How hard is it to make $1,000 a month?
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- I live above an internet cafe
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How hard is it to make $1,000 a month?
It seems like the market for English teachers would be way oversaturated.
I've been practicing law for 5 years but the remote thing doesn't really work, with the exception of a few document review jobs here and there. I'm a litigator and not a transactional lawyer, so trying to draft simple documents for people won't work.
I'm mostly interested in trying something new for a year after a few more years of legal practice under my belt. I could live off savings, too, but that seems wasteful.
I've been practicing law for 5 years but the remote thing doesn't really work, with the exception of a few document review jobs here and there. I'm a litigator and not a transactional lawyer, so trying to draft simple documents for people won't work.
I'm mostly interested in trying something new for a year after a few more years of legal practice under my belt. I could live off savings, too, but that seems wasteful.
Why wouldn't you approach one of the western oriented law firms in Phnom Penh for work. An English speaking 5 year PQE lawyer would be snapped up here. Your litigation experience is fine. Basic legal experience of any kind is in huge demand. I know guys who who have much less experience who are pulling in very good incomes in firms here, including a couple who never actually qualified. There are even partners at one or two of the bigger firms who never managed to pass the bar exams in their own country.
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I don't understand where we'd even practice. Am I appearing in Cambodian courts? My Khmer is very basic. I have been mostly doing commercial litigation (foreclosures, insurance coverage) and only know U.S. courts. I am very confused that this would work.scobienz wrote:Why wouldn't you approach one of the western oriented law firms in Phnom Penh for work. An English speaking 5 year PQE lawyer would be snapped up here. Your litigation experience is fine. Basic legal experience of any kind is in huge demand. I know guys who who have much less experience who are pulling in very good incomes in firms here, including a couple who never actually qualified. There are even partners at one or two of the bigger firms who never managed to pass the bar exams in their own country.
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No, you won't be appearing in Cambodian courts. You'd be drafting agreements and doing transactional work.merchantsmutual wrote:Am I appearing in Cambodian courts? My Khmer is very basic. I have been mostly doing commercial litigation (foreclosures, insurance coverage) and only know U.S. courts. I am very confused that this would work.
Follow my lame Twitter feed: @gavin_mac
As gavinmac says you wouldn't appear in Cambodian courts. Only Cambodian lawyers can do that. But you would be working in the background, drafting legal opinions and documents and advising on a range of legal issues, including disputes. The firms here are regularly used by the big global firms for Cambodian legal opinions, for example, and they prefer to deal with westerners.
With 5 years PQE you would be snapped up and likely to earn anything from $3000-$700 a month, depending on which firm you ended in.
You'd be daft to think of teaching English until you have exhausted law firm options. Approach them. I guarantee they will want to talk to you; as it's a relatively low paid market and given the regulatory challenges, there is a real shortage of western law firm talent here.
With 5 years PQE you would be snapped up and likely to earn anything from $3000-$700 a month, depending on which firm you ended in.
You'd be daft to think of teaching English until you have exhausted law firm options. Approach them. I guarantee they will want to talk to you; as it's a relatively low paid market and given the regulatory challenges, there is a real shortage of western law firm talent here.
- Jacked Camry
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Based on my experience, you'd be sitting in a meeting with local lawyers who actually do all the work, nodding your head and making reassuring noises, while blathering in English to give confidence to the client. Then you bill them $300/hour, get the locals to do the actual work and bill THEM out at $250/hour in addition to your fees. Then you go drinking and whoring.gavinmac wrote:No, you won't be appearing in Cambodian courts. You'd be drafting agreements and doing transactional work.merchantsmutual wrote:Am I appearing in Cambodian courts? My Khmer is very basic. I have been mostly doing commercial litigation (foreclosures, insurance coverage) and only know U.S. courts. I am very confused that this would work.
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How have I not gotten in on this?Jacked Camry wrote:Then you bill them $300/hour, get the locals to do the actual work and bill THEM out at $250/hour in addition to your fees. Then you go drinking and whoring.
Follow my lame Twitter feed: @gavin_mac
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My cousin became a lawyer with a Porsche and all, but after his wife became a doctor and able to pay the rent,
he decided to become a comedian instead.
But he is not funny.
he decided to become a comedian instead.
But he is not funny.
That's a bit jaded, JC. Having worked in the major firms here, most of the western lawyers do the vast majority of the grunt work - particularly on drafting agreements, contracts opinions, simply because they can't rely on the local expertise. Or the local lawyers will do the drafting, but it will need massive rewriting, checking, verification etc. Then those legal documents will be signed by the local lawyer.
The Drinking and Whoring comments is accurate though.
The Drinking and Whoring comments is accurate though.
- Jacked Camry
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You've been too busy traveling and writing "7 reasons" articles. And you're the world's worst whoremonger, literally the definition of a guy who couldn't get laid in a brothel.gavinmac wrote:How have I not gotten in on this?Jacked Camry wrote:Then you bill them $300/hour, get the locals to do the actual work and bill THEM out at $250/hour in addition to your fees. Then you go drinking and whoring.
- Jacked Camry
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Having employed numerous law firms over the years, I'm simply relating my experience. I wish the lawyers in the region were as generous and reasonable in dealing with their clients as the ones in Canada. Believe it or not.scobienz wrote:That's a bit jaded, JC. Having worked in the major firms here, most of the western lawyers do the vast majority of the grunt work - particularly on drafting agreements, contracts opinions, simply because they can't rely on the local expertise. Or the local lawyers will do the drafting, but it will need massive rewriting, checking, verification etc. Then those legal documents will be signed by the local lawyer.
The Drinking and Whoring comments is accurate though.
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I'm not a PQE or whatever the British equivalent. I'm licensed in New York state and its federal courts and do commercial litigation.scobienz wrote:As gavinmac says you wouldn't appear in Cambodian courts. Only Cambodian lawyers can do that. But you would be working in the background, drafting legal opinions and documents and advising on a range of legal issues, including disputes. The firms here are regularly used by the big global firms for Cambodian legal opinions, for example, and they prefer to deal with westerners.
With 5 years PQE you would be snapped up and likely to earn anything from $3000-$700 a month, depending on which firm you ended in.
You'd be daft to think of teaching English until you have exhausted law firm options. Approach them. I guarantee they will want to talk to you; as it's a relatively low paid market and given the regulatory challenges, there is a real shortage of western law firm talent here.
What types of transactional work are we talking about? Complex stuff like private equity or simple stuff like leases and loans? Title work? Why would a firm be interested in a lawyer whose only real transactional experience is negotiating and drafting settlement agreements/stipulations of settlements/releases in litigation?
Last edited by merchantsmutual on Fri Jul 15, 2016 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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That could be mostly supply and demand. Compare the way Cravath treats clients with how the local struggling solo does.Jacked Camry wrote:Having employed numerous law firms over the years, I'm simply relating my experience. I wish the lawyers in the region were as generous and reasonable in dealing with their clients as the ones in Canada. Believe it or not.scobienz wrote:That's a bit jaded, JC. Having worked in the major firms here, most of the western lawyers do the vast majority of the grunt work - particularly on drafting agreements, contracts opinions, simply because they can't rely on the local expertise. Or the local lawyers will do the drafting, but it will need massive rewriting, checking, verification etc. Then those legal documents will be signed by the local lawyer.
The Drinking and Whoring comments is accurate though.
Nothing too high end. Real estate transactions. Due diligence. Cambodian legal aspects relating to transactions - Labour law aspects of a M&A deal. Like I said a lot of the wok comes from international firms who want a Cambodia legal perspective on a major deal.merchantsmutual wrote:I'm not a PQE or whatever the British equivalent. I'm licensed in New York state and its federal courts and do commercial litigation.scobienz wrote:As gavinmac says you wouldn't appear in Cambodian courts. Only Cambodian lawyers can do that. But you would be working in the background, drafting legal opinions and documents and advising on a range of legal issues, including disputes. The firms here are regularly used by the big global firms for Cambodian legal opinions, for example, and they prefer to deal with westerners.
With 5 years PQE you would be snapped up and likely to earn anything from $3000-$700 a month, depending on which firm you ended in.
You'd be daft to think of teaching English until you have exhausted law firm options. Approach them. I guarantee they will want to talk to you; as it's a relatively low paid market and given the regulatory challenges, there is a real shortage of western law firm talent here.
What types of transactional work are we talking about? Complex stuff like private equity or simple stuff like leases and loans? Title work? Why would a firm be interested in a lawyer whose only real transactional experience is negotiating and drafting settlement agreements/stipulations of settlements/releases in litigation?
There are no real specialists here. The market isn't big enough. Everyone is a generalist.
I don't know how many more times I can say this - your experience would be of interest to 4-5 of the biggest firms in town immediately, at least to the point of them wanting to talk to you.
Don't even consider teaching until you have approached those firms.
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