Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Department of Justice's Unjust Policy: "Hire" lawyers without compensation

I find it completely outrageous that it is legal for the Department of Justice to post ads like this one:
http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/jobs/12-wdnc-sausa-02.htm

The position is for
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
SPECIAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY (UNCOMPENSATED)
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
12-WDNC-SAUSA-02
Notice the "Uncompensated"!  This is a volunteer job.  But this is not a job for a young college student or someone still learning in law school.
QualificationsRequired qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least two (2) years post-J.D. experience.
This is for a grown up.  The qualified applicant will be at least 27 years old.  The qualified applicant is someone who ought to be earning an appropriate wage for work done, someone who ought to be starting a family, someone who ought to be building his or her retirement savings and maybe even saving for a home.

Further, you can't use your legal skills in a second job and you don't even get any help with moving expenses:
Note: Employees of the Department of Justice, including uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorneys, may not engage in the compensated practice of law outside the office. Attorneys are not eligible to serve as Special Assistant United States Attorneys if they have had an employment offer deferred by a law firm and received a payment for the period of their deferral with the expectation of future employment with the law firm, or if they will receive any payment from a law firm during their unpaid employment with the Department of Justice. In addition, contractors, including employees of contractors who do business with the Department of Justice, and who also are attorneys, are not eligible to serve as uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorneys.
Location: The duty location is Charlotte, North Carolina.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be paid.
DOJ would simply get the Chutzpah Award if it weren't for the fact that young people routinely apply and compete for these jobs, buying into the idea that they need to dig themselves (deeper) into debt and provide slave labor for a period of time in order to get "experience"  and then be more employable.

I don't expect wet-behind-the-ears attorneys to get six digit incomes, but I do expect them (and everyone working person, for that matter) to earn a living wage.

The ethical issue here is grave, in my view, for all new lawyers trying to find jobs.  It is especially grave for those without trust funds.