Beware of all legal job postings that require new clothes heavy lifting.
An excerpt from an ad in the "legal jobs" section of the Denver craigslist:
The ideal candidate would be admitted to practice Colorado State Bar, and have at least 4 to 7 years experience. Experienced professional demeanor in client contact both in person and on the telephone is a must. Ability to work and adapt in a fast-paced environment is crucial. The candidate should have a very high level of proficiency with MS Word, Outlook, and Excel. Experience with TABS billing software is a plus. Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs. Compensation is commensurate with experience.
Are we witnessing the start of a trend, as the market for legal talent shifts from a sellers' market to a buyers' market? This isn't the first law firm advertisement we've seen requiring the ability to engage in heavy lifting (quite literally). See also this ad (applicants must have the ability to "carry[] loads of up to 35 pounds").
Associate for Litigation Group [Denver craigslist]
Earlier: Definitely Not the Job of the Week
(21) Comments
If I can bench 275 lbs and run a 5 minute mile, can I lateral over as a partner? Would be sweet, I'm sure.
Maybe they require having meetings in different conference rooms and want to ensure the lawyer does not complain about carrying piles of documents to these meetings? Perhaps they had lawyers that gave trouble about this before. Or maybe the secretaries had to do it and are now saying "talk to the hand".
Probably just a CYA thing.
If carrying your own books and lifting the occasional box of documents isn't clearly listed as one of the main functions of the job, the ADA might require accommodations or something... just a guess--I really don't know.
Doesn't this discriminate against women? While 25 pounts might not be all that much, women are less likely to be able to lift it than men. This is a job for an attorney, not a firefighter or cop where physical fitness should come into play.
We should start interviewing summer associates by asking them if they can pick up boxes of documents. If not, they get 2 choices, take some HGH, or get the hell out of our firm.
I think 3:23's guess is accurate. A lot of government lawyer jobs at the state or county level also have this requirement.
25 lbs. = heavy lifting? Lat, my friend, hit the gym.
Is the guy in the pic for rent?
Merely listing lifting 25 pounds as a job requirement doesn't offer much insulation from ADA liability. The question is whether it is an essential function and whether it can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation. What's the argument against a cart as an accommodation? Putting this type of language in an ad just invites an ADA charge from someone who can't meet the standard but probably wouldn't have been hired on other grounds anyway. Bad lawyering, IMHO.
3:27,
You sir, are a bitch. Whether or not physical fitness should come into play in some magical fairy world, this employer wants someone who can lift 25 lbs *and* prosecute a slip-and-fall (or whatever it is they do there). If you find their hiring criteria unfair, I suggest you (a) don't work there, and (b) whine anonymously on the internet.
3:27, I am perfectly capable of handling 25 pounds. Teenagers can lift 25 pounds. I weigh 135, I don't work out a ton so I'm not particularly muscular, I generally wear heels or at least pumps, and I have lifted and carried big, bulky boxes weighing over 30 pounds long distances and up and down stairs, numerous times, without excessive difficulty.
If you can carry five stacks of regular printer paper, you can carry 25 pounds.
3:19: I can. And they hate me for it.
05:45 PM, WHAT'S YOUR SIGN?
I wonder how long it took Lat to find the picture
.3 seconds.... it's his wallpaper
135 lbs? What a fattie.
This is what happens when (a) work load decreases to the point where you cannot meet billables and (b) your firm doesn't maintain a cleaning staff.
Toilet scrubbers to 15!
Yeah, not sure about discriminating against women, but it could cover for age.
As always, Lat, I appreciate the eye candy. :)
Any law student who did not opt for dorky roller bags has had to lift more than that weight in oversized textbooks for 3 years, so I'm sure it wont be a problem.