Comments on: Interview with the OAF ! (The worst law interview ever) http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/ The Tales of a Young Lawyer's Futile Job Quest Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:16:13 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Anon http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-322 Anon Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:24:18 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-322 I think I know EXACTLY who you are talking about. I interviewed with him in 2008 and had a very similar experience. He spent most of the "interview" ignoring me and doing work or screaming at his poor secretary to bring him documents (which she had to remind him were already on his desk). At one point he asked me to go locate his intern and bring the intern to his office. He then returned to ignoring me and yelled at the poor intern. Eventually he got around to reviewing my 20-page writing sample in 15 seconds, concluding, "this makes sense. I like it." Fortunately, I got an offer from a different firm a couple days later, so I didn't have to pursue that "opportunity" any further. Unfortunately, I lost that job in Sept. and haven't had the slightest bit of luck since then. I guess he must have burned through whatever poor chump did take the job, since I started seeing his want ads around the time of your post. One other thing of interest: It came out during my interview that, while he may do IP cases, and advertises the job that way, his associate actually does little but personal injury cases. I think I know EXACTLY who you are talking about. I interviewed with him in 2008 and had a very similar experience. He spent most of the “interview” ignoring me and doing work or screaming at his poor secretary to bring him documents (which she had to remind him were already on his desk). At one point he asked me to go locate his intern and bring the intern to his office. He then returned to ignoring me and yelled at the poor intern. Eventually he got around to reviewing my 20-page writing sample in 15 seconds, concluding, “this makes sense. I like it.” Fortunately, I got an offer from a different firm a couple days later, so I didn't have to pursue that “opportunity” any further. Unfortunately, I lost that job in Sept. and haven't had the slightest bit of luck since then. I guess he must have burned through whatever poor chump did take the job, since I started seeing his want ads around the time of your post. One other thing of interest: It came out during my interview that, while he may do IP cases, and advertises the job that way, his associate actually does little but personal injury cases.

]]> By: Ramon Esquire http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-323 Ramon Esquire Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:36:28 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-323 you are a glutton for punishment. I once had an interview with panel of attorneys asking me what animal I identified with and how the characteristics of the animal related to the practice of law.<br><br>Needless to say, I told that I did not identify with piranhas or sharks, got up and left the interview.....<br><br>One of the women ran after me, but I told her to take a hike.<br><br>I have little tolerance for bullshit, and I do have that wicked latino temper!. you are a glutton for punishment. I once had an interview with panel of attorneys asking me what animal I identified with and how the characteristics of the animal related to the practice of law.

Needless to say, I told that I did not identify with piranhas or sharks, got up and left the interview…..

One of the women ran after me, but I told her to take a hike.

I have little tolerance for bullshit, and I do have that wicked latino temper!.

]]> By: chocolegal http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-238 chocolegal Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:23:05 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-238 Your experience is hilarious. I know it wasn't very funny being interrogated by the OAF, at least you can laugh about it for many years to come. <br><br>Just goes to show you the job market right now. I've been at a Biglaw for 5 years, got let go last year and have not found a job since. I went on an interview recently, a solo practitioner ("solo") who said he did real estate litigation and closings on Craigslist. While the pay offered, $40k, regardless of experience, was offensive at best, I thought it couldn't hurt to work rather than not doing anything. While waiting in a conference room, during the 30 minutes waiting for the solo to arrive, I noticed that there was another woman in a suit cleaning out her office and asked the office manager if there were "other associates" and she said "that one" is leaving after working for 3 months. I guess this was a bad sign. Our eyes met and she gave me a funny smile. I chose to ignore this and focus on the interview.<br><br>He showed up 30 minutes after the scheduled interview time, said rather proudly that he's never in the office because he's always in landlord tenant court and thus, I would be doing all the research, writing, motions, briefs and additionally covering various courts in the Bronx and occasionally Queens. And oh, half the day I would be in courts and for the other half I'd be producing briefs and memos and that the sheer volume of the work was "hectic".<br><br>During the interview I highlighted my strengths, produced a brief for a motion on real estate litigation, but told that he only deals with landlord tenant and does not do closings. Maybe he had a conscience when he said not to be "fazed" by the "modest salary", there were opportunities for me to make another couple thousand after a raise a year after or so. Thought the interview went okay, I sent a thank you note. He emailed me and said he gave the position to another candidate but that he'd keep my resume "on file" just in case if "you'd like". Don't know what that means. Just in case this one decides to leave after working like a dog earning less than a legal secretary probably. Your experience is hilarious. I know it wasn't very funny being interrogated by the OAF, at least you can laugh about it for many years to come.

Just goes to show you the job market right now. I've been at a Biglaw for 5 years, got let go last year and have not found a job since. I went on an interview recently, a solo practitioner (”solo”) who said he did real estate litigation and closings on Craigslist. While the pay offered, $40k, regardless of experience, was offensive at best, I thought it couldn't hurt to work rather than not doing anything. While waiting in a conference room, during the 30 minutes waiting for the solo to arrive, I noticed that there was another woman in a suit cleaning out her office and asked the office manager if there were “other associates” and she said “that one” is leaving after working for 3 months. I guess this was a bad sign. Our eyes met and she gave me a funny smile. I chose to ignore this and focus on the interview.

He showed up 30 minutes after the scheduled interview time, said rather proudly that he's never in the office because he's always in landlord tenant court and thus, I would be doing all the research, writing, motions, briefs and additionally covering various courts in the Bronx and occasionally Queens. And oh, half the day I would be in courts and for the other half I'd be producing briefs and memos and that the sheer volume of the work was “hectic”.

During the interview I highlighted my strengths, produced a brief for a motion on real estate litigation, but told that he only deals with landlord tenant and does not do closings. Maybe he had a conscience when he said not to be “fazed” by the “modest salary”, there were opportunities for me to make another couple thousand after a raise a year after or so. Thought the interview went okay, I sent a thank you note. He emailed me and said he gave the position to another candidate but that he'd keep my resume “on file” just in case if “you'd like”. Don't know what that means. Just in case this one decides to leave after working like a dog earning less than a legal secretary probably.

]]> By: The Jobless Lawyer» Recession Job Search Tips for the Unemployed Lawyer- Creating a Job “Surge” http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-214 The Jobless Lawyer» Recession Job Search Tips for the Unemployed Lawyer- Creating a Job “Surge” Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:51:48 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-214 [...] Solo Practice, NY (1 Point)- After waiting in an un-lit messy office while the interviewer ignored me and did work he had piling up from the day- a high stakes special task was designed to test my knowledge of obscure court rules.  I gave up any chance at a second round interview by giving this gentleman a piece of my mind in a sharp-witted e-mail response to his task. (Full Post) [...] [...] Solo Practice, NY (1 Point)- After waiting in an un-lit messy office while the interviewer ignored me and did work he had piling up from the day- a high stakes special task was designed to test my knowledge of obscure court rules.  I gave up any chance at a second round interview by giving this gentleman a piece of my mind in a sharp-witted e-mail response to his task. (Full Post) [...]

]]> By: crescent http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-138 crescent Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:39:07 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-138 That's $15 an hour. Bus drivers make more. That's $15 an hour. Bus drivers make more.

]]> By: MJ http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-90 MJ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:09:50 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-90 What a bait and switch! I recently interviewed with a small (one partner, three contract attys, all from Orrick) shop in SF. The interviewing partner had me prepare an extensive set of board materials, options, update cap table, etc. It was very simple work, and I was confident I did it correctly. Well, not only did I not hear back when the partner said he'd revert, he summarily dismissed my candidacy with a one-line email. Didn't even have the courtesy to say thanks for doing two hours worth of work for one of my clients. Since all of the optionee and director names were real, I had half a mind to google these folks and send a bill to the the crappy partner's clients. The nerve! What a bait and switch! I recently interviewed with a small (one partner, three contract attys, all from Orrick) shop in SF. The interviewing partner had me prepare an extensive set of board materials, options, update cap table, etc. It was very simple work, and I was confident I did it correctly. Well, not only did I not hear back when the partner said he'd revert, he summarily dismissed my candidacy with a one-line email. Didn't even have the courtesy to say thanks for doing two hours worth of work for one of my clients. Since all of the optionee and director names were real, I had half a mind to google these folks and send a bill to the the crappy partner's clients. The nerve!

]]> By: Name http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Name Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:22:25 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-78 Solo practitioners who employ their wives as office manager are the worst. Their passive-agressive, and often vampiric marriage now brought to the office, the wife can focus her spite on the hired help in his presence, and they both get off on it. The hired help is you the associate (for some reason associates are underlings in these situations, even if the wife only has a certificate in accounting) and by a highly ritualized and daily catharis, he will sit himself in his office, and enable her to work out all her annoying, finicky, controlling nuroses on you, just so that he can live a quiet life at home. Solo practitioners who employ their wives as office manager are the worst. Their passive-agressive, and often vampiric marriage now brought to the office, the wife can focus her spite on the hired help in his presence, and they both get off on it. The hired help is you the associate (for some reason associates are underlings in these situations, even if the wife only has a certificate in accounting) and by a highly ritualized and daily catharis, he will sit himself in his office, and enable her to work out all her annoying, finicky, controlling nuroses on you, just so that he can live a quiet life at home.

]]> By: D. Machetto http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-75 D. Machetto Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:03:32 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-75 I am a young lawyer with less than 1 year of experience. I work at a boutique firm making only 55k. I graduated top third from a good regional school. I have no publications or journal/moot court experience. <br><br>My job is an hour and a half commute from my apartment. You would say I could just move, but my apartment is equidistant from my fiancee's job, which is in the other direction, and we own the place, so we can't just pick up and go.<br><br>I interviewed at a place that said Real Estate and Trust and Estates Litigation associate wanted. The place was 2 blocks from my apartment. I got an A in both of those classes in law school, and my job now has given me a good bit of real estate litigation experience. Even so, I thought it best to look over some T&E since I hadn't even thought about it since the bar exam. I took out my bar outline and reviewed it for like 15 minutes the night before the interview.<br><br>I called in late to work (claimed there was a leak in my apartment) to go to the interview. I go in and the partner of the firm tells me that there is basically no real estate work, except SOMETIMES they will represent an heir in selling property that they have inherited. Despite the fact that the job posting said that real estate litigation was one of the firm's primary areas, the firm only does a couple of real estate closings. So it's basically a T&E shop, for which I have no experience and very little interest. <br><br>Even though it was clear at that point that I was not what he was looking for and vice versa, He takes out a phony will that he had drafted JUST TO TEST ME. It was like a law school exam. He showed me the will and asked me what the problems with it were, if any. Then he gave me a factual scenario and asked me, based on that will, who takes what?<br><br>I seriously considered just telling him to go fly a kyte, but I sat it out because it still beat going to work. I was then treated to know that the firm requires work most Saturdays and some Sundays, and that the work day started and ended at 8. So, if you're counting, that's potentiall an 84 hour work week, at a boutique T&E firm that couldn't have paid whomever they hired more than $60k. <br><br>Obviously I never heard from that firm again, nor did I care to. I am a young lawyer with less than 1 year of experience. I work at a boutique firm making only 55k. I graduated top third from a good regional school. I have no publications or journal/moot court experience.

My job is an hour and a half commute from my apartment. You would say I could just move, but my apartment is equidistant from my fiancee's job, which is in the other direction, and we own the place, so we can't just pick up and go.

I interviewed at a place that said Real Estate and Trust and Estates Litigation associate wanted. The place was 2 blocks from my apartment. I got an A in both of those classes in law school, and my job now has given me a good bit of real estate litigation experience. Even so, I thought it best to look over some T&E since I hadn't even thought about it since the bar exam. I took out my bar outline and reviewed it for like 15 minutes the night before the interview.

I called in late to work (claimed there was a leak in my apartment) to go to the interview. I go in and the partner of the firm tells me that there is basically no real estate work, except SOMETIMES they will represent an heir in selling property that they have inherited. Despite the fact that the job posting said that real estate litigation was one of the firm's primary areas, the firm only does a couple of real estate closings. So it's basically a T&E shop, for which I have no experience and very little interest.

Even though it was clear at that point that I was not what he was looking for and vice versa, He takes out a phony will that he had drafted JUST TO TEST ME. It was like a law school exam. He showed me the will and asked me what the problems with it were, if any. Then he gave me a factual scenario and asked me, based on that will, who takes what?

I seriously considered just telling him to go fly a kyte, but I sat it out because it still beat going to work. I was then treated to know that the firm requires work most Saturdays and some Sundays, and that the work day started and ended at 8. So, if you're counting, that's potentiall an 84 hour work week, at a boutique T&E firm that couldn't have paid whomever they hired more than $60k.

Obviously I never heard from that firm again, nor did I care to.

]]> By: Chris M. http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Chris M. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:19:03 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-43 That's truly a bizarre encounter! Good luck to the poor schmuck who actually becomes this OAF's associate. I am sure that he or she will learn a great deal about "making important legal conclusions." The funny thing is that the OAF probably never found your email through all of that clutter! That's truly a bizarre encounter! Good luck to the poor schmuck who actually becomes this OAF's associate. I am sure that he or she will learn a great deal about “making important legal conclusions.” The funny thing is that the OAF probably never found your email through all of that clutter!

]]> By: Forseti http://joblesslawyer.com/interview-with-the-oaf-the-worst-law-interview-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Forseti Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:56:49 +0000 http://joblesslawyer.com/?p=262#comment-32 I have been a lawyer for more than ten years, so when I applied for a low-level legal tech job at Social Security in Sacramento, CA I never expected them to rate me as not having the requisite education or experience, but they did. Anyone else experiencing unjustified ratings and rejections? I have been a lawyer for more than ten years, so when I applied for a low-level legal tech job at Social Security in Sacramento, CA I never expected them to rate me as not having the requisite education or experience, but they did.

Anyone else experiencing unjustified ratings and rejections?

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