Bush lawyers are just the ticket

The worst job market for new lawyers is in South Australia ... SA law society's ethics unit examining a new law firm that promises work and training for lawyer interns, if they pay $20,000 plus ... In the meantime, the message for new graduates is "go bush" ... Barely Legal reports 

I'VE done some extracurricular sleuthing into the adlawgroup, the start-up firm out of Adelaide. 

Adlawgroup is the outfit that was offering job-desperate interns work at the firm if they stumped-up $22,000 for the course and eventual practising certificate.  

There are also special design elements to the word "adlawgroup", all modishly lower case - "adlaw" is in green and "group" in black. 

The firm says it has a "concept ... developed to fill the critical gap in the employment market for law graduates in South Australia". 

The scheme has  screeched to a halt while the SA Law Society investigates what's going on. 

My previous post threw a bit of light of this new way for law grads, in an over-supplied market, to get a foot on the depressed South Australian career escalator. 

Adlawgroup has decided to delay its launch and is no longer accepting applications to their "getting started in law" program. 

The ethics and practice unit of the Law Society of South Australia is probing and wants to know more about the plans of this firm. 

Rocco Perrotta, the president of the SA law soc, tells me that the inquiry has "no set time frame because we do not know what issues may arise ... However, the law society is mindful of the need to proceed as quickly as possible while paying due attention to all relevant matters". 

Rocco says, go bush

"Relevant matters" may include exploration of the extent to which interns are really employees and whether this hefty fee for the privilege of working there is in order. 

Project manager for adlawgroup, Tina Hailstone tells us: 

"The principals have decided to delay the operational launch of adlawgroup while we address some questions that have been raised by the Law Society of South Australia. 

The principals have been developing the program for nearly a year now and have taken independent advice on the business model as part of that development. We are satisfied that all matters raised by the law society have already been addressed ..." 

The firm will "engage" with the law soc's process "to demonstrate the soundness of the program". 

New methods of making a buck out of graduates desperate to land a law job is in the finest traditions of free-marketeering - so we should not be surprised that capitalist ingenuity has thrown up something like adlawgroup. 

My graduate law colleagues out of Flinders University and the University of Adelaide, who face the worst jobs market in the country, will  just have to toughen-up, stop grizzling and, after the scheme has been given the seal of good housekeeping by the SA law society, stump-up $22,000 for a job. 

Others cling to hope that the traditional work model for lawyer saplings will be preserved. 

Is there a silver lining to all of this employment uncertainty? According to Rocco Perrotta there are some options for law graduates, even though they are in oversupply, thanks largely to the increase in the number of degree factories. 

This is a particularly acute problem in Australia, compared to other common law counterparts.

The law soc prez advises aspiring lawyers to go bush. 

"Students need to be given accurate information about the state of the legal job market, and be informed about alternative career paths. We would encourage those looking for work to continue knocking on the door. 

We especially encourage job seekers to explore opportunities in regional areas. Lawyers in regional areas are often given more responsibilities earlier in their careers and provide great opportunities to perform a diverse range of work."

In other words, there are alternatives to paying a large wad of money to get your foot in the door.