Does anyone like being a paralegal?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: An in-house paralegal would be one who works for an in-house legal department or legal function. E.g., a corporate legal department. Compare with a paralegal who works for a law firm.

Displaced Legal Professional: I have a question for you or for any skilled paralegal on this site. Since you know the Ins and Outs from working for attornies. I have a friend of a friend that is considering relocating here, and she is a lawyer and has been practicing for maybe 4 years? and mentioned she would take a paralegal job if she couldn't get a job at a law firm as a lawyer. And is open to intership. Is it that hard to get a job for what you went to school for to be a lawyer? I just thought it was odd she would step down from her official title and take paralegal work and/or intership to land a job. I think intership is for newly graduate college students and taking a paraglegal position (if hired that is) would be a step down? Is it hard for lawyers to find work? I don't know - I'm not in the legal field and read your posts about life in the legal field and like reading what you guys post here. Just your feed back would be appreciated. I guess I didn't think lawyers had a hard time find work like the rest of us who aren't lawyers.

Working Paralegal in Austin in Austin, Texas said: I have to say that in my 30 year career, I have met only one attorney who was a paralegal first, then became an attorney. I used to hear one of the other female attorneys in the same firm make snarky comments such as "Well, I've never had to BE a paralegal" as though it were a lowly position. And it is, to attorneys. Make no mistake, you are "merely" support staff like every other legal secretary, legal assistant, mail room staff, etc. No matter how good you are, attorneys do not respect anyone who has worked at a law firm as anything "less" than an attorney. OK, one exception - I do know an attorney who was a pharmacist before he became an attorney. I've never heard any comments about his having been a pharmacist.

Glad I saw this post you wrote in and wanted to forward this question your way along with DLP:

I have a question for you or for any skilled paralegal on this site. Since you know the Ins and Outs from working for attornies. I have a friend of a friend that is considering relocating here, and she is a lawyer and has been practicing for maybe 4 years? and mentioned she would take a paralegal job if she couldn't get a job at a law firm as a lawyer. And is open to intership. Is it that hard to get a job for what you went to school for to be a lawyer? I just thought it was odd she would step down from her official title and take paralegal work and/or intership to land a job. I think intership is for newly graduate college students and taking a paraglegal position (if hired that is) would be a step down? Is it hard for lawyers to find work? I don't know - I'm not in the legal field and read your posts about life in the legal field and like reading what you guys post here. Just your feed back would be appreciated. I guess I didn't think lawyers had a hard time find work like the rest of us who aren't lawyers.

Attorneys taking paralegal jobs usually do not work out, at least in my experience. The jobs are very different. Lawyers first and foremost are analytical thinkers. They process things one at a time. Unless they are unusual, they have not been taught business principles, the core of which is good management of personnel and resources. They are given a problem (legal issue) and they must analyze the problem and divide it into key components and then figure out how to resolve the problem. In some respects they now see their job as done. Paralegals are process based people. Through training, education and experience they have the skills to accomplish the tasks assigned them by the attorney. Paralegals want as much information as they can get (which attorneys can be notoriously bad at providing). They take this information and figure out what needs to be done. They think through a project, consider what process is needed to accomplish the project, organize it and proceed. The lawyer doesn't care about the process and therefore does not understand how to translate the analysis of the problem and the required needs in a way to allow the paralegal to assume control. Lawyers still do not know how to use paralegals and some are threatened by the thought that a non-lawyer can be used at such a high level. They want a “worker bee” when in fact they have a “thinking bee.”

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: I just wanted to add that firms sometimes hesitate to hire lawyers as paralegals. They don't always work out in that role.

One of my firms hired three lawyers to be paralegals. One lawyer-paralegal left after six weeks. Another lawyer-paralegal was fired after a month. A senior associate didn't like her writing. The third lawyer-paralegal, who was very sharp, may have been confused about her role. The firm put her in situations in which she was unsure if she should wear her paralegal hat or attorney hat. She may have been upgraded to "attorney" after I left the firm. In any event, she left the firm and joined an associate who also left to start his own practice.

Okay: Firms are downsizing I can see that. She hasn't looked for work for a few years. She doesn't know how it will take her. ? Don't even know if she is a good one/high dollar attorney or what type of services/or firm she specializes in. I remember it is a small firm. I was just thinking of how long it would take her and will state she isn't just out of school more to be over 45 under 50 y/o (myself included here). And with her wanting to take a paralegal job if she isn't offered a position as a lawyer, I can see how they would treat someone with the title lawyer as a paralegal employee. And I know you guys have to take a lot of BS from these hot shot lawyers as I have read on this post. I have to say I don't think I would "step down from my title" due to the previous post I read about a lawyer was a paralegal before getting the education behind him to be a lawyer. And if she is considering internship role - I still say it's not like she is fresh out of college and I wouldn't do the work for free as a intership or a Volunteer. Not to get off the thread here, but some jobs are posting "Paid Working Experience" - wow... It must have been a blow for the two lawyers to have gotten fired from someone with the same education/title

I thank you DLP and Working Paralegal for both your responses.

I knew you would have insight in this world and have seen it all. As I know - I would never want to work for a lawyer as an assistant, paralegal or any other capacity. I do enjoy reading your posts in the working life in a lawyers office. To be seen in what she does or what job she might get. Can only wish her the best. I'll close for now and will keep reading what everyone posts here. Thanks for your input.

I wanted to appoligize to all that I may have offened here in saying the Lawyer friend taking a "step down" job in my previous post.

What I meant by that is: After going to school and spending all the money she spent to be a Lawyer and have that title - may I add here the school loans to pay back, to take a job as a paralegal (would be fine and it's a good job to have if you can get it - and different from being a lawyer as I just read) I was just looking at it from the title as Lawyer not being able to find work and will work as a Paralegal employee just to get in...

E.S. in Olney, Illinois said: Thank you for your replies. Getting a paralegal's point of view is extremely helpful.

To answer your question, kmm, I'm a bartender at the moment. It's not a job to be proud of, and is certainly not career worthy, but it pays the bills. I think my lack of success finding a better, more "grown-up" job is freaking me out.

I've got an idea (and maybe you have already done this...)but, if I were a bartender and good at conversation with my customers...I would ask EVERY customer (at the appropraite time)... "what do you do for a living...do you like it...if so why or why not..." You may get a very good idea of who's employed or not employed and who's weathered the recession and since you already have a degree who knows what it could lead to...JUST A THOUGHT.

I have worked at several firms and this one in-house place and none of these places would hire an attorney for a paralegal job.(Although they all had plenty of attorneys applying for paralegal jobs.) In fact at one firm one of the paralegals went to law school at night and as soon as the firm got word she passed the bar, they let her go telling her, we don't have attorneys in paralegal positions.

I am 24 years old and I'm college senior graduating in December and will be getting my B.A. in English. Of course, my next step after that is seeking some form of employment. As anyone who has or hasn't been an English knows, teaching is the assumed occupation. However, my answer to the number one question will always be "no." I am searching high and low and looking on all bounds to do anything other than teaching because I would love to almost do anything except teach, and also I would love to prove to anyone that an English major is more than capable to do many things besides standing in front of a black board 5 days a week. All of this to say, paralegal and law clerk thoughts have been popping through my head lately. I have been fascinated and intrigued with law, attorneys, courtrooms, etc. for many, many years, and even had lofty ideas as a junior in high school of aspiring to enter law school. Of course, that changed by the time I entered college. My biggest questions lie in the reality that I feel quite far from the knowledge of law and legal documents, and wonder how I could ever be a law clerk or a paralegal without any trained foreknowledge in the field. Just because I learned how to analyze, research, critique, write, and close-read essays, poems, stories, etc. in college, how is that suppose to get me a job in the law field if I honestly don't really know anything about it except general knowledge? I may not be fighting a case in a courtroom, but some gained knowledge in the field will be more than of some help, but be necessary. Also, the mere reality of what paralegals honestly do almost intimidates me and causes me to have prior thoughts of stress. It sounds exciting and even fun, but sounds like a nightmare at the same time. Could someone help me out?

Law clerks are almost always young attorneys.

Yes, it will be hard for you to get a job in h the legal field with no legal education or legal experience. You might be able to get some solo attorney to hire you for $8.00/hr. You could get some experience that way. Are you pretty? Outgoing? That will help you get a solo attorney to hire you and be willing to teach you stuff.

Paralegal in Dallas, Texas said: Law clerks are almost always young attorneys.

Yes, it will be hard for you to get a job in h the legal field with no legal education or legal experience. You might be able to get some solo attorney to hire you for $8.00/hr. You could get some experience that way. Are you pretty? Outgoing? That will help you get a solo attorney to hire you and be willing to teach you stuff.

Thank you. I've pondered this thought myself. It sounds possible. There is actually an attorney who attends my church, and I asked him months ago about if he knew of any attorneys who needed office assistance such as filing and so forth. He told me that he didn't know of any mainly because they can't afford to hire someone. This attorney is not what you might call the typical lawyer. He is self-employed and does all kinds of cases. However, I have a problem. I know he would love anyone who would volunteer to help him because I know he is really busy, but he can't afford to hire anyone since he doesn't make much money as far as I know. I believe most of his cases are what you might call "needy." He works more in a ministering way and does not charge a lot; in fact I think a lot of his clients are usually penniless and practically homeless. Anyway, I'll be on the brink of finding an attorney in my area that works primarily alone. There are several offices, so maybe I'll find something. Three summers ago I went to these offices looking for a summer job to help any attorney who might need assistance. They all said they needed no one. I'm hoping that with a degree in hand at the time I'll be seeking a job, they might have mercy on me since I'm needing some training in the field. In the meantime, I'll ask my attorney friend for some possible training. (He taught my economics/government class in high school. Ha ha!) Thank you for your advice.

Laura in Montevallo, Alabama said: However, I have a problem. I know he would love anyone who would volunteer to help him because I know he is really busy, but he can't afford to hire anyone since he doesn't make much money as far as I know.

If he's handling so many cases and has no money, then maybe he should consider another line of work. Or else, he has money and is too cheap to hire anyone, so he lures them in with volunteer work.

BG in Carlsbad, California said: If he's handling so many cases and has no money, then maybe he should consider another line of work. Or else, he has money and is too cheap to hire anyone, so he lures them in with volunteer work.

That is my thought too. He's probably doing personal injury work. The clients are low income. All he needs is a cheap office. He takes in lots and lots of little matters and settles them and gets 40 percent. What kind of car does he drive?

mary in Tampa, Florida said: That is my thought too. He's probably doing personal injury work. The clients are low income. All he needs is a cheap office. He takes in lots and lots of little matters and settles them and gets 40 percent. What kind of car does he drive?

Well, he is an attorney to almost anyone who will ask him. He's hard to explain. I don't think he has an office, except for at his home maybe. I am sure you're right about him taking in lots and lots of little matters. He has driven several kinds of cars...ha ha...I might as well tell you, he's a penny pincher, Libertarian, and is meticulous about not wasting food, etc. Many of his cases are in jail for drugs, theft, and anything else among petty larceny or such. Some of them pay him by way of doing home improvements to their (his) home, like tile work, hardwood refinishing, and cabinet carpentry. This attorney is a real piece of work, and really cannot be explained in the written form. Ha ha! His son is in Cambodia practicing law there for a year.

Laura in Bessemer, Alabama said: This attorney is a real piece of work, and really cannot be explained in the written form. Ha ha! His son is in Cambodia practicing law there for a year.

Yup and he probably has a vault filled with money, lol.

Teresa in Prattville, Alabama said: I love being a paralegal. It stimulates your mind; it is a "busy job" (not boring) and get to meet a lot of people and you help people that are down in life. You have to be organized, pay attention to detail. I have set myself up for success. I have several books I use to help my job easier like I have an attorney directory to find attys I have a doctor directory to find doctors for my clients. I uses contacts in outlook to keep up with the attys on the other side of my case. It really is an interesting job but it is one of those jobs either you love it or you hate it. A calendar is your best friend, you have to live by it.

Teresa: I find it interesting that you are a paralegal, yet have such horrible grammar and punctuation. How do you prepare statements, let alone documents for signing with such skills?

Justlooking in Wichita, Kansas said: Teresa: I find it interesting that you are a paralegal, yet have such horrible grammar and punctuation. How do you prepare statements, let alone documents for signing with such skills?

I hardly comment on this board and just read the comments how eveyone hates being a paralegal. We finally get someone on the board who is excited about the field and someone knocks her down. These posts are not emails we sent to clients or attorneys. Teresa wrote with emotion. Who are you "justlooking" to be so critical. You are probably that one paralegal at the firm who knows everything, is bossy and hard to work with. You didn't pay attention to one thing she said. Just an imediate critisicm. shame on you

This thread is pretty depressing but interesting at the same time. I am a paralegal in Charlotte,NC since 06. I have worked with a RE transaction firm and currently am an independednt abstractor. I enjoyed the environment of the law firm I worked for as it was an upscale boutique firm yet it grew to be very hectic. The pay was not great but I have always been optimistic about the profession overall. I have enrolled at my local community college to continue my paralegal education so that I can work in a different area... I guess I have sipped the paralegal kool-aid. I wonder how much job satisfaction many of you who express your disdain for the profession have enjoyed in your other work. In other words, are you all a bunch of malcontents?

From what I read of Teresa comments about her job, she is not a paralegal. She is working for a PI attorney and doing menial work. She was (at the time of her post) very new to the legal field and was excited about being in the new field.

She said nothing about the work. Examples are she loves helping people, she has an attorney directory, she finds her clients doctors.

Justlooking in Wichita, Kansas said: Teresa: I find it interesting that you are a paralegal, yet have such horrible grammar and punctuation. How do you prepare statements, let alone documents for signing with such skills?

I see what you mean. I am just going to assume that she uses these skills in informal social circles, even though I prefer to be grammatically correct when writing anything, even if it is on Facebook or any type of social network. I find it ever so irritating to have to read things people write that do not contain a single period, comma, or any type of punctuation. The error in her statement that strikes me the most is "I uses." I'm hoping that it is a typo, however, people have been known to use such subject-verb agreement. Let us hope that she writes in proper English when writing for her job; if not, then my state is in some trouble.

Hafta Learn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: I just started taking paralegal courses. I understand that paralegals do a lot of heavy lifting, billable hours and therefore hectic pace being a major reason. Is there an area of law with a slow/slower pace? To those of paralegals working in Immigration, is it a nice, slow paced field to get into?

Hi Hafta Learn,
The area of law is not so much an area of law but a legal environment that is a slower pace. That environment is Legal Aid. I worked for Legal Aid in Dallas for approximately one year as a volunteer. I am now working on a volunteer basis at Legal Aid in Broward County, FL. I am enjoying it and the paralegal who is my supervisor is a sweetheart. The head attorney I report to is a very good person.

I have been thinking of getting and associates degree as a paralegal. I earned my associates degree in nuclear medicine technology last October and there are no jobs. The legal field is a better fit for me but I was discouraged because I thought the pay will be lower. Are there jobs available for paralegals? Any thoughts will be appreciated. I support my family and can't afford to waste my time in school to be unemployed. Thanks.

Missy, instead of spending or borrowing money for another degree, go find a job as a legal secretary, and see how you do.

If you can't get a job in nuclear medicine technology (whatever that is), don't count on doing better in the legal field. Legal jobs are disappearing.

missy22 in Kissimmee, Florida said: I have been thinking of getting and associates degree as a paralegal. I earned my associates degree in nuclear medicine technology last October and there are no jobs. The legal field is a better fit for me but I was discouraged because I thought the pay will be lower. Are there jobs available for paralegals? Any thoughts will be appreciated. I support my family and can't afford to waste my time in school to be unemployed. Thanks.

Also, to go along with what Mary said, if you seek employment as a legal secretary, perhaps your medical background will be helpful in areas such as personal injury, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, etc. You probably had to take medical terminology when you trained as a nuclear medicine technologist, right? That could certainly be useful.

This is definitely not a good time to get saddled with more student loans, Mary is on the money about that.

I graduated 6 months ago from a paralegal program..It took me about 6 months to find a job, now I'm in paralegal hell...I work in family law..It seemed nice at first, but after only 2 weeks, I'm ready to quit..I can't keep up with the work load! I only work 3 days/week but I feel like I've been working 60 hours a week..i also got talked down to today because I had to ask a few times about a project..She is never around and when she does give me assignments, she's always on her way out the door..I do write stuff down, but I'm having a hard time retaining all the info..I feel like she should schedule me at least 30-40 hours/week..Not 18 hours...I'm already having headaches and can't sleep well..I really thought i was going to like this, but i can honestly say i don't even want to go in there anymore..I don't like how I feel when I'm finished working..I just don't feel like it's worth the stress..Is this normal only after a few weeks?

That sounds like my last job. This is the thing - if you quit now, it's going to be that much harder to get the next job. Two weeks is really not enough time to figure out if a job is for you, although unfortunately, what you are describing sounds pretty normal to me. There is a giant learning curve. As you develop more skills and learn the job, you might be less stressed out,
or manage the stress better. Many paralegal positions involve high stress, and family law is one of the most stressful areas. A family law attorney is usually under a great deal of pressure from their clients. The clients often have unrealistic expectations and are highly emotional, and the pressure experienced by attorneys in dealing with clients is frequently transmitted to the paralegal. Being talked down to is unpleasant, but if you are going to be a paralegal, it happens, and it's best to just develop a thick skin and brush it off. Behavior ignored is behavior diminished. Conducting yourself calmly, unemotionally and professionally, especially when the attorney is getting all crazy, is the best defense.

First of all, Pathetic, I like your name. Gives me a chuckle. We need those around here once in awhile.

It sucks being in your position. You're part-time, being thrown things with which you're not familiar, your attorney seems demanding and unapproachable and you're stressed after two weeks. I don't envy you.

It is possible that you will start to pick things up and be more comfortable doing them. I know I've felt clueless in a few jobs in the first few weeks. You should try to be patient and work through it. It does sound that the attorney is being overly demanding of a part-timer though.

I'm not going to tell you to quit because that's up to you and also because we both know how the job market is.

Keep looking for another job. Also, look into maybe doing temporary work.

Good luck.

Does anyone like being a paralegal? It sounds like paralegals need to join together and revolt until they are paid more, given more respect and decent hours.

I remember when the field of nursing was abusive, underpaid and nurses were way overworked. The nurses changed that.

I remember when teachers were abused, underpaid and not appreciated. The teachers got together and changed that.

Union anyone?

Totally agree, and I've been advocating for a union for paralegals and legal secretaries for years.

Paralegal in Dallas, Texas said: Here's what I think is amazing - the job requirements for this Litigation Paralegal job posting (as seen on Craigslist):

Downtown Dallas law firm seeking litigation paralegal to coordinate requests made by attorneys for discovery and trial support. Qualified candidates should have at least 5 years of litigation paralegal experience and possess an understanding of the litigation process.
Qualified candidates should have:
1. Extensive knowledge of Summation, Access and Excel, as well as other litigation support software, (Sanction, Visionary)
2. The ability to manipulate and trouble shoot load files
3. The ability and understanding to deal with electronic documents
4. The ability to coordinate, develop, design and build databases
5. The ability to code in VB and/or VBA.
6. The knowledge necessary to handle computer setup for trial and/or mediation/arbitration
7. The ability to coordinate with outside vendors when assistance is needed for case or trial support and/or equipment acquisition/rental needed for courtroom/mediation/arbitration use
8. Excellent organization skills and the ability to communicate written and verbally with attorneys
9. A strong information technology background

Um... this may have been the job description they created to replace me, since I did all of that plus some. I told them they wouldn't be able to find anyone else with all of those skills. Don't think they believed me.

My story, for what it's worth. I was 25, just moved to Texas from Cali. It was 1985. Economy in Houston SUCKED! So, I continued my construction career. That lasted for bout 6 months. The contractor's check kept bouncing, so I decided to be a courier for a while and learn the territory. After 2.5 yrs I was the only person in the company who could do State and Federal court research. Firms were asking for me personally no matter where I was at. I loved it and fell in love with the legal field. So, off to school I went. I got married and during my paralegal schooling. At that time my paralegal school was seeking ABA Certification. Two years after I finished school they decided to drop the paralegal program. So, no ABA Cerfication. Kudos to me I guess. Anyway, I got a job with an attorney who was just staring his law practice. I worked from home mainly. One day I get served a subpoena. Turns out the atty I was working for was getting sued by another atty he worked for. Something about steeling clients and firm monies. My first job and I get sued. Oh happy day! Had to work for a six months (for free) to pay my atty to represent me. I knew nothing of what the suit was about. Not a great staring point. Fast forward. It is now 2012 and I've stayed in the field for over 20 yrs. Temp work for 6 years, eventually landing a very nice job at a defense firm. I don't mind working hard at all, but the billing crap got old. I stayed there for 7 yrs and was offered a job at plaintiff firm closer to home. Took it. 9 months later I was out of work, not only because of hurricane Katrina but mainly because of personality conflicts. So, out of work for 9 months. Finally land a job at a billionaires law firm. Sole owner gets killed in car wreck, firm in the process of closing. Was told I'd be there till the end and would receive a severance package. Didn't happen. Was let go recently and was never told "What For". No package whatsoever. Thank God I saved up vacation and sick time. BURNT!