View Full Version : What is it with Law firms?
I went for a job at a law firm on monday, but didnt get a second interview because i had no legal experience. Now thats fine if i was going for a job as a lawer, but im not, i work in a print room and im a manager, so i find that my experienbce is pretty damn near transferable as it can be. Copying is copying, and printing is printing etc etc, and management skills are just that, no matter what the industry. Speaking to my mate who is an IT manager for a games company, he says the saem, that legal firms want people with legal experience, and again, he doenst find it relevent to his industry.
So what is it with law firms, why will they only recruit people with legal experience,and yet still interview people with out it?
It was just a cop out answer and an easy out for them. They just didn't like you.
HTH
PS I love you.
It was just a cop out answer and an easy out for them. They just didn't like you.
HTH
PS I love you.
Duuuuuurrrrrr I know that! Now give me a real reason you sponge
SoulKiss
12-03-09, 12:33 PM
Duuuuuurrrrrr I know that! Now give me a real reason you sponge
Because all Lawyers are cnuts?
Because all Lawyers are cnuts?
I've heard it all before:rolleyes: problem is that IT people always want things their own way, and it's a fairly fundamental point that IT strategy should always be aligned with business strategy and not the other way round, but IT people are always so big-headed and full of themselves that they can't see this, they always know better, so feel like second class citizens because they are always being told 'no', leading to a feeling of low self-esteem and therefore abuse:wink:
And you knew I'd read this SK:D
But I don't understand why you need legal experience to run a print room. And it must have been obvious that you didn't have any from your CV, so why bother with an IV if this was a requirement of the role? Doesn't stack up.
fizzwheel
12-03-09, 12:57 PM
Because all Lawyers are cnuts?
but IT people are always so big-headed and full of themselves
ah nothing like sweeping generalisations is there :wink: :D
SoulKiss
12-03-09, 12:58 PM
I've heard it all before:rolleyes: problem is that IT people always want things their own way, and it's a fairly fundamental point that IT strategy should always be aligned with business strategy and not the other way round, but IT people are always so big-headed and full of themselves that they can't see this, they always know better, so feel like second class citizens because they are always being told 'no', leading to a feeling of low self-esteem and therefore abuse:wink:
And you knew I'd read this SK:D
But I don't understand why you need legal experience to run a print room. And it must have been obvious that you didn't have any from your CV, so why bother with an IV if this was a requirement of the role? Doesn't stack up.
I was actually commenting based on what Vixis says on a near daily basis, based on the fact that she is a Legal Secretary for a Firm that has its offices right next to Grays Inn Field.....
Mind you, knowing you would read this didn't hurt any either Ed :smt106
I often think that the world would be a better place if someone would just simplify the law and the way it works so that we didn't need a bunck of overpaid translators to go about our daily business.
ah nothing like sweeping generalisations is there :wink: :D
Correctamundo mister Fizz - just like 'all lawyers are cnuts':smt031
I often think that the world would be a better place if someone would just simplify the law and the way it works so that we didn't need a bunck of overpaid translators to go about our daily business.
Yeah. And oh for the days of log tables again;)
Correctamundo mister Fizz - just like 'all lawyers are cnuts':smt031
which is why fizz included the "cnut" allegations in the original quote....:D
which is why fizz included the "cnut" allegations in the original quote....:D
Yep you got me bang to rights:D I didn't read it properly.
Anyway this doesn't explain why Viney didn't get offered the job.
timwilky
12-03-09, 01:17 PM
I have to agree a little with Ed regarding IT. IT should be aligned with business need/objectives. however this can only be achieved by a business appointing somebody at senior/board level with IT responsibility. How else can the poor IT function know what is the business objective compared to the IT Managers operational objectives.
It should be one of the objective of most IT depts to deliver business advantage. However, in this day/age most non IT departmental managers believe themselves to be IT savy and want the IT function to simply deliver low cost of ownership for standard office tools.
Gone are the days when clever use of IT could steal a head start on the competition, and deliver a real business advantage. Now it is drive down costs, use commercial off the shelf, and sod working smarter etc. This does then get into confict with individuals who need/require special tools which do not appear in the standard catalog.
As for print rooms etc. I see little in the operation that would be different from any major corporations print room activity and that of a law firms. Except maybe on the audit and recording side of document handling.
My companies printroom got heavily into document imaging for long term storage of contractual documents. We ended up having to get the guy who imaged the document to append a record to each image to declare it was a true representation of the original before we would enter it into our system etc.
As an aside Viney, we did pick up an interesting contract when we looked to commercialise some of our investment in the printroom and picked up an interesting contract to scan many documents from York Minster which included stone mason drawings etc that were several hundred years old. Our ops guys spent more time looking at the originals than putting them through the large format scanners.
SoulKiss
12-03-09, 01:18 PM
Yeah. And oh for the days of log tables again;)
Solid wood furniture is ALWAYS better than MDF....
or isnt that what you meant?
:smt020Oh the best part of breaking up
Is when you're making up:smt020
:smt020Oh the best part of breaking up
Is when you're making up:smt020
Now now. I've just had lunch :puker:
Quiff Wichard
12-03-09, 01:56 PM
keep your chin up Viney-- ..
at least you dont look like scoobs.
serious note- its fekin annoyin eh- why call you for bloody interview if a pre requisite is legal experience..
nobs.. my bro is a solicitor.. they are all. ooo sorry Ed ..x
Quiff Wichard
12-03-09, 01:57 PM
I have to agree a little with Ed regarding IT. IT should be aligned with business need/objectives. however this can only be achieved by a business appointing somebody at senior/board level with IT responsibility. How else can the poor IT function know what is the business objective compared to the IT Managers operational objectives.
It should be one of the objective of most IT depts to deliver business advantage. However, in this day/age most non IT departmental managers believe themselves to be IT savy and want the IT function to simply deliver low cost of ownership for standard office tools.
Gone are the days when clever use of IT could steal a head start on the competition, and deliver a real business advantage. Now it is drive down costs, use commercial off the shelf, and sod working smarter etc. This does then get into confict with individuals who need/require special tools which do not appear in the standard catalog.
As for print rooms etc. I see little in the operation that would be different from any major corporations print room activity and that of a law firms. Except maybe on the audit and recording side of document handling.
My companies printroom got heavily into document imaging for long term storage of contractual documents. We ended up having to get the guy who imaged the document to append a record to each image to declare it was a true representation of the original before we would enter it into our system etc.
As an aside Viney, we did pick up an interesting contract when we looked to commercialise some of our investment in the printroom and picked up an interesting contract to scan many documents from York Minster which included stone mason drawings etc that were several hundred years old. Our ops guys spent more time looking at the originals than putting them through the large format scanners.
get some bloody work done- you wont be able to do this when you not workin from home boy..
Yep you got me bang to rights:D I didn't read it properly.
Anyway this doesn't explain why Viney didn't get offered the job.
typical lawyer, doesnt read the documentation then quickly changes the topic :rolleyes:
viney - why dont you write them a wee letter and ask why they interviewed you when its obvious from your CV that you do not have legal experience, then not give you a second interview stating lack of legal experience as their reason. State you feel you have been discriminated against for whatever reason - too tall, feet too big, too ginger. just the mere mention of discrimination should have them shaking in their hand made italian leather loafers and possibly another reason given or even a 2nd interview. you could then get offered the job and tell them to poke it.
Biker Biggles
12-03-09, 07:28 PM
viney - why dont you write them a wee letter and ask why they interviewed you when its obvious from your CV that you do not have legal experience, then not give you a second interview stating lack of legal experience as their reason. State you feel you have been discriminated against for whatever reason - too tall, feet too big, too ginger. just the mere mention of discrimination should have them shaking in their hand made italian leather loafers and possibly another reason given or even a 2nd interview. you could then get offered the job and tell them to poke it.
Or just sue them for wasting your time:smt063
Quiff Wichard
12-03-09, 11:29 PM
I seriously think you have good cause for some formal action..
if they already knew you had no legal experience but called you to interview they surely shouldnt have turned you down for something they knew already..
shot themselves in the foot I would say
Personally i'd never try to sue a law firm. It's not as if they're not prepared, is it?
davepreston
13-03-09, 12:58 AM
depends who your brief is
Quiff Wichard
13-03-09, 01:24 AM
Personally i'd never try to sue a law firm. It's not as if they're not prepared, is it?
depends what they practice in..
Nicky S
13-03-09, 01:32 AM
Personally i'd never try to sue a law firm. It's not as if they're not prepared, is it?
lol plus were not in the USA
MiniMatt
13-03-09, 08:04 AM
The solicitors I know love nothing more than to sue another law firm :D But to be honest, is it worth the hassle? Do you really want to work for them if they come out with that sort of rubbish?
I've worked for a mid-large law firm for a good long time in the past (started out smallish, but lawyers love their mergers) and whilst it's certainly a different operation to other businesses I wouldn't say it's necessarily something so alien that it always requires previous experience - every industry has it's peculiarities whether it be squeaky toy manufacturers or law firms. But then, if I was looking at two otherwise identical candidates then I guess the one with prior industry experience would probably swing it.
If you have any other law firm interviews lined up perhaps it's worth just throwing in some industry specific key words and show you've researched and understand the unique challenges and operations within the given industry. Ed is naturally the prime resource on this one, but the ones I can remember are:
Talk about fee-earners rather than solicitors - dependent upon their setup the actual number of solicitors may be rather small compared to the number of fee-earners, the vast amount of domestic conveyancing work only needs direction and oversight from a qualified solicitor for example, whilst the bulk of the work is done by legal secretaries and execs.
Inter-firm mail and that to the land registry and the like is generally sent via Hays DX rather than Royal Mail. Never was too sure of the reasons but I suspect better bulk pricing and less strikes. So when someone asks for the DX number it'll be that little 8 or so digit number at the bottom of the address on the letterhead.
The industry is generally ahead of the curve in technology investment - not as bleeding edge as the geeks would like but certainly early adopters if, crucial if, the technology will improve profit margins. Most were running or using online services, document management software, large scale OCR and digital archiving back when other industries were using an AOL email address and a website knocked up by the MD's son.
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