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Mary McCarthyite
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
Among the many reasons this SUCKS, is the fact that this employer -- in fact, nearly all employers, in a way -- can justify their shitty behavior on the lack of jobs due to the recession. Don't want to change a diaper? Well, at least you have a job, so stop complaining!

I work for a small business, so every time my boss asks me to do something like this, he can justify it similarly . One time he had me abandon my work responsibilities to attend Grandparents Day at his daughters school. I was 25 years old at the time.

The other thing that comes into play -- I think, if someone can prove me otherwise, then fine -- is the age factor. Would I be asked to go to Grandparents Day if I wasn't so young when that happened? Similarly, aren't legal assistants fresh out of law school aka in their 20s? Older employers might abuse younger employees, just because they can. Yes, I know people can stick up for themselves. But it's hard to sometimes when it might be implied that your job is on the line. #legalassistantnanny
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
11/13/09

@Mary McCarthyite: Well, "legal assistants out of law school" should be attorneys, although exact job title can vary until you pass the bar. Unfortunately supply is greater than demand in the legal field, which is why you get great job ads like this. #legalassistantnanny
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T_Bee
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
Hahahaha... as if my profession couldn't get any more depressing. Instead of just being a lawyer's bitch, you must also change diapers and be on the beckon call of an infant. BLOW ME! #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@T_Bee: Look at it this way: Changing a baby's diapers prepares you for dealing with large amounts of shit, which streams forth from partners' mouths with regularity. Dealing with a cranky infant prepares you to soothe the egos and handle the ire of asshole partners. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
I know people that nannied in law school, though not at my school. But those postings were at the student union or whatever, not through career services! #legalassistantnanny
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
11/13/09

@Maritsa: There are some great jobs on SitterCity that would work well with a law school schedule. But there are some epically hilarious listings too. One mother wanted someone who would work from 8pm-6am every weeknight to bottle feed her infant twins when they woke up. It paid $100 a week. #legalassistantnanny
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la.donna.pietra
11/13/09

@GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11): Oh my. That may be the funniest thing I've read all week. A buck forty-two an hour.

Maybe if this was 1952, lady.
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Edited by la.donna.pietra at 11/13/09 7:01 PM la.donna.pietra was starred la.donna.pietra was unstarred

Maritsa
11/13/09

@GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11): That is insane. People who do that are called night nannies, and they command a shitload more than that. Damn. #legalassistantnanny
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femme-bot
11/13/09

@GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11): It's good to know some mothers only value the safety of their children for ~$2/h.
People like that should be arrested. #legalassistantnanny
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
11/13/09

@femme-bot: Seriously, it boggles my mind that anyone would expect someone to take on a job like that for so very little. I think it means they care very little for their "help," but to me it just seems like they don't care too much about their kids either!

The thing that kills me is that there are actually tons of amazing jobs posted too. Many are fairly flexible and pay $12-25 an hour with reasonable requests and expectations. I understand some people don't have those resources, but sometimes it is as simple as realizing that if you can only pay someone $6 an hour, you're looking for a 14-year old, not someone who is bilingual with a master's degree in early childhood education. Because as far as I can tell, while the legal market might be shitty, at least in LA there is plenty of demand for nannies and babysitters. #legalassistantnanny
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yvanehtnioj
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
When I was in law school I had a job as a law clerk for a solo practitioner who worked from home. They had a full-time nanny, but after she left sometimes I would babysit for an hour or two (as a separate job, paid differently and independently from the clerk job). It wasn't problematic in the sense that it became part of my clerk job to be a babysitter, but it did get weird when she started to assume I was always free to babysit after work, not asking until the last minute (and at least once just assuming instead of asking). It felt awkward to have to say that I had other things to do or wasn't available, because I'd be back at work with her the next day and it felt like I was putting her out.

Seeing how easy it was for the lines to blur even when she was making an effort to keep things separate (paid cash rather than in my paystub, no babysitting during working hours, etc.), I decided that very clear boundaries at work were the way to go for me in the future. I am not the one who volunteers to pick things up for the boss. As a young woman it's bad enough that people can assign you that role in their head; I'm not assuming it for myself. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@yvanehtnioj: So much word to your last point. We had birthday cake today and it was a bunch of assistants (including the one who ordered the cake and sent out the email saying it was time for cake), me, and some male associates. One of the male associates asked me to cut the cake, I said no.

I already have all the partners coming to ask me how to use the scanner, etc., I'm not taking on any more assistant type jobs. I know most of them view anything with tits as their servant. #legalassistantnanny
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yvanehtnioj
11/13/09

@Maritsa: Since you're sending a fax anyway, would you mind...?

Yes I mind. I absolutely mind. Especially when we bill out at the same rate. Our time is EQUALLY valuable, and I am not your secretary. Gah. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@yvanehtnioj: Can you print this out for me? Although I will expound on my own genius for hours, somehow I just can't seem to handle hitting "Ctrl" and "P" at the same time!

And my personal favorite, when "my" partner (who hasn't given me work since I got back from maternity leave, BTW) called me from his desk across the hall to ask me "how do you google something." #legalassistantnanny
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Edited by Maritsa at 11/13/09 5:48 PM Maritsa was starred Maritsa was unstarred

GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
11/13/09

@yvanehtnioj: "If we had a male legal assistant, we would ask him to clean the mugs too."

At the time my thoughts were- "Right, but you wouldn't hire a male legal assistant, it would be awkward for you, because then you'd have to ask a guy to wash your mug and clean your office."

A year later when I visited the other female legal assistant I worked with -- who was now a law student clerking for the summer -- she was the one who cleaned the mugs and answered the phone after the 9-5 administrative assistants left. This was despite the fact that the other summer clerk was a male student, and my friend had seniority. So, no, they wouldn't in fact ask a male assistant to clean the mugs. #legalassistantnanny
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yvanehtnioj
11/13/09

@Maritsa: Once I had to put together a meeting with like 12 attorneys, and rather than send a series of 15 emails to each person trying to find out what day/time worked best (since no one responds to an email addressed to more than one person), I sent around a doodle poll. I worked up a chipper, encouraging two-sentence intro about how it was really very simple, don't be afraid of the new technology, har har har.

None of the male partners even followed the fucking link. #legalassistantnanny
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yvanehtnioj
11/13/09

@GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11): But if you point that out, you're just the crazy person who is so NOT a team player that she can't get over being made to do a tiny chore a year ago.

Yeesh, get over it! Feminists are so uptight about the stupidest little things. Why don't you spend your time on fighting important issues, like rape, and pay disparity, and FGM?! #legalassistantnanny
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GoldenRatioφ (aka -girl11)
11/13/09

@yvanehtnioj: Or, printing out all a partner's email, and giving him the hardcopies, because he can't figure out how to use email -- other than to send and receive porn of course. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@yvanehtnioj: God knows you can't even bring up MAJOR shit like, say, not being put on a trial because you have an infant (happened to me), let alone the fact that you are casually treated like less-than because you are a woman.

I hate my firm so much. #legalassistantnanny
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yvanehtnioj
11/13/09

@Maritsa: You can always quit and join me in the ranks of the lawyer hobos! Fair warning: it's hard to find a different job. Boo firms. Boo recession. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@yvanehtnioj: Unfortunately I am the sole breadwinner since my husband was laid off and now stays home with our son. My plan is to have another baby then move and leave this firm, hopefully with another job lined up so I can tell them what I think of how they treat women. #legalassistantnanny
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curiousgeorgiana
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
Yeah, when I worked as a legal assistant, my partner was the infant. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@curiousgeorgiana: Most of them are. #legalassistantnanny
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seejanerun
11/13/09

@curiousgeorgiana: Fucking A, I know. You know one of mine tried to buy paper towels and bought toilet paper instead? #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@seejanerun: Ahahahaha. Sounds about right. I'd say 90% of them can't do anything for themselves. Their wives do everything at home, their secretaries do everything at work. #legalassistantnanny
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BAngieB
11/13/09

@Maritsa: There are plenty of women partners, too, you know. #legalassistantnanny
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Maritsa
11/13/09

@BAngieB: Not really. Less than 20% of major law firm partners are women. #legalassistantnanny
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BAngieB
11/14/09

@Maritsa: Funny, that. Almost every partner I've worked with has been a woman. #legalassistantnanny
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DutchessOfDork
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
Ummmmmm. No. Someone needs to learn that assistant does not mean "I OWN YOUR ASS" #legalassistantnanny
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Dodgergirl
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
Points for honesty? #legalassistantnanny
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sybann
11/13/09

In reply to During Recession, Legal Assistants Must Also Change Diapers
Um. Somebody needs boundaries. #legalassistantnanny
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The Queen of No
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
Lydia has become completely intolerable. She is the most transparent kiss-ass BB has ever seen. I wonder which ~new and creative~ things she'll do to get on "HGIC" Ronnie's good side.
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heykoukla
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
I don't remember her being in the documentary I saw about Heather Mills and Paul McCartney's marriage. Well, it wasn't an actual documentary-documentary, it was a piss-take called Star Stories and it was hilarious. Any excuse to post it...
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sportz.star
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
Was Heather Mills ever in the Ice Capades? Was she a Vegas show girl? No? Then that outfit should not be in her closet.
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sweetnsassy2
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
So she's told everyone she's nannied for a high profile celebrity couple. Gee, could Lydia be looking for fame by default?

I liked Lydia at first but she's become quite intolerable on the feeds lately. I'm also envisioning her in a showmance triangle with Jesse and Russel.
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stoprobbers
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
UNFAIR. When do I get to nanny for Macca? And, clearly, Nanny = Hang Out And Become Best Friends With.
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badmutha
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
That might well be the most hideous outfit I have ever seen! The sequins, the odd lace, the terrible illusion fabric underneath - it is just exceedingly bad. And why is she dressed as belly dancer while he is in the aging rock star tuxedo?
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sassyredhead
07/17/09

In reply to Which Celeb Couple Did Big Brother Houseguest Nanny For?
I was guessing Gwen and Gavin. I can't even imagine Lydia being a nanny for Paul and Heather.
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