Today was a new day. I walked into my boss's office and said "I'm quitting." His response was "you should quit." This started out as a blog about being a lawyer and the trials and tribulations one faces. It is now about me leaving a corrupt and obviously sketchy (redundant, somewhat) firm. As soon as I sit down he calls his brother and puts him on speaker phone for the next hour we argued and fought. He calls me a disgrace, that I ruined his name in the persian community. I didn't listen to his brother (the client!!!) I explained the judge said to keep the trial and my comments to Whether the brother did the work and whether he is owed money. My boss said I should apologize for my performance. That he asked me numerous times if my heart was in it, and I'm clearly lying to him when I say that. I responded that I did the best I could with the evidence I had. I stayed late, I worked weekends. In the end you can't beat a mountain of evidence showing faulty billing practices, wrong dates, double billing. I told him I didn't appreciate being double teamed instead of a quiet conversation.
This just went on for an hour, he expected an apology that wouldn't come. I would have liked an apology for sacrficing me to the judicial gods, but that sure as shit wasn't coming. Finally, his brother says who were those two people sitting watching the trial. I responded "my friends" they said they want names. I said no. I would not give their names to you. That set them off. That the brother was my client and I owed him an ethical duty to reveal who those people in the seats were. I said I won't do it. My loyalty lies with them not you.
What I wish I said: "oh really, ethical considerations, let's talk ethics. Let's talk bringing a fraudulent case with no evidence, let's talk shady billing practices or threatening to sue with no evidence, let's talk about this firm. Let's talk about making people work for free for 5-12 weeks at both offices, then 2k a month for the first three months, and your brother only offering 1k a month for the first three months"
If I was gutsy I would have said that, but I'm trying to get out of here alive. In one last guilt trip he says he treated me like his brother (if you want to make your brother work ten hours a day for about ten dollars an hour while you reap $1600 a day off his work then yes) and that how hopefully in five years I'll appreciate what he did for me (I enjoy being sacrificed to judges for fraudulent cases). I offer to stay til the end of the month or as soon as he can find someone to replace me.
As an attorney references are important. You want other firms to know that you did a good job and they should take a chance on you. When you go out as poorly as I am, the best thing to do is to stay for a few days and make him feel bad for how obviously he got it wrong.
For the record, to those two people who may read this. I just got another email demanding your names, and I just sent another response saying that's not going to happen.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Coworkers
Last thursday my coworkers bought me lunch, as a way of saying "I'm sorry you had to take the bullet on that case." I'm not sure you would find that at any other law firm. Here, it's different. The boss makes everybody so miserable that you need each other to survive. I quickly rewarded my coworkers by telling them I was quitting as soon as the boss got back from his vacation. They then took turns saying they were going to quit as well. I hope I spurred that decision.
I've been an attorney for four months. No self respecting law firm would let an attorney with my seniority (4 months) do half the stuff he's made me do. Yeah trial by fire, but damn maybe he should change his payscale and actually hire attorneys with experience... just saying.
I've been an attorney for four months. No self respecting law firm would let an attorney with my seniority (4 months) do half the stuff he's made me do. Yeah trial by fire, but damn maybe he should change his payscale and actually hire attorneys with experience... just saying.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Lamb to the Slaughter
One of the worst things about being a new attorney is you are the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter. If the case is a loser your firm will offer you up to get skewered. I was handed a case representing my boss's brother in a breach of contract action. The alleged breach was for $1,600, opposing counsel offered $2,000. Good deal right? Not at this greedy firm. My firm counters with $10,500. This thing is going to trial clearly. I get stuck with a case I don't want and a case we are going to lose. Everything is wrong, the billing statement has multiple errors, the letters from the counsel to the client has errors, and the emails to the former client has errors. I advise settlement on numerous occasions. Not only does my boss's brother say no, but then my boss and his brother start yelling at me about how my heart is not in this and we will lose because I'm not trying hard enough.
Here's the amazing kicker. My boss is so greedy, he demands I bill my usual 7-8 hours and work on this case at the same time. Two sundays gone and numerous after hours at work.
After reviewing the evidence, we have nothing. It's fairly obvious this is going to lose, we don't have the law or the facts on our side. The judge is immediately pissed off. The disputed bill was $1,600 that should be in small claims not a regular court room. Things proceed very awkwardly, the judge just doesn't care and wants this resolved. He says I just want to know if Plaintiff did the work and if Defendant paid or not. My boss's brother the plaintiff ignores it, he proceeds to argue with defense counsel and the judge.
Finally, before closing the Judge says "I'm ready to rule, I don't want to hear your closing but if you really want to offer one and try to change my mind I'm willing to give you a shot" At this point I scrap my planned closing and argue that we established Plaintiff did the work. The judge rules for Defendant
Amazingly, it's not over. The judge then goes into a tirade against my boss's brother, telling him how in his entire time on the bench he has never come across an attorney as terrible as him (my boss's brother), none of his billing records were without error, all his letters to his clients had errors, and emails had errors. There was no contemporaneous billings to support your work. He continues by saying how dare you bring this in my court and how dare you make your associate argue this case. Not a word to me. The entire tirade against my boss's brother.
My boss's brother has the audacity to tell me that I was ill-prepared, that my closing was terrible and I didn't ask the questions he told me to ask. Apparently, the entire tirade against him was completely ignored and he lays the blame at my feet.
My friend's watched the case, they said to me had the judge not realized I was a sacrificial lamb with 4 months as an attorney I would have been sanctioned by the court and it would have followed me the rest of my life. So let this be a warning to all new attorneys at some point you too will be the sacrificial lamb.
Here's the amazing kicker. My boss is so greedy, he demands I bill my usual 7-8 hours and work on this case at the same time. Two sundays gone and numerous after hours at work.
After reviewing the evidence, we have nothing. It's fairly obvious this is going to lose, we don't have the law or the facts on our side. The judge is immediately pissed off. The disputed bill was $1,600 that should be in small claims not a regular court room. Things proceed very awkwardly, the judge just doesn't care and wants this resolved. He says I just want to know if Plaintiff did the work and if Defendant paid or not. My boss's brother the plaintiff ignores it, he proceeds to argue with defense counsel and the judge.
Finally, before closing the Judge says "I'm ready to rule, I don't want to hear your closing but if you really want to offer one and try to change my mind I'm willing to give you a shot" At this point I scrap my planned closing and argue that we established Plaintiff did the work. The judge rules for Defendant
Amazingly, it's not over. The judge then goes into a tirade against my boss's brother, telling him how in his entire time on the bench he has never come across an attorney as terrible as him (my boss's brother), none of his billing records were without error, all his letters to his clients had errors, and emails had errors. There was no contemporaneous billings to support your work. He continues by saying how dare you bring this in my court and how dare you make your associate argue this case. Not a word to me. The entire tirade against my boss's brother.
My boss's brother has the audacity to tell me that I was ill-prepared, that my closing was terrible and I didn't ask the questions he told me to ask. Apparently, the entire tirade against him was completely ignored and he lays the blame at my feet.
My friend's watched the case, they said to me had the judge not realized I was a sacrificial lamb with 4 months as an attorney I would have been sanctioned by the court and it would have followed me the rest of my life. So let this be a warning to all new attorneys at some point you too will be the sacrificial lamb.
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