The hay-day of high salaried firm positions, although not over, is definitely on hold. Law firms are looking to significantly restructure their finances and hire attorneys and law firms that have recently deferred associates, in many cases, gave the option to work a year at a public interest law firm while being paid by the law firm that deferred their start at a significantly reduced rate. Public Interest organizations are still reacting to this phenomenon with mixed feelings.
This recent Philadelphia Inquirer article, highlights what is going on nationally but also how it is hitting locally in Philadelphia. Organizations like the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia see the new attorneys who have been deferred and subsequently decide to work for public interest organizations as “blessings” because of the organization’s desperate need for staff and talent, they also see it as providing a few new challenges. As the article explains, “…the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and organizations like it would have to provide guidance and training to the new arrivals despite already thinly stretched staff. Public-interest lawyers face unique ethical conflicts, she said, often representing one poor person against another, who might not have a lawyer…Properly representing such a client, while not placing the opposing side at an unfair disadvantage, can require subtle approaches only lawyers with long experience representing the poor would know, she said.”
August 30th, 2009
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The DOJ’s Criminal Division, in efforts to back up the recent talk of the Obama Administration, is beefing up its fraud unit. As reported in the National Law Journal, the DOJ is looking to hire as many as 10 trial attorneys and a new “superstar” to lead the fraud section. The fraud section already represents the Criminal Division’s largest litigation unit. By adding in new litigators, the Division and unit can amp up their work on health care, which Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. has reportedly been wanting to do.
The article continues, “(F)raud section attorneys are often described as a “rapid response team” that jumps into districts around the country to target the crime of the moment. Five of those 10 trial lawyers would be assigned where needed, said department officials. But the other five spots are new positions dedicated to the prosecution of health care fraud. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. has declared the fight against health care fraud to be a top priority.”
August 20th, 2009
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It has already been well documented that nationally, legal aid is being hit hard by the economy and the Madoff scandal. In Massachusetts, a state that has a long history of providing legal aid to low income and individuals in need, has seen its funding seriously reduced. Greater Boston Legal Services, the largest legal assistance agency in the region, will be cutting its staff by over 20% in the fall. Other organizations across the state have had to cut staff and close on alternate Fridays.
As mentioned in a previous blog post, much of the funding comes from the interest gained on an obscure pooled account called the Lawyers’ Trust Account program. This account contains money from certain escrow funds that is set aside by lawyers to serve clients. More money the lawyers put in, the greater money available to clients who need legal defense. The less money that comes in and the lower the interest rate (which is the case right now), the less there is available to serve clients.
This Globe article highlights the struggles occurring in Massachusetts legal aid organizations.
August 20th, 2009
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A recent NY Times article highlights the unique dilemma District Attorneys Offices in New York are facing with the downturn in legal jobs with private firms.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has increased its intern pool as well as the Queen’s DA’s Office. Other districts, such as Manhattan and Staten Island, have kept their crop of interns the same.
What is noticeable is that the positions within the DA’s offices have generated greater interest due in part to fewer people being hired at private firms hiring and an overall slowing down of the hiring rate for graduating law students (down to 90% according to NALP). Greater interns puts a premium on office space and greater competition for meatier projects. As one student interning with the Brooklyn DA’s office noted in the article, “It’s much harder for them to find stuff for us to do.” He continued, “(d)efinitely some people feel they haven’t done anything.”
August 7th, 2009
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The ABA Journal recently wrote up an article about what practice areas are “thriving” in the legal industry. While all listed might prove to be interesting to the public interest-minded people, below are some key ones:
1.) Prepaid Legal Services – A sort of hidden secret of the legal industry. As the article describes, “Employers sign up for prepaid legal service plans and let employees participate for a small monthly fee. Participating employees then have a lawyer to call for a variety of problems either free or for a discounted fee, while other matters are not covered.”
2.) Environmental & Energy Law – Much of the environmental work is born out of the Obama Administration’s push to change environmental practices and shift to renewable energies. The article reports that much of the available legal work will be related to logistics (i.e., transportation of energy sources, where to set up new energy systems, etc.)
3.) Consumer Protection – As debt collectors fight to collect money owed, consumer protection lawyers fight to ensure collectors are following the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Consumer Protection practice often booms during economic downturns.
August 7th, 2009
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