Temporary Law Firm Executives
 March 3, 2005

Law firms have used temporary secretaries for years and, in some cities, temporary attorneys and paralegals have become a popular way of staffing large projects. Increasingly law firms are looking at temporaries to fill department head level staff positions during intermediate term vacancies. A number of firms we work with have had success using temporary HR Directors, Marketing Directors, Office Administrators and even Technology Directors during family leaves, short term health disabilities and in the gap while replacements are being recruited for a departed manager. The advantage to the temp is the lower stress level, the ability to work fewer hours (temps normally work 40 hours while full-time executives average 50+ hours) and a lower burnout factor. The downside is that temps working through an agency normally earn about two-thirds of a full-time manager. For law firms the advantage is the ability to staff up for peak periods like summer recruiting season, computer conversions, benefit plan roll outs and similar unique events.