- Report: #512532
Complaint Review: American Conference Institute - New York New York
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American Conference Institute
41 West 25th St, 9th floor, New York, New York, United States of America
Phone:
352-3220
Web:
americanconference.com
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American Conference Institute ACI, American Conference, Kenneth Horton, Stephanie Butler, Benjamin Greenzweig, ACI law, Americanconference.com American Conference Institute Scam, Conference Producer, Stephanie Butler, Kenneth Horton, Benjamin Greenzweig, ACI law, ACI conferences New York, New York
American Conference Institute Rip Off - Conference Producer/Legal Conference Producer Job Work Scam- Benjamin Greenzweig, Stephanie Butler, Kenneth Horton
American Conference Institute seems to be running an unusual scam. They repeatedly relist positions for "conference producer" and "legal conference producer" with seemingly little or no intention of filling the position - how do I know? I was unfortunately duped by them and have met at least two other law school grads who were as well.
The American Conference Institute Scam works like this-
You respond to their job posting seeking a conference producer or legal conference producer that they flood on the major job boards. Kenneth Horton or Stephanie Butler will bring you in for a group interview with up to three other people up for the same position - that alone should have set off alarms -this is supposed to be an executive-level position, who does a group cutco style interview? They will tell you this is an exciting opportunity for an "alternative" legal career - meaning most of the people there could not hack it in practice or could not pass the NY bar exam. Anyway, they will give you a considerable "conference producer" work assignment that you are expected to put alot of time into - they give you 10 days. They put on legal conferences and tell you they want to make sure you can handle the written work. They will tell each of you to do a one day conference mock up (they usually have three day legal conferences) and turn it in. They will then call you back for a follow-up interview in which you basically give them your contacts list and other information. Then you are unlikely to here from them.
I do not care that I did not get the position but neither did the other people there whom I later spoke to. The listing has been relisted on the job boards for MONTHS - could it really take that long to fill a non-lawyer position - the answer is a definitive NO. So exactly what is the point of them having you do 20-30 hours of free research. Gee, three people doing a one day mock-up equals a three day conference for free for them lol. It is shameful they would do this to people in such a don economy but what do you expect.
American Conference Institute or ACI basically survives by fleecing attorneys for exhorbitant fees for legal credits. I guess those that can't do teach, and those that can't teach live off practicing attorneys. Benjamin Greenzweig, the "managing director" of a "legal think tank" is himself not a licensed attorney - ding ding - bells again, highly odd. There is nothing worse than someone who dresses like, speaks like, and practically holds themselves out as counsel - but they never went to law school.
Don't fall for the American Conference Institute conference producer/legal conference producer scam unless you want to just give them alot of free work product.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Annonymous
Kew Gardens,New York,
USA
Producer Job may exist but this company is the worst
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, July 18, 2011
I am not sure if the producer job exists or not but one thing I can tell you from working here is that this company does not know how to treat people. It is very common for them to "try you on for size" which only benefits them and then if after a couple of days or weeks they don't like you, they decide to fire you. ACI is nothing more than a obsolete, self serving, deceiving group of individuals. If you are ever considering a career with ACI I would think twice. They are nothing more than two-faced and their ideas and training skills were good four decades and are basically dead by today standards.
anonymous
United States of AmericaACI Conference Producer Job Does Exist
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, May 09, 2010
In response to the report inferring the conference producer interview project is a scam, please know that this position does in fact exist - I used to work there and enjoyed my time there very much.
Thousands of attorneys from the highest levels of government, leading law firms and in-house counsel would not put their reputations on the line by speaking at ACI events each year if this were not the case.
The project interview process is in place to find the most qualified lawyers who are looking for an alternative legal career - meaning want to escape the life of 18 hour work days in a firm, not that they couldn't pass the bar.
Writing skills, including basic grammar and spell check, count. (A lot is two words, not one)
In no way would ACI use someone's project to create a conference which is evident by looking at the conferences they produce.
It's regrettable that someone who was simply not right for the position feels they need to slam ACI's reputation in this manner, and those of its management team.
alias
Woodmere,New York,
USA
I had a similar experience with American Conference Institute - Benjamin Greenzweig, Stephanie Butler and Kenneth Horton
#4General Comment
Thu, October 22, 2009
I had a very similar experience with all the people you mentioned in the report and got taken for the same ride. I searched google to see if anyone else had a similar experience and found this post on ACI aka American Conference Institute. I also "interviewed" there and did the "conference producer project" for them like an idiot. They never even let me know if the position was filled or anything else as soon as they got their free work. I met the director Benjamin Greenzweig - Slick Rick has nothing on this near-lawyer haha. Anyway, I fully agree - its a chop shop aimed at ripping off real attorneys - have you been to their "offices." I also met Stephanie Butler who also pitched me on the glory of an alternative legal career - same stry for Ken or Kenneth Horton - thankfully I also did not get the fictitious job that has been listed and reposted ad infinitum. I actually found one at a real law firm. Thanks Anonymous for warning others about these people.
