Job Responsibilities
I am a subrogation attorney for a self-funded employee benefit
plan, which provides employee benefits to union members. With a
case load of around 400, much of my day is spent opening mail
and answering phone calls from union members, claims adjusters,
and personal injury attorneys. Most of the phone calls and
letters involve obtaining information on accidents the union
members were involved in and then monitoring the status of their
claims with third-party insurance companies and the status of
personal injury lawsuits, if filed. Every now and then I use
that hard earned legal education to discuss cases involving
ERISA funds and negotiate reductions in the client's lien. Each
week is spent trying not to let a file fall through the cracks
and keeping your head above the stacks of files, which at 5'2"
can be difficult at times.
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Uppers
You get to work with several states laws, so that always makes for interesting
work. The ERISA area of law is also always changing, so you must keep on your
toes.
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Downers
Sometimes it seems as if a law degree or license to practice law
is completely unnecessary. The job also doesn't seem to become
more challenging as time goes on.
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Lifestyle
The work hours are certainly a plus. 9a.m. to 5p.m. It allows you to have a
social life outside of work, which is rare in the practice of law.
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Compensation
The base salary is on the low end of starting salaries; $45,000.
There is decent 401K matching though, up to 4%. The benefits are
through Great West, and leave a bit to be desired.
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Advice to Jobseekers
If you are interested in working to live, rather than living to
work, subrogation can be a good fit. Most of what involved in
monitoring files which doesn't necessitate after business hours
activity. A downfall is that, at my particular firm, there
doesn't seem to be much of an opportunity for advancement. The
job outlook for ERISA subrogation seems hazy as the federal case
law is becoming increasingly unfavorable to ERISA plans.
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