Should You Consider a Contract Attorney Position? Part I

By: Kandice Thorn

You have multiple law degrees.  Good grades.  Some relevant work experience back home.  Yet, like so many others, you graduate and find that employment opportunities in the U.S. are very hard to come by, particularly for attorneys who do not hold J.D. degrees from U.S. law schools.    

But then you hear of an opportunity: a large law firm is looking for contract attorneys with language skills in your native language.  The pay is decent and you'll be working in the office of a prestigious firm.  Sound too good to be true?  Maybe.


This week, we will examine the pros and cons of contract work; next week we will discuss how to obtain contract positions if you decide to pursue it.

Contract attorneys are temporary workers that are hired on a project basis, usually for document review for large-scale litigation.  Contract attorneys can be particularly useful where a document review requires language expertise that regular law firm associates do not possess, but they are most often used for large document review projects where it would be inefficient to charge the client junior associate rates.

Assignments can vary in length from a couple of weeks to several months or longer.  Whether bar admission is required for a temporary assignment depends on the particular position.

Pros:

• It's a paycheck, and you have bills to pay.
• It gives you flexibility.  You have control to accept or reject assignments that are offered to you and it can give you the opportunity to pursue other interests.
• It gives you experience to put on your resume.
• You will be put in contact with attorneys at large law firms, and in that way it can help you build your professional network. 
• You can leverage your language skills into work. 

Cons:

• Some argue that taking contract work may actually make it more difficult for you to get permanent employment (in particular with large law firms).  Although the bad economy has forced lots of talented attorneys into contract work, there remains a stigma that these positions are only for people who are not good enough get permanent jobs.
• The experience that you gain from these positions can be limited.  Most often, contract work involves tedious document review that is not particularly relevant to the work that attorneys typically do.    
• Though you will have contact with large law firm attorneys, the attorneys you will be working with are often very junior, and (perhaps because of the stigma mentioned above) it is extremely rare for a contract attorney position to turn into a more permanent situation.  

Each person must evaluate the pros and cons in light of his/her own particular circumstances.  If you are questioning whether contract work may be right for you, I recommend that you get in touch with your career advisor.  Next week, we will discuss how to obtain contract attorney positions if you decide to go down that path.