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Q. Am I alone, or are there others like me who are
available to work on a temporary basis? Q. Am I alone, or are there others like me who are available to work on a temporary basis? You are not alone. The nature of our workforce has changed. Today people are willing to take career risks and are exploring opportunities they would not have dreamed of exploring ten, twenty years ago. The Internet revolution was a tremendous catalyst in this regard: while the upside of those career choices promised untold riches, the downside often resulted in losing a job, as many who joined dot coms, for example, now find themselves out of work. Downsizing and diminishing opportunities for advancement in the legal market, as well as the desire to explore outside interests, have created an unprecedented pool of top legal talent available to practice law on a temporary basis. Some legal professionals are choosing to modify their income in order to enjoy greater flexibility in their professional and personal lives. Other highly qualified candidates find themselves out of a job as a result of the recent economic downturn. SLS recognizes that people are human and that they have human reasons for not having a permanent job. For example, a senior in-house counsel is out of a job because the local operation closes, and he or she chooses not to accept the offer to move out of state with the company. Unfortunately, even in good economic times, senior attorneys are not always inundated with job offers the way junior or mid-level attorneys can be. Thus, many experienced, top-quality attorneys with extraordinary credentials are available for temporary projects while they continue to pursue permanent positions. At the other end of the spectrum, many recent law school graduates are available for temporary positions because we continue to have more law graduates than law jobs. Let's face it . . . only the top 25% of law school graduates get permanent job offers right out of law school, and many firms recruit only from a handful of law schools. After doing the math, you realize there are many graduates who have been overlooked because of their class standing and schools. There are many bright, eager candidates out there who are looking for an opportunity to shine, and when SLS recruiters interview candidates, that is whom we are looking to find. And, of course, there is everyone in between. If you are interested in working with SLS, fax or e-mail your resume to our office. Once our recruiters have reviewed your resume, if we think we can place you (immediately or in the future), we will call you to schedule a registration interview with us. Please note that just because you have responded to a specific job posting, it does not always follow that we are calling you in for that job. Interviews with SLS are for general registration. Of course, during your SLS interview we may tell you about an immediate opening for which we feel your experience and interests are a good match. If we have nothing immediately, we will place you on our active list for future positions, and you will be contacted as soon as an appropriate opportunity becomes available. Q. How do you go about placing candidates? We never send out your resume without your permission. Therefore, after registering with us, once we have a position that is a good match with your experience and interests, we will call you. If you are interested in the position, simply give us your permission to send your resume along. Thereafter, we will keep you informed about a possible interview with the client. For many of our temporary positions, clients like to meet with prospective candidates in a brief interview. If you are not selected for the job, we will call and tell you so. Thereafter, we will keep you in mind for future job openings. Please note: if SLS calls you with a job that you have already heard about through another agency, please let us know, and we will not duplicate the submission of your resume. You do not increase your chances of getting a job by having your resume submitted twice by two different agencies. In fact, a client may decide not to consider a candidate whose resume has been sent by two agencies for fear of getting involved in a fee dispute; therefore, it is in your interest to let us know if you have already been submitted for a particular position. Having said that, if you are registered with more than one agency, it is important that you keep track of where your resume has been sent and that you make sure other agencies do not submit your resume without your express permission. Q. After I register with SLS, when can I expect to hear about a job opening? The age-old question to which there has never been a sure answer. In general, clients calling with job opportunities have an immediate need to hire someone---they want to see resumes and interview candidates as soon as possible, sometimes even that day. Because such jobs arise without notice, it is difficult to predict when we will have a job for you. Please keep in mind, however, that at SLS we register candidates who we think, based on our track record and our ability to ascertain the current and future hiring needs of our clients, we can place successfully. Q. How much time is there in between assignments? Please see the answer to the previous question. Of course, if you performed to rave reviews on your previous assignment, you become a more attractive candidate for future placement. Q. I interviewed with SLS but have yet to hear from anyone about a job. Or, I continually see advertised jobs for which I think I am suited. Why have I not been called? When we receive a job opening, we call candidates whose backgrounds are appropriate for the position. A candidate may be "appropriate" because of his or her experience (nature and level), credentials, availability (short term, long term, full time temporary, part time temporary, willing to work long hours, etc.), salary requirements and/or attitude. Every job is different carrying with it its own set of variables; therefore, not every candidate is a match for every job. If you have not heard from us, it probably means we have not had an appropriate job to tell you about. Of course, you are always welcome to call or e-mail us to touch base. Q. What types of assignments can I expect to hear about through SLS? SLS clients request temporary legal assistance for a variety of matters. The positions range in expertise from entry level up to very senior. Typical needs for temporary legal professionals include:
Q. What is the duration of your typical assignment? Each opportunity differs depending on the demands of the individual client. Assignments can range in duration from a couple of weeks to more than one year. Q. What hourly salary can I expect through SLS? Salaries vary according to the opportunity and the expertise offered. Generally, attorneys can expect to make anywhere from $20 - $75 per hour, while those with unique and very senior levels of expertise potentially can earn more. Paralegal salaries fall within the range of $14 - $30 per hour. Q. What benefits do SLS temporary legal professionals receive? Temporary legal professionals are eligible to receive paid holidays, vacation pay and affordable medical and dental insurance. We also continually look to add non-traditional benefits that candidates can enjoy. For example, SLS now offers candidates discount theatre and movie tickets and access to discounted cell phone plans, including a free phone. Additionally, our legal professionals are eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits through SLS and are covered under our workers' compensation insurance policy. Finally, our legal professionals are covered for disability insurance benefits through the New York State Disability Fund. For additional information, please contact our human resources department. Q. As a temporary employee, how do I get paid? On a weekly basis, each temporary employee submits to SLS a time sheet signed by an authorized representative of the law firm or company where he or she is working. SLS processes timesheets weekly and pays temporary employees weekly. Direct deposit is also available. Q. Is part time work available? Yes, on both a temporary and permanent basis. We have positions that involve working part time in the office, part time from home (telecommuting) or a combination of both. While most positions we offer are for full time work (at least 40 hours per week, appearing in the office five days per week), we always ask about a client's flexibility to hire someone part time. Sometimes, because of either budgetary constraints or because of the high caliber of candidates available exclusively on a part time basis, a client will hire a part time candidate for what was originally a full time job. Q. I will gladly move when you have a job for me, or I have a permanent job but I want to quit and temp. What are my prospects? For temporary jobs, it is very difficult to consider candidates who are not available immediately, for whatever reason. Because most temporary jobs start immediately, a client generally will not allow for time to relocate or time to give notice to a current employer. Please refer to the answer to this question. Depending on the demands of the assignment, notice of a couple/few days can sometimes be worked with. Of course, depending on the client need and/or the attractiveness of a particular candidate, the client may be willing to delay a start date to accommodate the candidate. Please note, however, that these are not typical instances. Q. I do not want to come in to interview with SLS unless you have a specific job to tell me about. Can you work within that arrangement? This is difficult, and you will probably miss out on jobs. It is difficult to "work backwards" and call you in only when we have a job to tell you about. When we are called with a job opportunity, we only consider candidates with whom we have met already. Invariably, by the time you would come in to meet with SLS, the client has already reviewed the resumes of registered candidates that we called immediately. In fact, the client may have already decided whom they would like to interview and/or whom they would like to hire for the project. Please see the answer to this question and this question for additional details. Q. I am an attorney or paralegal living in a foreign country. What are my prospects with SLS? Before SLS can place you on a temporary assignment, you must secure a work visa and social security number on your own. For tax and immigration purposes, once you are placed on a temporary assignment you are considered an employee of SLS, not an employee of the client, and SLS cannot sponsor a work visa. Citizens of countries covered by NAFTA can easily (usually within 24 hours to one week) obtain a work permit and social security number. If you are a foreign attorney or paralegal with a work permit, you need to have relocated to the city where you are looking to work. Temporary assignments usually start immediately and almost never allow time for someone to relocate. Please see the answer to this question for additional details. The permanent placement market operates similarly. Realistically, you need to have relocated to the U.S. and obtained a work permit in order for us to place you. Unless you offer unique experience not typically found in the U.S., a client may not be motivated to sponsor your visa. Candidates will run in to similar obstacles should they want to move to and work through SLS in London, England. Q. Do you have evening and/or weekend work available? As a routine, our temporary assignments are at least full time (40 hours) during the week. While such temporary assignments may involve overtime work into the evenings or weekends, we do not typically get projects that only involve working evenings (2nd or 3rd shift) or weekends. Q. If I registered with one SWS office, need I register with another? Usually not. Registering with one office is usually sufficient. With that in mind, should you send your resume to another SLS office after registering with one in your area, please indicate in your cover letter that you are already in our system. If we originally met with you several years ago and you have gained significant experience since we last met, it may be in everyone's interest to meet again. Q. Can you help me find a permanent job? Yes. SLS does have a permanent placement division. Please note, however, that it is difficult to find permanent jobs for recent law school graduates, as most law firms hire out of their summer associate program, and companies do not generally hire entry level attorneys. Most permanent openings that we offer are for lateral hires. Such opportunities usually seek specific experience in both nature and level. Additionally, lateral openings are highly competitive and usually require top credentials (schools and experience). Q. What is meant by "part time"? In the English vernacular, "part time" often is used synonymously with "temporary". SLS defines part time to mean less than 40 hours per week. We provide both part time temporary and part time permanent positions. Both indicate that the candidate works less than 40 hours per week. Q. Is a "contract" position the same as a "temporary" position? As defined by SLS, yes. There is no difference between the two. And, as defined by SLS, "temporary" simply means not permanent. Q. Can I work as an "independent contractor" through your agency? No. All registered and placed candidates fill out a W-4 and an I-9 form and work as our employees.
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