- Quickdraw McLaw
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With news of massive job interviews and hiring taking place for Durango and Fontainebleau, it seems like as good of time as any to talk about the current job market. What are your thoughts on the current legal job market in Vegas? Are we in an employer or employee market right now? What should someone consider if they’re thinking about taking an offer at this time of year? Have you noticed more resumes with lots of short stints at various firms? Does it make any sense to hire those people? What else is affecting the job market right now?
If anyone needs a job there are dozens of openings at the Attorney General. Jobs are open for the taking for anyone who can put up with the garbage administration. If you like having ten bosses and none of the know what they're doing, it's the place for you!
DAGs are known for their joyous can-do attitude and exceptional attention to detail. If I was a better lawyer, I would dare apply to join the A Team.
In defense of the AG jobs, one can get some pretty incredible experience and exposure to trial and dispositive pleadings that one would be hard pressed to get in private practice at the associate level…. there is the other part that 8:12 AM mentions of course.
I think this is a bad stereotype. I worked at the AG's office for a number of years (recently left) and some of the best attorneys I know are/were there. They get a bad reputation just because they have to deal with bureaucracy, so it is difficult to get things done.
The Mere Exposure Effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby people feel a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar. We overestimate the value of what we see frequently, confusing familiarity with superiority.
As an employer, it pains me to say that we are completely in an employee market.
In the past year, it appears that an unusually large number of long-tenured insurance defense attorneys have made the move to plaintiffs' practices. Some have gone out on their own, others have joined plaintiff personal injury firms. Is insurance defense that bad? Are there enough good personal injury cases to keep all these new plaintiff lawyers working? Are attorneys becoming less risk-averse? What's causing this migration? Discuss.
Seems like its less work for more money
I think what is happening, in my relatively young experience, the laws have become more favorable to Plaintiffs whilst Insurance carriers double down on their unreasonable positions, whether it be liability disputes and/or injury causation. The plaintiffs' bar as a whole has become more willing to go to trial and call defenses' bluff, causing defense lawyers work longer and harder on cases that usually should settle but for the carrier's unreasonable position. Just my 2 cents
And more of that is about to happen to boot.
The bottom line is that the carriers have done what they could to squeeze the profit from doing insurance defense. Here are the fun factors:
1. There are the hourly rates that are frozen in the 1990's;
2. The deep cuts to what can be billed, either at all or by an attorney as opposed to a paralegal;
3. There is also a switch to abysmal flat fee arrangements in the alternative, which somehow makes it even less profitable than the trash hourly rates;
4. The diminishing number of expenses that are directly attributable to a case that go unreimbursed, such as parking for hearings or postage for mailings directly necessary and allocable to the case;
5. The need to front expenses for multi-billion dollar companies that are interest/expense free, including the fees charged by experts, mediators, and court reporters; and
6. Slow/no payment after submitting bills through poorly designed online systems that might charge you a fee to submit your bill (including the aforementioned expenses).
There are other reasons that have been constants in terms of their annoyance/aggravation factors in dealing with carriers that pre-date these issues, but they were always mitigated by consistent pay at rates that were better in relation to inflation and movement in the market. Now, continuing to practice in ID, and in this jurisdiction in particular, is a massive opportunity cost. At this point I think the only reason why some firms stick with their insurance clients is because they have Stockholm Syndrome.
9:38 blog grammarian/linguist/model here. You indicate you are young, or at least fairly new, yet you use an archaic “whilst.” Please explain.
Insurance companies have too much power. It's all a racket. I feel bad for the insurance defense firms that have to deal with it. Be kind to your ID counterpart.
I would suggest another thing seems to be the national trend of Insurance companies going more towards national firms and/or large regional. Thus firms like Hall, Jaffe, Clayton are becoming more of a rarity. With this trend, origination opportunities and autonomy (to the extent possible with giant ID clients) are becoming even less of a possibility than before.
Ha, did you select Hall, Jaffe, and Clayton intentionally relative to this topic?
I don't disagree with the fact that the LBBS, Wilson Elser, and, increasingly, Messner Reeves of the industry are pulling in a good chunk of the business these days. That might have a role in these switch-overs as well. Further, I have to wonder if this is happening in jurisdictions where PI isn't as profitable as it is in Nevada.
Hey 11:05, i didn't really take HJC for any reason other than they seemed like a very typical mid size local firm that was probably a lot more common pre 2010 than post 2020. (Winner Sherrod or Olson Cannon would be other good examples perhaps?)
But I suppose the fact that all of the named partners went to Pltf side goes well with the theme of the original post.
I left ID many years ago. The handwriting was aleardy on the wall as far as difficulty in getting paid/unreasonable billing requirements, the impossibility of raising rates enough to stay even with inflation, as well as the trend toward moving al l the business to regional/national sweat shops. the 90's weren't bad, but as the 00's progressed, it became increasingly intolerable. The plaintiff side has its own set of problems, and the money can be feast or famine, but I have never looked back for one minute.
*"already" **"all"
The good ID attorneys know how to work in the system and it can be very profitable. Small firm, mostly ID work, small staff, a few associates and I make high six figures. Of course there are PI plaintiff guys making way more, but they are a minority of PI earners. I do think that the vacuum of ID attorneys in Vegas is a huge opportunity for anyone willing to grind a bit. Finally, take as many PI plaintiffs cases as you can get, even if you do ID (refer out conflicts).
If someone makes a $5 mistake in their trust account and you would say “To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell's heart, I stab at thee; For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee” then you could apply over at the bar counsel’s office. Signing bonus to those that believe ALL whales deserve this.
I don't know what the Bar looks for in a Bar Counsel but I think Rob Bare should conduct the interviews. Humility, a sense of humanity and common sense should play some role and Rob was the last Bar Counsel to understand this.
Agree Rob had those qualities. David Clark had those qualities. Brian Kunzi had those qualities for the 3 months that they let him have the job before Hardesty got the goon squad that he demanded through Stan Hunterton and the OBC went to pot.
Who hired Stan and Daniel? How does that work?
The Board of Governors hires. David was second in command, took over the interim post while Rob Bare went and was a Muni Court Judge and then was second in command when Rob returned. When Rob went to the District Court Bench, David was promoted. It is not a secret that David was fired at the behest of the Nevada Supreme Court and specifically one justice who led the charge. Brian Kunzi was coming off being a Deputy AG and then Nye County DA and was expected to be a hard-ass. When Kunzi was found to not be a hard-ass, they moved him out of the position and made him "Director of Admissions" so that Stan could have the office and bring an Operation Strikeforce mentality to the OBC.
1:53 thank you. I don't know who you are but just from your tone, intelligence, and sense of what is real – please run for BOG.
Weird that OBC seems dead set on being the opposite of Rob Bare. He routinely beats them at panel and the Supreme Court. You’d think they’d learn to follow his example.
bar counsel is hired and managed by the executive director, who in turn is hired by the BOG
So Kim Farmer? So what exactly were her qualifications?
What ever happened to that lawsuit against Farmer filed by 3 Bar employees? Dennis Kennedy represented the plaintiffs.
A-11-637892-C
06/27/2013 Stipulation and Order for Dismissal
The suit alleged Farmer was hired to replace Allen Kimbrough after Kimbrough was forced to resign amid allegations of intimidating and harassing his subordinates, misappropriation of Bar resources "and other unprofessional activities."
The suit said Kimbrough's activities had been brought to the attention of the Bar's Board of Governors but the Board "pursued a policy of conscious inaction and secrecy until threatened with litigation."
A 2006 story by the Las Vegas Review-Journal said a bar official reported Kimbrough resigned "to pursue a different direction in his personal career" and that the resignation came after allegations were made about him.
The R-J reported Vincent Consul, bar president at the time, said an independent investigation of allegations by a disgruntled ex-employee did not substantiate "the substantial portion" of the allegations.
Last week's lawsuit said the Board of Governors engaged a San Francisco attorney to investigate the allegations of Eichman, Taylor and Breinig — "the same individual it had hired to conduct the sham investigation after accusations were made against Mr. Kimbrough."
Also –
State Bar of Nevada
Yesterday, the state bar's board & past presidents congratulated Executive Director Kimberly Farmer for 15 years of excellent service. As part of her recognition, the City of Las Vegas proclaimed March 24, 2022, as Kimberly Farmer Day. We're so grateful for all of her hard work
The Bar is listed as a debtor on the court register so the Bar paid out some money. Where do you think the Bar got that money?
So our illustrious Boyd school of law decided to introduce me via email to their 1ls. Do they mention the classes' test scores? GPAs? Undergraduate institutions? Notable achievements? Nope. The headline is "43% are from a diverse background" "21% self identify as LCBTQ+" and "57% are women." Can someone explain to me why I should care about those characteristics? Is it maybe because it is easier to be recognized for diversity then achievement? We are not a serious country right now.
Because competency is a patriarchal construct. What matters is a nonbinary flesh unit's level of privilege/victimhood, genitilia, and sexual preferences. By dividing us this way, it's easier to keep us all under control as we look down at genitals instead of up towards those who rule.
I just graduated this past May and saw that yesterday. Made me cringe hard. Boyd has been falling hard for that schtick the last couple of years.
Our 1L year, they made us take a mandatory "Racism & Policing" class where we were lectured by 4 different professors once a week about the most inane bullshit you could think of. It was just an academic circle jerk, and 90% of the class couldn't have cared less. Waste of time and resources. Those profs really justified their $150k-200k/yr salary. Could have been learning researching skills/public speaking/etc. but instead we got to learn about how all white people are guilty for George Floyd's death. I'm so glad to be done with academic institutions because they're all the same.
An INTRODUCTION to the 1L class, not an email about hiring soon to be graduates causes this much pain?
When I attended years ago, none of this existed. It seems the inmates have taken over the asylum. I suppose the roots were starting to creep in then. There were a few professors who were not competent, but checked some diversity boxes. Ironically, one of the worst of these hires later got canned for allegedly discriminating against black students. However, there was none of this nonsense.
I can see the value of a Racism and Policing course, but when I attended, it was just called "Civil Rights Law" taught by Dean White. Zero benefit in forcing 1Ls to sit through it. 1Ls are treading in deep water as it is learning about bundles of sticks, How a Bill Becomes A Law Becomes A SCOTUS Footnote, the difference between F.3d and F.Supp.3d, and why citing to NY's Supreme Court isn't binding authority on NY's courts.
Would it not make more sense to admit students, without regard to gender or race, but based on demonstrated ability? Yes, of course.
But Boyd is not an academic institution. It is a political animal where touching the DEI agendas makes for higher ranking in the US News, and in obtaining funding and grants.
Isn't it interesting that reversing the letters of the acronym spells "DIE". Which points to what is happening to the profession.
I took the racism and policing course.
It wasn't even tangentially related to the law.
Just undergrad-level "All White People are evil" BS
My property course was about 40% black letter law and 60% public policy BS
It's over
Boyd is CRINGE in general. I don't recommend it
10:40,
I'm guessing a Boyd student beat you in a spelling contest. Reversing the letters of the acronym DEI gives you IED. Admittedly, an acronym which has unpleasant connotations, but it doesn't give you DIE.
If you think 60% of property law class was BS because it focused on public policy, I can't wait until you actually see how law is made.
"Is it maybe because it is easier to be recognized for diversity then achievement?" Sort of.
What we don't have in common has become secular dogma. A healthy democracy requires that we respect and protect minority and marginalized groups. But it also requires that we have values and things in common with one another. The academy completely ignores, and often attacks, the latter. UNLV is not unique in this regard.
Emails like this from UNLV are a reminder that law schools do not prepare their students for practice. They inculcate the dogma. Those of use who hire first years are left with the burden of teaching the practice of law.
10:46 Here.
Let me elaborate. By Public Policy, I mean students raising their hands and saying "I think this is messed up because…"
Many naval-gazing discussions in law school would be better off if the professor employed this quote by the smartest man once living: "Am I going MAD? Or did the word 'THINK' escape your lips?"
You are not allowed to say "black letter law" any longer. It has been culturally softened to color neutral general suggestions.
…because the other guy saw the fox first.
2:15 I love it! hahaha
Hey 11:01
10:40 here "reversing the letters of the acronym"
Hello Sheldon. As you already know, you are technically correct. "switching letters" might have been better, but since this is a conversational blog, and I was not drafting a taxation brief or contract, I pray that you will excuse. However, I am sure that persons of common understanding and intelligence understood my meaning.
So please try not to get your shorts in a wade. Take a breath. There is a Star Trek rerun on somewhere. Live long and prosper.
If you want to stump a law professor, ask them this: name an issue where your legal analysis differs from your political opinion.
To be fair, US News & World Report gives undue consideration to the factors listed in the Boyd e-mail when providing rankings. It's an easy way to improve your position short of actually recruiting smart, successful students who go on to be successful attorneys.
9:04, thank you. Insightful.
The accreditation committees are all fully stacked with Wokesters. They hammer schools that do not comply. Whatever form the commies manifest, the result is always the same: forced compliance and iron rule. Every. Damn. Time.
USNWR rankings are a relic of an earlier time. I wish we'd had something like the Above the Law rankings when I was applying to law school. I didn't care how "prestigious" other academics believed my school was, how many books were in the library, or how well my classmates did on the LSAT. I cared about student debt and job placement, which is (mostly) what Above the Law's ranking metric takes into account.
I was a deputy DA in my 20's and a civil practitioner for the next couple decades. If my only experience had been as a prosecutor in a large county with a huge caseload I would know less than half of what I know now. How a man who has worked exclusively as a prosecutor in a rural county can proclaim his superiority over the rest of us is baffling.
It takes a deep-seated disrespect for all of us and a deep overestimation of his own importance. Truly boggles the mind.
Who are you talking about?
If the name is said, it may get thwacked. I'll try this, the initials are DH and the name rhymes with Caniel Booge.
Subs. Grinders. Heros, Po'Boys. Rhymes
Hoagies and Grinders, Hoagies and Grinders, Hoagies and Grinders
Navy Beans, Navy Beans, Navy Beans
I have shoes in my closet with more trial experience than that meatball.
Was in an interview recently where the hiring panel mentioned that they couldn't get the position filled because first year attorneys are getting double from large firms. Made me think I wasn't looking on the right job boards!
Yikes, how low are you paying? Obviously a larger law firm will typically pay a higher starting salary, but double? Besides how many large law firms are there in Las Vegas and how many 1L associates land those jobs? Seems like a relatively low number of candidates that comment could apply and not a widespread phenomenon.
What is the job market like for mid-levels? What areas of law are hiring?
ID, always. Our firm is a smaller ID/commercial lit firm and we are always open to talking to good mid-level associates. I have friends at similar firms saying the same thing. I think salaries are cooling off but the openings are definitely there.