Hello from Iowa

[setab]

Thanks bow-tie. This time of year I always wonder why I'm not a former Iowan. At least it was above zero last night!

setab

[bow-tie]

Yeah, its been miserable cold... and it's only December. Just a short 6 weeks ago it was in the 60s. Go figure.

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha If you want to be involved in messy controversies, work for legal aid.* I worked for them while in law school.* My original "plan" was to be a legal aid lawyer.* I changed my mind.* You really need to be devoted.* The hours are long, the money stinks, and the clients can be difficult. My experience with non-profit groups is that they try to get volunteer help from lawyers to the extent possible.* I have spent a fair amount of time doing just that.

I don't want to hijack Setab's thread, but my experience with Legal Aid and non-profits using volunteer lawyers is very little gratitude on the part of the "clients". They forget the old adage "you get what you pay for," and expect top-notch service and heavy time commitment at the expense of paying clients.

I wouldn't advise Setab to work for Legal Aid or a non-profit after retiring. Rather, he should consider hanging out his own shingle on a part-time basis in his area of expertise. He could bill 10 hours a week at $200 (spending another 10 hours a week marketing) and still make $50k+ a year after expenses. If he wants to do a little pro bono to assuage his conscience, he should do it on his own terms rather than those of Legal Aid.

[setab]

Jay,

I've thought about the old shingle routine, but I think I want to get some distance between me and the legal practice. I will if I have to, but all things considered I think I would rather work in a wine store.

setab