Job Responsibilities
I put together information on lawyers, law firms and legal
terminology for a voice recognition project. I spend most of my
time either obtaining data or putting it into an Access database
of my own design so that I can obtain useful metadata from it.
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Job Requirements
I have very little formal training for this position. While I
have a legal degree, one is not necessarily required, although
legal savvy is certainly a good thing to have. E. g. you need to
know the difference between a deposition and a disposition, for
example. I have taken SQL classes and one Access class.
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Uppers
That I'm employed at all - I have such a bizarre background (how many people do
you know who are both legal and IT?) that it's hard to find work. Employers seem
to have trouble seeing where I'll fit into an organization. And, the people are
sweet. I make my own hours and have a lot of freedom. So far, so good.
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Downers
Lots of work, very quickly, with few explanations. I haven't been
here long enough to really know what I don't know. I feel a bit
like I've been shot out of a cannon - I've hit the ground
running, but that's awfully tiring. Still, I'm a contractor, you
have to expect to get little training and be thrown into the deep
end rather quickly.
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Lifestyle
No to nearly no business travel. The hours are what I make them - 40 or so per
week. The dress code is casual. I wore a skirt on my first day and won't again,
unless I have to meet a client (not too likely) or a bigwig.
The people here are extraordinarily intelligent, it's humbling to realize that
I'm riding the short bus because I *only* have a JD.
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Compensation
$25/hr, with time and 1/2 for anything over 40 hours. I have to
buy my own benefits (medical, dental, optical and 401(k)). Other
benefits (disability insurance, for example) are not available.
Vacations and days out mean I don't get paid.
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Advice to Jobseekers
This isn't for everyone. The job is eclectic and direction is not
always there, but then again this product has never been
developed before so it's understandable that it would be a bit
incoherent. If you need direct, concise and clear instructions,
this ain't the place for you. If you're a free spirit (but you
have to be a responsible free spirit, which seems like an
oxymoron), you'll do better.
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