Associate Attorney

Job duties:

Legal research and writing in general

Client communications

Assistance with drafting and presenting, if applicable:

-Motions

-Discovery, including drafting, answering and objecting

-Briefs (internal and external) of all kinds

-I don’t like memos, those are really briefs (to me)

-Hearing and trial binders

-Deposition outlines (for receipt and for taking)

-Depositions: taking and defending

-Jury Charge

-Appellate briefs

Career development opportunities:

Joining for any or all depositions, hearings, and trials (and etc.,)

Oral and written advocacy training

Law firm management (if interested)

Special Qualifications:

-Service-oriented

-Prior military service is a plus

-High morals/ethics

-Healthy appreciation of constructive criticism

-Self starter, independent, and reliable/accountable

-Appreciative, respectful, and mindful of the very serious and significant nature of my practice (which should be lawyering general, but it clearly is not): to wit, I only take cases that matter. My very selective and limited family law practice is a good example: I only, almost exclusively) take cases in which children are in dangeroften pro bono or with extremely flexible payment options.

(As an aside, one pro bono case I recently accepted now looks like it has a high probability of carrying an award of fees, which will be significant—I pull no punches nor effort when a child is at stake).

My first party insurance practice, while not quite carrying the seriousness of the family law cases, is primarily about people’s homes—with all the attendant consequences and importance.

The rest of my practice: we only represent underdogs, so to speak. I highly prefer taking on bullies, though, surprisingly, insurance companies are not homogenous in that regard; a lot of them are pretty fair—at least when I’m involved; prior to that, they’re more uniformly jerks to unrepresented insureds.

-No substance abuse issues, and preference (though candidates are probably a bit young for this) given to recovered, poison-war veterans

-Normal, healthy drinking is fine

-I could care less about smoking (not true of crack, haha)

More Traditional Qualifications:

-Third year law student or better

-License is a plus, of course (associate position with 3 month trial period)

-LSAT score of 156 or greater (proof required)

-Law school gpa of at least 3.0 (transcript required)

-Sharp reasoning ability (much more important than grades)

-Facility with the English language, and Spanish is a plus (i.e. proper writing and oral eloquence preferred)

-No snobs or self-centered candidates, please: nothing is beneath me, from washing dishes to carrying supplies and document boxes; the same should be true of my future employees: at our office, everyone helps with everything, preferably on their own initiative.

-Pays attention

-Curious and lover of lifelong learning

-Purposeful and intentional

-In person interview required, though a phone interview will do temporarily (if in-office is not immediately practicable).

Compensation

(depending on qualifications, 3 month trial period performance, and exact role)

Varying with experience, but for a first year associate as follows:

Salary of $120,000.00 for the first six months to one year; guaranteed increase after one year. Possibility of bonuses if merited.

Medical/vision/dental insurance of the highest quality starting at 50-75% employer paid, rising to 100% after first year

Cell phone, employee provided, if merged with my firm account, then employer paid 100%

Cell phone, employer provided and on my firm account after first year (Apple only)

MCLE requirements employer paid, if I approve the course/conference

Annual bar dues employer paid as long as satisfactory performance is maintained

Anything I’ve forgotten which is usual and customary, and I am always open-minded to reasonable requests.

If in-office, schedule flexibility and probably unconventional—I start my work days no later than 6:30 a.m. and quite often between 5 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. This is extremely beneficial in allowing for a period of quiet concentration before business hour interruptions begin. Necessary, really, for drafting non-simple instruments.

Will consider subsidizing relocation expenses.

In short, anything reasonable and within my power is a possibility.

I have adopted a long-term, progressive, moral, SERVICE, and human-centric philosophy, and my policies strictly adhere to it—though I am human and make mistakes, if a failing is brought to my attention, I do everything humanly possible to remedy it.

Finally, let me say with the utmost sincerity: I’m seeking to build servant, leader lawyers and the kind of firm commensurate with all I articulated above.