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Pampering Parent Seeks to Pay Legal Employers to Hire Son

By William Peacock, Esq. on February 12, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Craigslist: it's no longer just for exploitative employers offering barista wages to barristers, it's also for pampering parents who would like to pay someone to hire their offspring.

Yes, you read that right. If you are a firm in the Orange County, California area (and presumably anywhere in the Los Angeles metropolitan area), this parent will subsidize his or her son's salary for any firm that will provide at least half-time work.

Wait, What?

Yes. A parent is offering to pay a firm 10 percent of the student's salary. Here is the ad (H/T Above the Law):

Craigslist Ad - Incentive to Hire Young Lawyer by PeacockEsq

Recent law grad? Passed the bar? Can't find a job? Member of the (mandatory) California State Bar and the Orange County Bar Association?

Sounds like me, two years ago, except my parents didn't offer to pay anyone to employ me. Though they asked around, sent out shameless emails, and did all of the other things that well-meaning family members do, bribery (as far as I know) was never part of the equation.

The truth is, if the guy really did go to an "excellent Law School," and he's actually trying, he will find a job. It will probably be a terrible job to start, and he'll probably change employers a few times before settling in. But what kind of firm is going to hire someone whose mommy or daddy is giving them a 10 percent kickback? From the outset, you're giving firms the impression that he is incapable of being his own man.

Also, instead of you paying 10 percent, why wouldn't he just take 10 percent less?

What Can Parents Do to Actually Help?

This is a well-meaning parent. We're not trying to insult this person. It's just, you're hurting more than helping.

Here's what you can do to help: make sure his paperwork (resume, cover letter) is perfect. Don't review it yourself. No offense, but your craigslist ad is far from perfect. Pay a professional. And make sure he has a perfect interview suit, preferably navy or gray. His LinkedIn needs to be updated and his Facebook page scrubbed clean. Ditto for Twitter and any other social media accounts.

Most of all, don't pressure the poor guy. If he has any work ethic whatsoever (based on graduation and bar passage, he probably does), being unemployed is already stressing him out. If he passed the bar in December, it's not exactly unusual to still be unemployed in the present market. With patience, a lot of resumes, and a lot of job applications, eventually he'll find something.

And if not, you can take that 10 percent "support" and help him start his own firm.

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