn is looking for a bright individual, with minimal knowledge in Plaintiff negligence, who is willing and able to learn a lot and quickly. Job will include drafting Pleadings, Bill of Particulars and Discovery. An individual we are looking for must be: punctual, eager to learn and willing to work hard. Basic understanding and some experience in the area of claims or litigation is required. This is a demanding position that requires attention to detail and good understanding of litigation, but there is growth potential for the right person. Sorry, no JDs.

Email a resume with cover letter, writing sample and salary requirements.    

Litigation Secretary/Assistant (Newport Beach)

[Ed.-- No education requirements, except to not be a JD.]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/npo/4770850937.html

         Litigation firm in Newport Beach looking for Litigation Secretary/Assistant. Applicant should be well-versed in calendaring rules for Orange and Los Angeles Counties and be able to calendar manually as well as with computerized docketing systems. Applicant must be experienced in filing pleadings in federal and state court, preparing trial binders, and must be proficient with Microsoft Word. Applicant must have at least 3-5 years of experience. Please send resume and compensation requirements by email. No phone calls please. No JD's please.

Duties will include:
-Filing documents with Court
-Contacting clients, opposing counsel, etc. by mail, email or phone
-Indexing documents
-Calendaring
-Filing
-Binders for appearances
-Research
-Answer phones, take messages, direct incoming calls to appropriate staff
-Respond to client questions and/or paperwork as needed

• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers

Conflicts Assistant- CONTRACT POSITION ((LOOP))

[Ed.-- Thanks to Dan for emailing this in using the contact form on the right.]

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/lgl/4765742984.html

A downtown Chicago law firm seeking Conflicts Department Assistant. MUST have some legal and research experience and come from a strong academic background. Candidate MUST be able commit to a 4-6 month assignment. This is great experience for someone looking to gain legal experience at a reputable, large firm! Those with their Juris Doctorate will not be considered for this role.

Responsibilities Include:
• Conflicts analysis and identifying possible conflicts
• Manage correspondence, create reports, presentations and time-sensitive materials. 
• Ensuring accuracy of documents and presentation materials. 
• Able to follow specific detail-oriented projects as assigned.
• Keeping a high level of discretion with corporate documents and classified records. 

Please apply if you have the following:
BA degree is REQUIRED
MUST have ADVANCED technical skills (Microsoft Suite especially STRONG Word, Excel and PPT)
Strong attention to detail
Legal experience is REQUIRED
Those with their Juris Doctorate will not be considered for this role.

Immediate Need for Entry-Level Paralegals (Washington, D.C.)

[Thanks to Jackie for sending this in via the message box on the right.]

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/lgl/4747184560.html

Law Resources, Inc. is seeking temporary entry-level paralegals for an immediate start. Candidates must have a college degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be able to make a two (2) year commitment. An eye for detail, strong worth ethic and team oriented attitude is desirable. Please submit your resume ASAP for consideration - qualified candidate will be contacted to discuss the opportunity in more detail. THIS IS FOR AN IMMEDIATE START!

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR RESUME IF YOU'VE ALREADY DONE SO. 
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR RESUME IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GPA OF AT LEAST 3.0.
NO JD'S - THIS IS AN ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION.

Contracts and Rights Management (Chatsworth)

[Ed.-- Weirdly, they don't want an entertainment law LLM to negotiate their contracts.  Must be an oversight.]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/lgl/4761401893.html

Looking for an experienced Film Distribution Contracts Paralegal to support Business Affairs and Legal. We are a worldwide Distribution company with a library of of 500 titles that licenses all available rights: Theatrical, DVD, Television, VOD and Ancillary.

Candidate mus have working knowledge of License Agreements, Royalty Reports and FilmTrack or other Rights Management Database experience. Responsibilities to include:

CONTRACTS:
• Drafting of contracts for distribution, worldwide, domestic, and sales international
• Draft IFTA Multiple Rights License Agreements and Admendments
• Follow up on Royalties per Agreements terms, including Digital deals
• Initiating IFTA Arbitration and attending if necessary
• Handling SAG matters
• Handling delivery process of legal documentation to distributors

RIGHTS MANAGEMENT:
• Management of Rights through the FilmTrack database, entering all contracts to ensure proper Avails and running Avail Reports.
• Assisting Sales Department to acquire Producer approvals
• Assisting Accounting Department in reporting to Producers
• Monthly and Quarterly scanning and emailing Producer their Reports

SALES AGENCY AGREEMENTS:
• Assisting in drafting of Sales Agency Agreements with Producers

OTHER:
• General Office Duties (i.e. Filing, Coping, Answering Phones) & assist CEO.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
• Ideal candidate MUST have at least 3-6 Years experience with Entertainment law or paralegal experience preferably media, broadcast or the entertainment industry.
• Must type at least 80-100wpm and team oriented and work some OT
• Must have strong computer skills in MS Office, Outlook, and Rights Management Database
• Strong oral and written communication skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work within deadlines, exercise good judgement and maintain client confidentially

Candidate MUST have at least 6 Years experience with major Entertainment law firm or motion picture company handling substantially all of the above.

Salary
Competitive salary (commensurate with experience)

Additional Information
At noted above, this position requires substantial experience handling all of the above matters. This is NOT an entry level JD position and PLEASE no phone calls.

Entry Level Paralegal (Downtown) (New York, NY)

[Ed.-- I have never seen an "LSAT Disadvantage" listing before.  One wonders how the employer plans to verify that his prospective employee has never taken the LSAT.  The insistence on a "top 200" undergrad-- apparently, school #200 offers invaluable skills you just can't get from #201]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/lgl/4728094040.html

Entry Level Paralegal (Downtown) 

Major mass litigation firm has openings for Entry Level Paralegals in their Bankruptcy department. 

ENTRY LEVEL POSITION.

Job responsibility include: internet research, communicating with clients, reviewing documents, 

Job requirements: Experience interacting with clients, heavy phones, following and documenting processes/internships are OK. Must have a 4 year degree, from a top 200 college and graduated with a GPA over 3.5 and majored in Pre-Law, Political Science, Economics, Communications, etc. 

- Must be willing to make a 2+ year commitment (ideally even more long term) 
- Cannot have taken the LSAT or have a date registered for the LSAT 
- Can start within 2 weeks 
- Has worked in an office setting before 
- Worked throughout college
- Well spoken, polished/professional 
- Will not get bored with administrative tasks or overwhelmed by competing priorities 


Must have strong communication skills, time management and organization abilities.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities


Great opportunity for candidates who plan to go on to Law or Grad school in 3-5 years.

Mission Statement

By now, word is out that law school graduates, particularly those from non-elite schools, are frequently unable to find jobs as lawyers.  While law school apologists have largely abandoned the “law school is not a trade school” argument, there are three arguments that have become increasingly popular:

1. The “you need to network” argument.  Under this argument, new law school graduates can find a job; they simply need to undergo the mystical practice of networking.  If they do not find a job, then it is proof positive that they simply did not network hard enough. This proposition is a variant of arguing that unemployment is high because people keep blowing their job interview.   I will happily concede that the number of entry level legal jobs is somewhat elastic and an individual graduate can improve their chances by networking-- I have little doubt that, here and there, graduates of marginal schools can work their way into a law clerk position by cold calling their undergrad’s alumni database.  However, this does not solve the systemic problem.  No amount of networking can solve the massive imbalance between the demand for new lawyers and the supply of new lawyers.  
2. “You need to hang a shingle”/”Rural lawyer” argument.  Under this construction, lawyers have the ability to simply open their own practices and become a lawyer that way, especially in rural America.  This argument has already been ably refuted, so I will not belabor the point, except to note that our hypothetical rural lawyer would have to come up with at least somewhere between $5,000-$15,000 just to open their law practice, on top of student loan debt.  Getting that kind of loan from a bank after being $100,000 in debt from law school is, itself, a non-trivial problem.  It also ignores the fact that at lowly ranked schools, half the graduates don’t pass the bar.  For example, at the most recent July administration of the California Bar exam, only half of the graduates from Thomas Jefferson passed. Law schools are admitting students who may never pass the bar exam and hence can’t hang a shingle.  Similar to #1, an individual applicant may be able to improve his chances of passing the bar by working hard, but if half the graduates of a school are failing, then that points to a systemic problem.
3. The “JD Advantage” argument, which is the primary focus of this blog.  The National Association for Law Placement (“NALP”) page on this concept is representative:

It turns out that the JD degree prepares you for a variety of exciting jobs and careers. While many law school graduates go on to practice law, many others go on to play leadership roles in a variety of settings. Many law school graduates obtain positions for which Bar Passage, or even a JD, is not required, but their legal training is deemed to be an advantage or even necessary in the workplace. As the saying goes "you can do almost anything with a law degree!"

This argument has at least three critical flows..  The next series of posts will describe them in detail, but in brief:

First, let’s suppose everything said above was completely true.  It fails to be persuasive on its own terms.  A “JD Advantage” job is, by definition, one that could be acquired without a JD.  To the extent somebody ends up in a JD Advantage job, then they will almost invariably have been better off if they had simply taken that job, or a substantially similar one, three/four years earlier instead of going to law school.  Given three/four years of lost earnings on account of time spent attending school and the debt that the average law student carries, then somebody who takes a “JD Advantage” job will financially be massively behind somebody who took the same job without the JD.

Second, these JD advantage jobs are incredibly scarce.  There is a variation of the sharpshooter fallacy going on here; NALP found people with good non-legal jobs who have JD’s.  What they do not provide is any evidence that the law degree was necessary to obtain or keep the job in question.  If I searched hard enough, then I am quite confident that I could find people who spent some time in prison yet, against the odds, now have a great job; obviously, it would be absurd to characterize these jobs as “Breaking and Entering Advantage.”  Similarly, just because somebody has a good job and a law degree that they don’t use, it doesn’t mean that the law degree led to the job.

Third, it’s actually worse than that.  “JD Advantage” jobs are rare, but the “JD Disadvantage” jobs this blog memorializes are incredibly common.  That is, job listings which are available to people who have just a college degree (or not even a college degree), but that explicitly say that JD’s will not be considered.  In other words, because a graduate from a non-elite school will likely never find work as a lawyer and merely having the JD cuts off other opportunities, a non-elite JD can and does have negative value-- and would even if it could be obtained overnight and for free.  The purpose of this blog is to move the “JD Disadvantage” job beyond anecdote and prove from publicly available job listings that a JD is toxic on the open market, even for non-lawyer legal jobs.  

Finally, I will put up a post that responds to some criticisms of the “JD Disadvantage” concept, taken substantially from the JDU thread about this blog.

Patent Agent – Small Corporation – New York, N.Y.

[Ed.-- This company needs someone to assist with drafting, writing, and prosecuting patents.  This ad says four different ways that they don't want JD's... not even if the Editor in Chief of the John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law was available.  As always, keep in mind that "not having a JD" is a separate qualification; if you have two years of experience, a master's degree in a scientific field, 2-4 years firm experience, scientific knowledge and experience in cellular biology, etc., etc., they still do not want you if you have a JD.  The JD ruins the value of the other skills, experience, and degrees you have.]



NeoStem is seeking a Patent Agent to assist with drafting, writing, and prosecuting patent applications; and, strategically developing patent portfolios, and supporting litigators in the development of enforcement and defense strategies. The ideal candidate will NOT have a JD and will have a strong technical background in Biology and MUST have 2-4 years of patent prosecution experience. NO JDs will be CONSIDERED at this time.


Responsibilities

• Prepares and drafts patent applications
• Conducts prior art database searches for patentability and freedom to operate analyses
• Manages a portfolio of approximately 100 patents and patent applications
• Analyzes patents and scientific papers and documents to assist patent attorneys on patent prosecutions in the US and OUS
• Works closely with business, project teams, general counsel and product development to identify and articulate opportunities for patent protections
• Supports Patent attorneys in patentability and analysis
• Coordinates prosecution activities with various departments
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology or a relevant scientific or life sciences discipline required; Master’s degree preferred
• At least 2-4 years of experience with patent prosecution; prior firm experience is a plus
• DOES NOT require a JD degree and NO JDs wll be considered at this time
• Must have scientific knowledge and experience in cellular biology/biotechnology
• Must be available to work minimum 15-20 hours per week
• Registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) a plus
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, preferably Word and Excel
• Must have an excellent track record in building effective relationships with other departments and third parties
• Ability to comfortably interact and clearly communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization
• Proven ability to manage multiple activities and make complex decisions
• Must be organizational savvy and action-oriented
• Ability to manage critical and ambiguous situations to make effective decisions
• Ability to maximize business results through continuous improvement
• Strong technical, written and verbal communication skills required
• Strong influencing, planning, organizing, problem-solving and negotiation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Contact
If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please send a copy of your resume directly to scotton@neostem.com.
Additional Info
Employer Type: Small Corporation
Job Location: New York, New York

As a leader in the emerging cellular therapy industry, NeoStem is pursuing the preservation and enhancement of human health globally through the development of cell based therapeutics that prevent, treat, cure, or regenerate damaged or aged tissue, cells and organs and restoring their normal function. Cellular therapy is the process by which new cells are introduced into a tissue to prevent or treat disease, or to regenerate damaged or aged tissue. We believe that cell therapy will play a large role in changing the natural history of diseases as more breakthrough therapies are developed, ultimately lessening the overall burden of disease on patients and their families, as well as the economic burden that these diseases impose upon modern society.

Estate Planning Paralegal (West Hollywood)

[Ed.-- I thought trust and estates was dying?  I sure do see a lot of ads for T&E practices that are hiring.  Not hiring attorneys, of course, but hiring.]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/lgl/4745251784.html

Solo Practitioner, in West Hollywood, has an opening for a legal assistant/paralegal in estate planning and business law.

Prior estate planning experience in a law office is a must. Being a notary public is a plus.

This is NOT a temporary position offered to law students, recent law school graduates or licensed attorneys. The individual must have prior experience with the following:

- prepare estate planning documents (including Trusts, Last Wills & Testaments, Durable Powers of Attorney, etc.);
- Input information into drafting system to create estate planning documents;
- Edit and finalize estate planning documents for client signature;
-Drafting of Deeds, Pcors and related documents;
- Prepare documentation for creation of LLCs, Corporations and limited partnerships;
- A basic understanding of trust transfers and how property transfers at death.

If you believe you fit the described characteristics and have the necessary skills, please send an email with the following:
1. A resume-as an ATTACHMENT
3. Salary history-as an ATTACHMENT
4. Salary requirement-as an ATTACHMENT

• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this 

Trust & Estate Planning Paralegal Needed for DC Law Firm (Washington, DC)

[Ed.--Okay, so at first they won't even consider an attorney to work in their Trust & Estate department.  However, I bet you could change their mind if you show them your online LLM in estate planning from John Marshall]

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/lgl/4724927091.html

Trust & Estate planning paralegal needed for DC law firm. Main responsibilities include DC, MD & VA probate work and tax return preparation. Will assist with probate from opening of the new estate proceedings to final distribution. Will also assist with preparation of trust accounting, estate tax returns, and estate and trust fiduciary income tax returns. This job involves heavy client contact.

Please have 3 years paralegal experience in related practice group, DC and VA probate experience, as well as experience preparing tax returns. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. Paralegal degree or certificate preferred. Salary totally open. Please have good tenure.

Local candidates only. No attorney resumes will be considered.

PI Pre-Litigation (Beverly Hills)

[Ed.-- Must have 5 years working knowledge of pre-litigation, but must NOT be an attorney or unemployed.  Being unemployed is perhaps the only single factor more toxic than a JD on the job market; of course, the latter frequently leads to the former]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/lgl/4723765303.html

We are looking for a currently employed professional who wants to work at a successful boutique PI law firm with top quality cases and top dollar pay.

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED.

Must have 5 years present working knowledge of all aspects of pre litigation.

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU HAVE A LAW DEGREE OR ARE A PRACTICING ATTORNEY.
Primary duties include but may not be limited to: Opening files, rectifying property damage, requesting police reports, preparing demand packages, transcribing dictation, indexing files, filing, payouts and calendaring.

Knowledge of obtaining and updating medicals records and bills is indispensable.

Professional attitude and demeanor, energetic with great people skills, precision to detail, extremely organized and above average computer skills.

Proficient in WPX5, Outlook, Excel, Adobe, Quicken and/or Quickbooks, (light bookkeeping experience preferable) and Abacus Law.

Working knowledge of the phases of litigation to provide back up support if needed, useful but not indispensable.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH PRIMARILY PRE-LITIGATION EXPERIENCE.

Must be able to provide three professional references.

Paste your resume and salary history in the body of the email, beneath your cover letter and reference "Craiglslist Ad" in the subject line.


• Location: BEVERLY HILLS
• Compensation: based upon experience
•Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
•do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers

Data Specialist

[Ed.-- They want someone with three years of experience negotiating contract languages and budgets... but not a JD.  Perhaps you can change their mind by getting an LLM in Contract Law?]

http://www.starpoint.com/index.php/explore-careers/available-positions/single/SASCONS00071877?terms=&state=allstates&category=0&sortcolumn=&sortdirection=0&start=80&contract=1&fulltime=1

Job Title:

Data Specialist

Location:

Berkeley Heights, NJ

Industry:

Pharmaceutical

Duration:

6+ months

Job Description:

see above

Job Requirements:

Clinical Research Contracts Specialist
US Medical Affairs Contract Manager
Prerequisites

• At least 3 years experience negotiating both contract language and budgets
• Experience negotiating clinical research contracts preferred
• NO JD Candidates

Skills Required:

• Knowledge of contract language and clauses, particularly clinical research agreements.
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Responds resourcefully to changing business demands and opportunities, proactively looking for ways to contribute
• Promotes the sharing of information across departments and/or teams within the function
• Demonstrated ability to function in a high matrixed team environment
• Ability to work on complex, multi-faceted projects with minimal supervision.

Description:

• Perform and manage all activities associated with the drafting, negotiating and execution of clinical research agreements, vendor contracts, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, amendments to executed agreements and others as appropriate to support the business needs of Celgene US Medical Affairs.
• Draft contracts using the appropriate templates
• Where appropriate review the agreement scope and seek stakeholder feedback if necessary
• Adjust or insert appropriate language into template when required
• Negotiate contract terms and conditions in collaboration with the legal department, internal stakeholders, and outside party
• Review budget for compliance with company policy and
• Track, manage and communicate contract and contract amendment status .
• Communicate with Celgene internal team members, vendors, Investigators/Institutions as necessary to resolve contract and budget issues.

• Anticipate and prevent or escalate issues and concerns.
• Maintain an electronic library of previously negotiated contracts and leverage previously agreed upon language.
• Attend department and project team meetings and provide appropriate information to support business needs

Full Time Law Clerk Needed for Busy Plaintiff's Litigation Firm (Santa Ana, California)

[Ed.-- The job market for attorneys is so bad that this personal injury firm can, for the sum of $16/hour, demand and probably get an applicant who is a law student or recently graduated, but has not yet passed the bar.  Absolutely no attorneys, though.  This could be for various reasons but, in my mind, there's a rebuttable presumption that ads looking for a law student/recent grad but don't want a full-fledged lawyer are doing so because they want their future employee to have free access to Westlaw/Lexis/Bloomberg.  Those free student logins are only supposed to be used for academic purposes, but this is a restriction honored more in the breach than the observance.  Legal research is expensive, so why not offer a marginal salary to some 3L until his password expires, then rinse and repeat?]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/lgl/4737823343.html

Very busy Plaintiff's personal injury litigation firm is in immediate need of a full-time law clerk. Ideal candidate is a part-time law student who is seeking real world litigation experience.
Job Requirements:
Candidate must be a law student or recently graduated, and have not passed bar exam. NO ATTORNEYS PLEASE!!!
Candidate must have a California Drivers License, a vehicle, and car insurance
Candidate must be able to work independently and efficiently

Job Description:
Law Clerk is primarily responsible for filing all our form complaints. Additionally, the law clerk is usually the first person potential clients meet, both at our office and at the client's home, when they are seeking to hire our firm to represent them in personal injury, employment, discrimination, or business litigation matters. Law Clerk will also assist our law & motion attorney in research and drafting motions and opposition to motions. Some discovery might also be necessary. 

Please email your resume and a short cover letter. We would like to hire immediately.

PARALEGAL OR LEGAL ASSISTANT WITH OFFICE MANAGEMENT SKILLS (Canton)

[Ed.-- "No attorneys, no law students, no smokers" is a new one on me.  I guess they, in general, are just trying to avoid employees who burn money on terrible life choices.]

South Shore Law Firm located in Canton is seeking a part-time paralegal or legal assistant with office management skills, three days (8 hours daily) a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with three- five (3-5) years law office experience in one or more of these areas: Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate, Residential Real Estate Conveyancing and loan closings. This is a part-time (24 hours) position. This employee will have extensive interaction with clients. Applicant MUST possess analytical and critical thinking skills sufficient to make decisions when creating, organizing and maintaining databases, logs and files etc. Applicant must be highly organized. dependable and a self-starter. A willingness to take initiative is extremely important!
Skills/Qualifications:
 Previous experience working in a law office
 Proficient in Microsoft Office skills
 Ability to work under stress and in a fast pace environment
 Ability to multitask
 Excellent telephone, verbal and communication skills
 Client Focus -- must reflect respect and caring for our clients and their confidentiality
 Ability to learn new software quickly
 Strong attention to detail
 Professional Attitude, speech and demeanor
 Professional Attire
 Communicate with clients through phone, emails, websites as needed
 Self-Starter and possess the ability to work as part of a team as well as autonomously
 Work well with buyers, sellers, realtors, and lenders
 Prepare drafts of contracts; wills, and other legal documents
 Maintain responsibility for calendars and meetings
 Keep case statuses up to date
 Produce tables, charts and reports
 Draft and edit correspondence and legal memos
 Open all client files 
 Enter files into computer system (Tabs, MSWord, QuickBooks) 
 Prepare payoff letters 
 Prepare HUD
 Prepare title insurance policies
 Order Title exams, Plot Plans, Bank Payoffs, etc. 
 Follow up on return of documents 
 Prepare overnight packages 
 Legal research
 Writing marketing materials 
 Editing
 Proofreading 
 Knowledge of basic real estate or legal concepts is also a requirement. 


Firm Description:
You will be working with one attorney and existing support staff. Nice, clean, bright work surroundings. Interesting - Challenging, Supportive work environment.

Submission Requirements:
1. Respond to this position using "Part-Time Legal Assistant" in the subject line of your email.
2. Attach both your resume AND a short cover letter which states why you'll be successful in this position and include your salary requirements. Your submissions MUST be in any of the following formats: MSWord or PDF.

Please note that we are only interested in applications from people who are seriously interested in long-term permanent employment in a support position -- no attorneys or law students, or smokers, please. We apologize as we cannot respond to every submission. We will contact you if we intend to interview you.

Departure from the usual format, a few links...

Normally I cobble this together in two-three minutes a day using job search engines and some custom google alerts I've set.  Today, however, I wanted to share a couple of links instead.  Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow with another job listing that hates your law degree:

AutoAdmit: I received 7 JD resumes for a paralegal position

While we're on the topic of autoadmit, I am unable to "poast" there, as I no longer have access to an .edu email account.  If anybody would be willing to provide me with a working login/password, then that would be great.  Failing that, if anybody from XO is reading, can you go to the thread linked above and link them here?  My email is on the sidebar.

Interesting glimpse of the "JD Disadvantage" from the other side.  I am not in a position to corroborate what the original poster says, but it certainly seems plausible.  (Or, in XO parlance, it appears that the pumo is not flame).

In response to someone asking why a JD would apply for a paralegal position instead of their own firm, one poaster replied:

Idk a supreme crippling depression and despair to the point it's a challenge to get of bed in the morning, let alone start a law business from scratch?


Also a complete lack of the self-confidence and self-worth required to do such a thing


They're some seriously wretched cases, but shutting them out of the legal profession is probably the kindest thing to do in the grand scheme of things, they will be happier doing literally anything else


Imagine being perceived as an absolute fuckup retard by everyone else in the office from top to bottom, while still carrying a tiny little glowing ember if pride deep down that reminds you you were once in the same position as them, and are likely smarter than many recipe for a fucking office mass murder suicide if you ask me, No JDs please indeed.

Ice cold, brother.  Ice cold.


Separately, The Legal Watchdog shares this dispatch from The Lawyer Job Market.

Click through for the gory details but, basically, Racine County wants an independent contractor advocate counsel to work an annualized wage of $25,000, with the caveat that said counsel is obligated to work for a year, but can be fired any time the judges feel like it.  They're apparently looking for "a proven track record of high quality work and reliability," so this is not even an entry level job.  The full job listing is at the Milwaukee Bar (there is somebody to email about this job, but please leave her alone; she is doubtless a court employee who has little to no role in the plight of law school graduates).

Just for fun, I decided to see if Racine County is hiring anybody else.  Turns out that they need a Bailiff  for $9.10 an hour, with the only requirement that he or she have a high school education or GED.  On an hourly basis, this is likely better than our fearless "advocate counsel."  Heck, let's do the math: The ad estimates that there will be 70-80 assignments per attorney, so let's call it 75.  Let's take the rather whimsical position that competently handling each case will average 40 hours-- everything from client intake to final disposition including (i) research, (ii) discovery, (iii) talking with the client, (iv) waiting in court while other matters are called, (v) transportation time, (vi) reviewing the evidence and (vii) negotiating a plea deal.  Even if all but 1-2 of these plead out, that is an extremely high workload.  That is a 3000 hour work year for $25,000.  $25,000/3000 = $8.33... and even then, I'd have severe doubts that anybody could possibly fulfill their ethical duty to their clients.  The state is inevitably creating a situation in which defendants will NOT be competently represented.

And that the bailiff, who only need his GED, didn't burn three years and a hundred grand on bailiff school?  That's not even getting into the other more lucrative jobs at Racine County alone, such as corrections officer.

One last round of "bad news"/"good news"/"better news":

Bad news: The job listing contemplates handling felonies, including homicides.
Good news: Wisconsin has abolished the death penalty, so our plucky advocate counsel at least won't have any blood on his hands.
Better news: Even if the advocate counsel inadvertently gets somebody convicted of murder 2, their client will likely be out of jail before the lawyer's loans are paid off.

ATL wrote about the same topic here.

Contracts Manager - Immediate Need (SOMA / south beach)

[Ed.-- As pointed out on JDU, this is "the dictionary definition of JD disadvantage. They won't take you out of the running explicitly for having one, but they prefer that you don't have one".  As always, it's worth reading the "No JD" in conjunction with the other requirements; even if you have 3-5 years of on-point experience and are available immediately, they would still prefer it if you DON'T have a JD.  And that's for a job in the legal department!  The legal department doesn't want you to have a JD, why on Earth would anybody else?]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lgl/4734009827.html

Major, Lindsey & Africa is currently seeking a talented Contract Manager for a technology client in San Francisco. Working as part of the legal team, this person will be responsible for reviewing, redlining and updating all inbound contracts, including SaaS agreements, NDAs and other commercial agreements. This is a temp-to-hire position slated to start ASAP.

Requirements:
- 3-5 years of contracts management experience in the technology industry
- experience working with licensing agreements.
- available immediately and able to work through the holidays
- no JD preferred

Qualified candidates should respond to this ad with an updated resume in Word format for immediate consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

Temp/Perm Immigration Paralegal/Legal Assistant

[Ed.-- When I started, I had no idea there were so many "college optional, but no JD's" jobs.  It takes a truly special graduate degree to make your undergrad degree LESS valuable.]

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/lgl/4729468763.html

A well regarded small law office in Waltham, Massachusetts is seeking an Immigration Paralegal to join their dynamic legal team. We offer a collegial work environment that places a high value on collaboration. Individual must have good writing skills, be highly organized, and have the ability to multi-task. Individual must also be able to work within very strict time frames, have excellent interpersonal skills, and pays strong attention to detail. Responsibilities and duties would include: assisting attorneys in the preparation and filing of employment and family-based immigration petitions/applications with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, support attorneys with clients in removal proceedings in immigration court, communicate clearly both orally and in writing with individuals, legal offices and government agencies, filing and tracking various immigration applications and petitions, assist in the gathering of supporting documents, assist with additional administrative duties which may include answering phones, scheduling appointments, filing, other ad hoc tasks, and all other duties as assigned.

***Bachelor's Degree and/or Paralegal Certification is highly recommended as well as: excellent writing, computer, interpersonal, organization and time management skills. Proficiency in speaking and writing Spanish is a must. Previous immigration law experience is a strong plus but not a mandate for the right candidate. Please email resume and proposed salary.

Please no phone calls and no JDs, LLBs, or LLMs.
• Location: Middlesex County
• Compensation: TBD
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers

• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.

T&E PARALEGAL ENTRY LEVEL 1 YEAR EXP. (midtown)

[Ed.-- The proliferation of ALL-CAPS JOB ADS on Craigslist is a bit of a head-scratcher.  Presumably, whoever posted this ad does not always write like this.  So, why is the ad like this?]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/lgl/4730176929.html


A LARGE LAW FIRM IS GIVING A BRIGHT COLLEGE GRAD A CHANCE TO BE PART OF THEIR T&E GROUP. ONE YEAR EXPERIENCE IN TRUST AND ESTATES OR A RELATED DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED. A COLLEGE DEGREE WITH A 3.5 + AVERAGE REQUIRED.

ALL CANDIDATES MUST HAVE A BS OR BA TO APPLY.
*NO JD'S PLEASE.
SALARY IS OPEN DEPENDING UPON EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS A TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY - IF YOU HAVE T&E KNOWLEDGE SEND IN YOUR RESUME ASAP

Elder Law Paralegal (Sudbury)

[Ed.-- This ad perfectly encapsulates why non-elite JD's have a negative economic value, even if you ignore the time and capital cost in acquiring the degree itself.  With a law degree from a marginal or worse school, nobody will want to hire you as a lawyer.  Nobody will want to hire you for a non-lawyer legal position, because they don't think you'll be happy with long-term employment in a support position.  Outside of the legal industry, very few are going to see the law degree as a positive.  So, what was the point of getting the degree in the first instance?]

http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/lgl/4726904704.html


Multiple location elder law and estate planning law firm experiencing continued growth seeks paralegal with Estate Planning and office management experience for our Sudbury office. This is a part-time (30 hours) position. A working knowledge of WealthCounsel/ElderCounsel software is a plus. This position will have extensive interaction with clients.

Skills/Qualifications:
• Previous experience working in a law office.
• Experience and ability to answer office phones.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to work under stress and in a fast pace environment.
• Ability to multitask.
• Excellent telephone, verbal and communication skills.
• Customer Focus -- must reflect respect and caring for our clients.
• Ability to learn new software quickly.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Professional Attitude, speech and demeanor must reflect respect and caring for our clients
• Professional Attire
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as autonomously.

Firm Description:
Bay State Elder Law, P.C. is an elder centered, fast growing firm. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, national origin, sexual preference or disabilities (but please do not apply if you are a smoker as we are a smoke free office). Due to the highly sensitive nature of our work and the vulnerability of our clients, all staff must agree to initial and annual comprehensive background checks.

Submission Requirements:
1. Respond to this position using "CraigList Paralegal" in the subject line of your email.
2. Attach both your resume AND a short cover letter should tell me why you'll be successful in this position and include your salary requirements. Your submissions may be in any of the following formats: MSWord or PDF).

Please note that we are only interested in applications from people who are seriously interested in long-term employment in a support position -- no attorneys or law students, please. We apologize as we cannot respond to every submission. We will contact you if we intend to interview you.

Spanish Speaking Immigration Paralegal (Downtown)

[Ed.-- Willing to train the right candidate.  The right candidate does not have a JD.]

Downtown immigration law firm looking for Spanish speaking paralegal. Prior immigration experience highly preferred but we are willing to train the right candidate. Looking for someone who is hard working, dedicated to helping clients, has good customer service skills, is punctual, reliable, organized, and has a sense of humor. MUST be 100% fluent in BOTH English and Spanish (speaking, reading, writing). Applicants who are not 100% fluent in both languages will not be considered; also, no JD's.

We are looking for someone who wants a long-term opportunity to grow with our firm. Compensation varies depending on experience; health insurance and other benefits available.

Email resume for consideration.    

Intake Specialist / Legal Assistant (Near JWA)

[Ed.-- "We aren't like most law firms... but, like most law firms, we don't want to hire non-elite JD's in any capacity."]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/lgl/4717632667.html

A growing Personal Injury firm in Irvine is looking to fill its Intake Specialist position. We aren't like most law firms; we're relaxed, but fast-paced, with unbeatable amenities, fantastic atmosphere and challenging work. We strongly believe in rewarding those within the firm with bonuses and other perks, there is also room for advancement as well.

Our ideal candidate has the following:
Legal assistant experience
Bi-lingual (Spanish/English)
Comfortable being on the phone with potential clients (heavy phone use)
Ability to determine what is a "good" or "acceptable" case and which cases are not for us.
Likes to work as part of a team

This position involves heavy phone use, so it is important the right candidate has good phone etiquette and persuasive speaking skills. Additionally, attention to detail is important in gathering information to begin a client's file.

We have recovered multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients, and look forward to helping even more clients. To apply, please send a copy of your resume to the above email. Please no JD's or those awaiting Bar Results.

Pay is 10-14 per hour, flexible schedule available, but some weekends required

legal office/NO ATTORNEYS NEED APPLY

[Ed.-- The requirements for this job are literally (1) having a car, (2) having a driver's license, (3) having car insurance, and (4) not being an attorney.]

legal office/NO ATTORNEYS NEED APPLY 

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/lgl/4717639113.html

Looking for a mature, responsible individual who lives in Milwaukee County
that can work on an hourly basis part-time whenever needed. The ideal candidate must have reliable transportation, a valid driver license and automobile insurance. The work consists of delivering Legal Documents to individual's homes. Experience with personal injury law preferred. Please send cover letter and resume for review.    

Relativity eDiscovery Consultant (Urgent Need)

[Ed.-- Even for a job heavily entangled with litigation, employers would still prefer a non-lawyer to a lawyer.  If a JD degree doesn't prepare you to work in the legal industry in a non-lawyer role, then why would employers outside the legal industry prefer candidates with one?  Simple: Outside of NALP fables, they mostly don't.]

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/lgl/4718528769.html

Are you a subject matter expert in Relativity, great in eDiscovery, good at Microsoft Excel, flexible with travel, and seeking a fast-paced opportunity to flex your skills? Then look no further -- Excel Global Partners (EGP) has the career opportunity for you. The position may last for 1 year plus and you will work in an exciting team environment on a challenging case.

Requirements are:

• 100% travel. This is NOT a legal/attorney role. This is a technical/IT role for eDiscovery Relativity subject matter experts. Practicing attorneys need NOT apply.
• Short-term, fast paced project (7 day work weeks with long hours and opportunities for compensation advancement are very likely)
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• REQUIRED: Very Strong Experience in Relativity
• Experience in Concordance and Equivio a plus
• Bachelor's degree or higher
• 3+ years eDiscovery experience, particularly in the production and review stages of eDiscovery.
• Strong proficiency in MS Office applications and email (e.g. Lotus Notes and Outlook)
• Excellent decision-making skills
• Database experience
• eDiscovery case management experience (collection, review, processing, and production of data; decision-making and production protocol experience)
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to establish 
priorities and manage multiple tasks
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Excellent written, verbal communication, and presentation skills
• Excellent customer-service and interpersonal skills
• Ability to start ASAP. (Work on holidays and weekends likely)


Responsibilities will include:

• Complete coordination and management of the activities related to the processing, review and production of electronic files.
• Work with other 3rd party vendor resources to process data and load it to 3rd party review tools, the enterprise legal repository, resolving data errors or any other problems encountered during the process.
• Provide electronic load files in industry standard formats to internal and external customers.
• Provide counsel to clients regarding recommended processes and best practices, related to the 
processing and production of data.
• Identify, analyze and resolve any data errors or integrity issues.
• Serve as primary liaison between key clients, outside counsel, IT Development & Operations 
departments, and third-party vendors for assigned matters.
• Analyze raw data and reports and provide recommendation of production format for nontraditional 
data sources.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, industry trends and capabilities in the eDiscovery area.
• Provide counsel to clients and eDiscovery team regarding recommended processes and best 
practices while working with established client policies and procedures, including input and 
recommendations to the litigation holds and archiving processes.
• Develop strategic and tactical project plans with the legal teams, and participate in their 
execution.
• Identify, recommend, and implement additional initiatives in line with the client's needs.
• Provide guidance on culling of electronic data including the development of search syntax. 

• Experience managing the collection, processing, review and production of eDiscovery data for litigation in a multi-party environment, including a working knowledge of search terms and production protocol. 2+ years.
• Demonstrated experience providing guidance to clients on emerging technologies, industry trends, and handling of non-standard data sources. 
Skills.
• Working knowledge of relational databases and client email systems (e.g., Lotus Notes, 
Outlook)
• Knowledge of various commercial software applications for the processing and review of 
electronic data including the proper handling of metadata, text extraction and indexing of 
data.
• Knowledge of search syntax with an understanding of search indexes.
• Familiarity with industry standard litigation-support formats and metadata for common file 
types.
• Familiarity with the proper handling of metadata, text extraction and indexing of data.
• Proficiency with commercial eDiscovery software.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to establish 
priorities and manage multiple tasks.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills

Education 
Required: Bachelor's degree in a technical field (or bachelor's degree and significant e-discovery experience). Additional degrees and certifications a plus.


To Apply:

If you are a qualified professional and interested in applying to join our team, please reply to this posting with: a (1) cover letter, (2) current resume, and (3) compensation/salary requirements.

Submissions that do not contain all of the above 3 items will not be considered.

All candidates who make it to the second round of screenings will be required to complete a background check, drug screening, application, and a Microsoft Excel computer skills test.

Excel Global Partners will contact qualified candidates after reviewing submitted materials.

Thank you for your interest.