This happened a few months ago. I recently graduated law school, took the bar, and passed. I had everything done and was just waiting to hear back from the State Bar with the final paperwork so I was applying to local jobs with the expectation I'd be hired as an associate when I was officially licensed.
Anyway, I interviewed at a small 2-3 lawyer law firm in a HCOL area. It was relaxed, the managing attorney was an older man but seemed really chill and so did the employees. The work was also something in line with my morals.
I go, interview, he says he needs someone to start quick because his legal assistant is leaving to law school. I have clinical experience in the work that the law firm does. He offers me an hourly salary until I officially join the bar, which was only a matter of waiting since I had already passed the bar exam.
I went home after the interview and after a few hours he emails me an offer of nearly minimum wage per hour, plus another dollar raise after a month, and another after the second month. There were some concessions, such as paying the bar licensing fee which I thought taking advantage of.
I email him back telling him I've earned and been offered anywhere from $28-33/hr as a post-bar law clerk and he responds, after I prod one of his assistants for a response, about the risks he's taking and money he could lose out if I don't “perform.” Like dude, that's the risk of owning a business.
First off, I don't see why he planned on giving me a “raise” since I would have to be paid a salary after I get my license which was going to happen before the second month. Second, I have a Bachelors, a JD, and will be licensed to practice as an attorney. Among other things, I also speak a second language that is common in the area and nobody else in the office, assistant or otherwise, speaks it.
Sometimes firms get post-bar law clerks who don't have their bar results yet so they take a risk on whether that person will pass the bar exam their first time around. With me, I had already passed. I went to a regional school and was in the median percentile, so not great but not horrible either but it was a sure thing.
Eventually he responded passive-aggressively and took my counteroffer as a rejection of his offer. I would have obviously declined even if he met me in the middle since it was still a ridiculous offer. I kept applying elsewhere and got offered another job, not as an attorney but a related position, for close to $50/hr.
Here's the kicker though – It was an employment law firm.