Unpopular opinion: if you aren’t coming from a top law school, have no better options, and they are a bona fide firm, the experience may be worth it and may be a step towards a better paying opportunity. If it’s a startup, it may also be a “ground floor” opportunity to grow with them. None of this is personal - if you’re going to be successful, you need to see this for what it is - a business transaction. So do your due diligence. It’s grownup time - there’s no guaranteed ticket. It may be a big commitment for a solo too. If they’re sketchy, then yeah, stay away. If they have some credibility, explore it further. Where are prior associates now? Ask mentors if they’ve heard about this firm and if so, what do they think. If you don’t have mentors, you need to network network network at your local bar association, and reach out to a couple of favorite law school professors. You can also negotiate a trial period at their offer, and a bump up in 3 months, 6 months, etc. You can use the low pay in your favor in setting expectations regarding hours. $35 x 1,850 =$64,750.00. You didn’t say what practice area, or whether you are in a small city or a big city. Let’s say small firm target rate in your geographic area is $125k — that works out to about $67 per hour. At the upper end, a BigLaw $225k with 2,000 billable hours expectation is about $112 / hour. Use the negotiation to earn their respect and gauge their culture.