If you have been (or are) a paralegal please take a moment to answer this simple question...

My attorneys didn't pick targets based on personality of the targets. Their bullying was all about them. Anyone who worked in their team was a target at some time or another.

The turnover in the department was high.

There were secretaries who would just pick up their purses and walk out. Another who went to lunch and never returned. There was a first year attornery they tormented and bullied so much and so severely that he quit in 2 months. Another first year they also tormented but in a more passive aggressive way than the other first year who was bullied more directly.

None of this had anything to do with us. It was them. One of the attorneys was the ringleader and the other partners went along with it. They were all partner level. They couldn't keep an associate attorney on their team. They ran them all off.

Paralegal in Dallas, Texas said: My attorneys didn't pick targets based on personality of the targets. Their bullying was all about them. Anyone who worked in their team was a target at some time or another.

The turnover in the department was high.

There were secretaries who would just pick up their purses and walk out. Another who went to lunch and never returned. There was a first year attornery they tormented and bullied so much and so severely that he quit in 2 months. Another first year they also tormented but in a more passive aggressive way than the other first year who was bullied more directly.

None of this had anything to do with us. It was them. One of the attorneys was the ringleader and the other partners went along with it. They were all partner level. They couldn't keep an associate attorney on their team. They ran them all off.

Correct..in your case it was not about a personality trait..It was their style..and tactics...and they did it to everyone that worked for them..period..

In my case, I became a target based on a personality trait. NOt a bad personality trait...

As a paralegal, I have been trained to explain documents to people...whether it is directions to the runner..or handing a corporate resolution to the CEO for signature to tell them what they are signing..

THe plumber did not like that...he was experienced...I was too new to know that...and he got bent out by a personality trait, specifically that I spoke with a college educated voice...Then came the assault threat...

Lawyers that are nasty...will usually be that way to everyone. It is how that act...and they do not have to care..

Yeah....it can give you some very bad days...and want you to get out of the job..

Dallas, you have a steller 11 year track record...Something to be proud of...

ME, I need to "forgive" myself...as I certainly did not do things that would cause me to be fired..Need your job..you do your job..

Allison in Stoughton, Massachusetts said:

Allison in Stoughton, Massachusetts said:

"Jim in Braintree, Massachusetts said: Do you like being a paralegal? Why or why not?

Jim, I am a paralegal in downtown Boston. I have worked as a paralegal for about four years now. I have experienced a real mixed bag in the industry. Since I was 19 I worked in law offices, I have my bachelors in legal studies as well as a paralegal certificate. I worked in Stoughton for awhile and the job was low stress, high reward in terms of the work and clients, and the attorney treated me well, however I reached a ceiling and looked to move on. I then went to work for a firm in Newton and it was a horror show. The firm was short staffed, the partners were arrogant to a toxic degree - specifically, they thought it was acceptable to sexually harass the staff, and to boot the staff were treated like toddlers - sign in and out, etc. In the time I worked there 3 people (in this office that totaled 13 people when I started) quit. I then went to work downtown and I have found it to be another terrible experience. The work here is unbelievably high stress. Again the office is substantially understaffed creating a lousy work environment. I've found these jobs to be grossly misrepresented as well, everything from the tasks to the salary.

I do not believe that this will be the case in every firm but I know our locations are nearby to one another so I wanted to let you know what I've experienced. I'm currently looking for another job again. I have found it's very difficult to find an office where the attorneys are respectful to the staff more often than not.

Anyway, hope this is helpful. Feel free to ask me if you have any further questions.

(Sorry to rant)"

Firstly, I'd like to thank Allison for her honest contribution to the discussion on this particular forum. As someone who is CONSIDERING getting into the paralegal field myself, I couldn't help but wonder.....

Continued.....

....just how big of a mistake I might be making in becoming a paralegal myself. However, I am considering going back to school --regardless of my future experience as a paralegal (God help me keep my sanity once I begin!), and getting an MBA from a good, reputable school.
In any case, Allison, I was wondering if you could possibly share any more of your work experience as a paralegal in Mass. I'm trying to find a paralegal local to my area (Stoughton is right next to the town where I live) so I could talk to them directly )aside from simply just reading --and re-reading-- all the forum threads about the paralegal field. Just figured I might be able to glean some useful insight on of all the things I've read so far on ideed.com's paralegal forums (and I've been trolling them for days now). Otherwise, I'll just settle for reading the forums, but someone else's POV (from a local standpoint, emphasis added) would certainly help add some additional perpective.

As a Paralegal with approximately 18 years of experience primarily in Litigation, I would NOT suggest going into the Paralegal field. For the same reasons mentioned by other Paralegals here. You are not appreciated, underpaid for the level of stress and work. In Florida many firms do not distinguish Paralegals from Legal Assistants, so your pay will be lowered as such. I've been blamed for mistakes the attorney has made and let go because the attorney hired me at "X" pay then couldn't afford me so let me go just before my first year anniversary there. Yes the work is interesting and you are appreciated by the clients whose cases you handle. I'd also add that in this economy driven job market, you will get hired at less, and if prior let go any large firm will not hire you and they won't take into consideration the economy effecting the tenure of your stay at prior firms. Consider getting your insurance adjuster's license. With that you could however get into an insurance company in legal capacity, have more job stability, higher pay and much better benefits. That is what a Paralegal friend of mine did and loves it. That is what my goal is to do.

I have had similar instances. And things like this have been brought up at review time as well, during which I had to stand up for myself, continually.

Hi all - I ran across this blog while mindlessly surfing the web for interior design jobs. I am an intellectual property legal secretary in the Washington, DC area - since I work in IP prosecution, the paralegal tag also applies. I have worked in this field for 12 years and have worked at 5 different firms over that period of time. I, too, have experienced the unappreciation, the nastiness of attorney attitudes, the non-management of law firms (seriously, why is there even an HR department in law firms?) and the feelings of being extremely overworked since I have been in this field. I can't tell you how many weekends I worked at my last job - in which I did bill for my time - just to get ahead of my massive workload. It's funny because I started off wanting to be an attorney when I graduated from college. I got into law school, but had worked in an IP firm for a year by that point, and quickly decided against going. Since that time, I have earned two masters (an MBA and a MA in interior design) and after reading the posts in this forum, I am now convinced that I am making the right decision to get out of this field at this time. IP staff (attornies and non-attornies) make REALLY GOOD money. But, at this stage I am willing to start over at 35 years of age and at a salary significantly less than what I make now, just to escape the stress of IP. To the individual who posed the initial question regarding this field, I would say to enter the field, but listen to your heart. If after one year your heart tells you to get out - LISTEN!! No matter what the money looks like, it is not worth going to work for 8+ hours a day hating what you do, not only because of the work itself, but sometimes also because of the people - the attornies you work with (and/or your co-workers). No amount of money is worth that. It took me 12 years to finally listen to myself enough to make my final decision, and if I could change it and get some time back, trust me - I would.

I agree with DLP. I'm trying to get out of law firm life but I'm a lot older than you so it's tough. I loved your comment about why do law firms even have HR departments? I've often wondered that myself.
Good luck to you!

Jim in Braintree, Massachusetts said: Do you like being a paralegal? Why or why not?

Please mention the "style" of paralegal that you are/were (corporate, government, etc.). And if you could mention how easy or difficult it is to get into that kind of position, availability

I'm trying to decide if going to school to be a paralegal is the right career move (as opposed to going to school for something else) and I've heard some differing views on this forum.

Maybe if I tell you what I want in career you might be able to tell me if being paralegal is a good job or may be able to suggest something better. I want a job that
pays at least 50k (not at the start but after 5 years); that requires only an associates degree or no degree; that isn't super stressful; but that also is challenging and rewarding (meaning that my work makes a difference to my clients and they appreciate my effort). I don't know how well a paralegal job holds up to these standards but I'm interested to see what you think.

Yes I do like being a paralegal I have been a litigation paralegal which means simply I handle cases that are going to trial. I have also do immigration work that is very rewarding.
As a litigation paralegal I have alot of client contact.
I have been very fortuntate that the attorneys I have worked with have allowed me to do substantive legal work, which makes the job rewarding and satisfying.
If you only want to obtain an associates degree or no degree I suggest you go to a plaintiff litigation firm.
Myself I have a certificate and a bachelor's degree. If you want to do transactional work as a paralegal you are going to be required at a miminum, to have an associates degree.
I hope this helps you decide.

I know now I have to start over. I've worked for seven yrs. in the law field and I can't get a break. Attorneys have no idea what reality is. They want perfection. They will hire you as a legal secretary/legal assistant/paralegal if you are 23, petite, big boobs, little ass OR can type anything w/out (1) single fing typo, or just plain don't question their mistakes. But if you are 43 and opposite forget it. Even the female attorneys, they don't care if you look good they want you to kiss their ass and worship them. I've worked for 1 attorney that was great and she got pregs and I had to look for another job.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Also forget it if you are an over-50 male paralegal. Old school male attorneys are used to having female legal assistants. They cannot deal with a male nonlawyer's presence and/or fear that male legal assistants will threaten their authority.

Many female attorneys still have chips on their shoulders. They feel they must throw their weight around for male legal assistants to respect them.

I AGREE.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Also forget it if you are an over-50 male paralegal. Old school male attorneys are used to having female legal assistants. They cannot deal with a male nonlawyer's presence and/or fear that male legal assistants will threaten their authority.

Many female attorneys still have chips on their shoulders. They feel they must throw their weight around for male legal assistants to respect them.

I Agree.

Experienced IP Paralegal in Gaithersburg, Maryland said: Experienced IP Paralegal in DC here:

Horrible day at work today. It was basically just one abusive attorney but it was all day long. The one saving grace is the other abusive attorney I work for is out of the country and her Blackberry isn't working (there is a God).

I am so jealous of DLP and others who managed to get out of law. I want to so bad but I'm not sure how to go about it. At the very least, I need to increase my efforts trying to get a gov't job. Problem is it takes forever. And my nervous breakdown may not wait that long, lol.

But after today, and the past couple months actually, I am so motivated to get the hell out. I tell everyone who asks -- do not become a paralegal.

I agree. My mother told me a long time ago, I shouldn't work in the legal field because attorneys are dorks to work for. She was SO right. I've only worked for 2 attorneys that were really cool. The one I just had to leave 2 mos. ago due to her getting pregs. I found a job w/ an attorney in Upper Marlboro, MD - land of attorneys..and worked for this jerk, know it all old man/old school attorney. Needless to say, either of us didn't get along. So, poof I was out the door in 1 month. I'm fed up.

True. And in my last firm, a couple of the short male attorneys were intimidated by one of the male paralegals because he was much taller than them. I swear. It was comical, though not for the paralegal since they treated him like crap.

Jim I was reading all the comments that were sent to you. What did you decide to do after all? I'm in the same position. I'm in school for an AS in paralegal and can't make a decision to stay and do that or switch. I dont want all the stress, but would love to make atleast $40,000 a year. I don't know if being a paralegal is right for me.

I have been a R.N. for the past 22 years in Philly and it has been extremely lucrative! I originally wanted to be a lawyer and sometimes,still think about it. I also completed Paralegal school and am a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (never employed). However,sometimes I don't feel completed with my journey in life )-:! Now,after reading over these blogs, I am saying "Oh no,not for me!"

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Also forget it if you are an over-50 male paralegal. Old school male attorneys are used to having female legal assistants. They cannot deal with a male nonlawyer's presence and/or fear that male legal assistants will threaten their authority.

Many female attorneys still have chips on their shoulders. They feel they must throw their weight around for male legal assistants to respect them.

I could not have said it better! As an older male paralegal, I find myself in an office with a male lawyer about my same age who recently lost his female paralegal he had for several years. There's no way he will ever respect me because he is mad because he no longer has a pretty young female paralegal to work with both in and out of the office. I am thinking that becoming a paralegal was one of the worst mistakes I ever made. The system is so good old boy and the attorneys I have encountered are so hard to deal with.

I had the opposite problem.After being hired, I found out my attorey had more than an a professional relatinship with his former female attorney, shall we say and I am paying the price for her no longer being there.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Interesting statement......I'm not sure exactly how to take it..........

Well, the way it is, he no longer has her to be nore than his paralegal and even if I do things right, they will always be wrong.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Paralegal hiring is very competitive at the moment, considering the lack of jobs and scores of paralegals seeking them. You should carefully consider obtaining a degree if you hope to be competitive.

In the meantime, don't hold your breath about merely getting your foot in the door with only a certificate.

Something really needs to be done about employment security rating the paralegal field as one that is growing more than expected. I really believe they are trying to make the colleges and private schools more money and don't care about the student. Yea haw! Another degree that is worthless to me at this time. I took my last final yesterday, from an ABA approved college. Graduating with honors and on the Dean's list means nothing. All that I find is without a BA degree and 5 to 10 years experience a person is out of luck.

Let's face it, there are attorneys who can not find jobs in this market and are taking paralegal jobs to pay their school loans. If we top off that fact with paralegal jobs being outsourced...the jobs are not there for most of us.

Overwhelmed in FL in Hudson, Florida said: I must add my two cents. Do NOT do it!! I spent two years of my life in school and actually did get my AS in Paralegal Studies and was employed for about one year as a paralegal. I quit and am now preparing myself to invest one more year in an LPN program.

The stress of the legal field was overwhelming and unsettling. The stories of attorneys throwing chairs at their paralegals and tyrannical behavior was not a secret once I entered the field. If I had known about it prior, I may not have completed my paralegal education.

Keep in mind, many firms do not offer benefits; they are small businesses. The larger firms that do dangle benefits packages are often hiring individual paralegals with 10+ years experience or are hiring impoverished recent law school grads desparate for any work, even if it is as a paralegal, grunt-worker. I personally started in the field at just above minimum wage; pay is slow and hard earned.

..."

Thank you for being so candid! Now that I have another worthless degree, I'm headed off to truck driving school, lol!

The paralegal profession has been labeled as being "in demand" since I was in paralegal school in the late 1990s and the school told us there were 11 job openings for every graduate. What a lie.

I think the profession peeked in the late 1980s. I know two people who went to the now closed paralegal school in Atlanta in the late 1980s - paralegal schools were few and far between and you had to qualify to attend and often move temporarily to the school (I believe the Atlanta school even had dorms you could stay in for the 6 month post college program) - and then you went straight into a career entry level position with ease. Many of the older career paralegals in Dallas went to the school in Atlanta because there was no Dallas ABA approved option back then.

I also think you had to dress professionally for class for the school in Atlanta - every single day. My school in the late 1990s was business casual and jeans on Friday.

I got my paralegal certificate in 1988 and the bloom was already off the rose. (Although there were still plenty of news stories touting this "in demand" career). I went to the Institute for Paralegal Training in Philadelphia (also now defunct) and they used to guarantee students paralegal jobs! By the time I got there, the guarantee was long gone. In cities such as NYC and Philly, there were plenty of jobs in big litigation factories, I mean firms, but the pay was crap and they worked the hell out of people, not expecting them to stay long.

Smaller cities were, even back then, way saturated with entry-level paralegals and it took a lot of us a long time to land decent paralegal jobs. It's worked out okay for me, especially since within the past year, I finally escaped law firm hell and now work for the federal government as a paralegal specialist. But I caution young people about becoming paralegals, especially if they have to take on debt to get a certificate.

If you think nursing is less stressful than paralegal, you are in for a big surprise! I have been a nurse, a paralegal, and am now a nurse paralegal. Both are high stress jobs with long hours. Maybe you should consider a different profession altogether if you can't handle stress well. Trust me...there are just as many rude, unprofessional, disrespectful MD's out there!!!! You will take a beating either way so if you don't have thick skin move on.

I just saw another article claiming Paralegals were the next "hot" job. Wrong. I have a Bachelor's degree and a post bac paralegal certificate from an ABA approved paralegal program. In 5 years I haven't gotten ONE interview, despite having worked in the the insurance and medical billing fields. If someone like me with a university education and experience can't get an interview, let alone a job, I'm sorry to say I don't think you have a chance. Frankly, many of the "kids" I went to paralegal school with are not scholars. I'm not surprised their attorneys throw chairs at them. There was no way they were going to be able to do Legal Research and Legal Writing. Yet when you get out of school, they have the same degree as you. All the attorneys think you are just as incompetant as the last paralegal they hired. They drive down wages and opportunities for everyone.

Let's talk about the attorneys that go into teaching paralegal classes. I had one attorney constantly brag how she could charge $300 an hour being an attorney. I'm thinking, "Then why are you here teaching this paralegal class for $4K a semester? You could make that in 2 days as an attorney." Obviously, she wasn't making $300 every hour of every day. If you only work a few hours a week because there isn't any business $300 an hour doesn't add up to much. None of these attorneys will ever come right out and say that the legal profession is a one way road to poverty because they all have sunk so much money into their law degrees. They don't want to anger the ABA or scare away potential clients by complaining that they are broke. They have to make what they can off that law degree. I had one paralegal attorney tell us straight out she was glad she was finally done practicing law. I'm thinking, "Is that REALLY something you should be telling students that are trying to get into the legal field; that the law field stinks?" This woman obviously was so far in her own little world she didn't care what she was saying to her students. She taught 4 or 5 paralegal classes a semester, which would have grossed her around $60K a year, and apparently that was far more than she was making as an attorney.

I have two degrees and I have been able to work in the industry, although I will have to say that my degrees, even my paralegal certification, are not respected in the field. My MA is in History and Archival (Records) Management, and yet the attorneys in the industry do not see the correlation between my skills as a historical research professional and records manager and the tasks they need performing.

Tell me about your experience with rampant sexism in the paralegal profession. I hear all these stories about young incompetant females who shouldn't have paralegal degrees getting hired by law firms so they can be preyed upon by the attorneys. I personally went to paralegal school with young women whose "degree" weren't worth the paper it was written on; yet they all got hired somewhere. (Even though I had a university degree plus a post-bac paralegal certificate and was top of the class I could never find a paralegal job) My take on paralegalism is law firms hire incompentant young women as sex toys. If you are an older woman or don't have "looks" you won't get a job. If you are a male, even if you are the best, you have next to ZERO chance of getting a paralegal job. Males only make up 5% of paralegals. In any other profession that would be considered prima facie evidence of sexism.

I've got a Bachelor or Science degree from a major state university and I can attest a 4 year degree IS NOT going to put you over the top and get you a job in the paralegal field. If you only have an associates certificate, don't waste ANOTHER four years of your life, and all that money, chasing a Bachelor's degree for paralegalism. It won't help. I've been there.

I have a post baccaluareate degree, I have a paralegal certfication from a major university as well as from my state. However, I can identify with you. There was a nice young lany in my paralegal class who did not even have a college degree. We competed for the same job, you can guess who got it. Discrimination against males in the paralegal world is epedemic. Add to that someone over the age of 50, and it gets worse.

Ummm.... last I checked you can't be an IP attorney unless you hold some advanced degree in a "hard science" like physics or chemistry. IP attorneys have to be able to write the "claims" for the devices they are patenting, which requires expertise in the sciences. If the "claim" isn't correct, the patent won't stand. You can't even be a patent agent without advanced scientific knowledge. And no, being an IP secretary isn't going to get you this science knowledge.

Dude said: Ummm.... last I checked you can't be an IP attorney unless you hold some advanced degree in a "hard science" like physics or chemistry. IP attorneys have to be able to write the "claims" for the devices they are patenting, which requires expertise in the sciences. If the "claim" isn't correct, the patent won't stand. You can't even be a patent agent without advanced scientific knowledge. And no, being an IP secretary isn't going to get you this science knowledge.

@ Dude

IP law covers copyright, trademark, and patent law specialties. In order to be a Patent attorney, an individual must have a "hard science" degree and/or background and pass the Patent Bar. see: www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/GRB_March_2012.pdf

However, if an individual wants to be an IP attorney and practice in copyright or trademark law, he/she does not need a "hard science" degree or to pass the Patent Bar. A law degree with emphasis in IP courses and passing a Bar Exam is all that is necessary.

I graduated with an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies in May 2010. I have now worked as a Paralegal for 2 years. Although I like the work...working for attorneys is not anything that I thought it would be. The lack of professionalism is astounding.

The first attorney I worked for sent his clients out crying, would demand that I do things NOW and would pace back and forth behind me and read over my shoulder while I was typing. He cussed me while I was on the phone with Judge's Office "get the f**k off the phone"..he humiliated me in front of clients and other attorneys. I was making 15.00/hr. After 8 1/2 months I couldnt stand anymore. I found another job and gave him notice. He fired me for giving him notice.

The next attorneys I worked for pd me 17.50 /hr. The one attorney NEVER came to work and never did any of her own work. I was the only employee and had to answer 3 separate phone lines, and do everything including but not limited to filing, running, dealing with the clients, posting, scheduling, collecting payments, typing ALL pleadings myself for 205 cases. I was working 50 hours and getting paid for 40, I did not take a lunch break for 3 months.

I started to get sick and felt like I never had enough time for myself. Upon giving 2 weeks notice the one attorney that was never there fired me as well.

I am thinking about going back to school, maybe even law school. I would rather be the abuser than to be the abused.

Welcome to the f#cked up world of attorneys. I wouldn't want to be one. They are dicks and have no lives.

shelliesmitley in Evans, Georgia said: I graduated with an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies in May 2010. I have now worked as a Paralegal for 2 years. Although I like the work...working for attorneys is not anything that I thought it would be. The lack of professionalism is astounding.

The first attorney I worked for sent his clients out crying, would demand that I do things NOW and would pace back and forth behind me and read over my shoulder while I was typing. He cussed me while I was on the phone with Judge's Office "get the f**k off the phone"..he humiliated me in front of clients and other attorneys. I was making 15.00/hr. After 8 1/2 months I couldnt stand anymore. I found another job and gave him notice. He fired me for giving him notice.

The next attorneys I worked for pd me 17.50 /hr. The one attorney NEVER came to work and never did any of her own work. I was the only employee and had to answer 3 separate phone lines, and do everything including but not limited to filing, running, dealing with the clients, posting, scheduling, collecting payments, typing ALL pleadings myself for 205 cases. I was working 50 hours and getting paid for 40, I did not take a lunch break for 3 months.

I started to get sick and felt like I never had enough time for myself. Upon giving 2 weeks notice the one attorney that was never there fired me as well.

I am thinking about going back to school, maybe even law school. I would rather be the abuser than to be the abused.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

Do some research before going to law school and taking out all of those loans. The field is shrinking bad. Students are graduating with debt in the $100,000 range with no jobs to be had. Some end up trapped in "Big Law" - enslaved because they are trying to pay off the loans. Go to the Above the Law website, also check out The People's Therapist blog. Many articles have been written about this recently - search the net.

I had a similar experience as a paralegal. My attorney was hardly ever in the office, and when he did come in, would curse me and other paralegals out for anything he deemed worthy of his attention. I even had a document that I ran past our managing partner who said it was fantastic work. But when my attorney saw it he said it was the biggest screw up he had ever seen. He also fired another paralegal for giving a notice. Her husband was being transferred (he made the bucks) and she was just telling him they were moving, he fired her anyway on the spot.

Lee Brackett in Houston, Texas said: I had a similar experience as a paralegal. My attorney was hardly ever in the office, and when he did come in, would curse me and other paralegals out for anything he deemed worthy of his attention. I even had a document that I ran past our managing partner who said it was fantastic work. But when my attorney saw it he said it was the biggest screw up he had ever seen. He also fired another paralegal for giving a notice. Her husband was being transferred (he made the bucks) and she was just telling him they were moving, he fired her anyway on the spot.

The first attorney stayed out for days playing golf and then when he would come in everything was a dire emergency. I could not get things done fast enough. He was neurotic. He would freak if I showed any type of initiative. He would go on cussing rampages and punch the walls. If I said ANYTHING to a client, even "how do you like this weather?" he would come running out screaming dont talk to her she has work to do are you here to see me or her, who is the attorney here?" Totally embarrassing. At both law firms it was impossible to ever get any time off. At the next lawfirm both attorneys were alcoholics. In the end I was just completely overworked, stressed out, overwhelmed, and burnt out. They didnt care. The one attorney never came to work and I signed her name to pleadings with her permission. The other one came in roughly 3 days per week. I have had to go as far as cleaning up the attorney's vomit in front of the office door. I even had to babysit her newborn baby at the office. One time one of the attorneys came down the stairs singing,"I have an itch on my butthole." while a client was sitting in the lobby. funny but unprofessional.This forum has helped me to realize that it is not me its the field. Its a job not a career. I am single and just broke even on my bills every month. I wish I had stayed in school.

Sismitleybarb in Augusta, Georgia said: The first attorney stayed out for days playing golf and then when he would come in everything was a dire emergency. I could not get things done fast enough. He was neurotic. He would freak if I showed any type of initiative. He would go on cussing rampages and punch the walls. If I said ANYTHING to a client, even "how do you like this weather?" he would come running out screaming dont talk to her she has work to do are you here to see me or her, who is the attorney here?" Totally embarrassing. At both law firms it was impossible to ever get any time off. At the next lawfirm both attorneys were alcoholics. In the end I was just completely overworked, stressed out, overwhelmed, and burnt out. They didnt care. The one attorney never came to work and I signed her name to pleadings with her permission. The other one came in roughly 3 days per week. I have had to go as far as cleaning up the attorney's vomit in front of the office door. I even had to babysit her newborn baby at the office. One time one of the attorneys came down the stairs singing,"I have an itch on my butthole." while a client was sitting in the lobby. funny but unprofessional.This forum has helped me to realize that it is not me its the field. Its a job not a career. I am single and just broke even on my bills every month. I wish I had stayed in school.

All in all If I had done anything these attorneys did..I would have been fired. All in all if they had to work for anyone else and acted like that they would be fired. I got fired for working my ass off to exhaustion and when I couldnt do it anymore gave 2 weeks notice. I am confused right now...cause I dont know what I am going to do now. I am trying to figure out how I can go to school and still keep a roof over my head. I have just been accepted to the University of Augusta. I am going to seek a bachelors in Spanish. LIFE AS A PARALEGAL SUCKS. I wish I had read this forum before I graduated.

They dont tell you in school what to expect the working environment to be when working for attorneys. Had I known what to expect....I believe that I would have had more of a guard up and been better prepared. My advice to anyone starting a paralegal job is always refer to the attorney as Mr or Mrs so and so. Never call them by their first name. Keep a professional distance. Also leave immediately when your shift ends. Never let them know that you are willing to go above and beyond. The smarter and more reliable, and more equipped that you lead them to believe that you are...the more they will rely on and take advantage of you. They will never appreciate it. Be prepared to ignore childishness and tantrums. Negotiate all the terms of your employment upon being hired and then remind them later on when they dont live up to it that that was what they agreed to. Dont stress out trying to get things done...tell them you did not have time. And if there is more than one attorney in the office, make sure that there is a receptionist or other administrative support. NEVER agree to do anything on your lunchbreak. Attorneys are like vulchers. They will suck out of you everything and anything they can...they same way they suck money out of their clients. Lawyers are not a better class of people. They have been through a lot of school and therefore believe they are above everyone else and entitled to have everyone do everything for them. They are lazy. Never give an attorney 2 weeks notice unless you have already found another job. They are very egotisical, spiteful, and jealous people. When switching jobs always tell the new one you were making more than what you were. Lawyers are stingy, cheap, and selfish. Always get a letter of reference. Lawyers are close knit, backstabbing, and gossips.

vh in Dayton, Ohio said: Don't do it. It can be rewarding and working with clients most of the time is great, however, you will never, never get the appreciation you deserve from the majority of the lawyers you work with. They have too many problems with lack of ethics, laziness, arrogance, egotism, lack of caring for their clients, abuse problems, greed, et cetera. I spent 35 years in the legal field and am still doing some part-time work now that I'm retired, and when I look back on it I should have become a physical therapist. The pay is horrible with plaintiff attorneys. The stress is horrendous, and the office politics can be brutal. If you do everything your attorney bosses tell you to do without question, you can be in danger of losing your license but the jerk keeps on going. It will always be your fault when something goes wrong. I'm sorry I ever wasted my life trying to be David up against Goliath. I had to leave three law firms because of their lack of ethic

You nailed it VH in Dayton. It's been 45 months since you posted your comment, so I don't know if you'll even read this. I don't have 35 yrs experience like you, but I do have almost 25. I have also left or been forced to leave firms with absolutely no ethics/morals and/or because of office politics. Someone is always going to take the fall. There will always be favorites at every place you work. I hardly ever took a vacation, was never sick (Thank God) and worked my arse off constantly. Loved working with my numerous clients and some were so happy that they were always sending me Christmas cards, etc. Now I'm out of work and can't find a job. Not even sure I want to continue my legal career. But after this long and at my age (51) what the heck am I going to do? I always had a great salary so adjusting to a new career will not be so easy. I'm too young for retirement and too healthy to apply for disability. I guess it's time to downgrade the family to a grass hut. :(

Sismitleybarb in Augusta, Georgia said: They dont tell you in school what to expect the working environment to be when working for attorneys. Had I known what to expect....I believe that I would have had more of a guard up and been better prepared. My advice to anyone starting a paralegal job is always refer to the attorney as Mr or Mrs so and so. Never call them by their first name. Keep a professional distance. Also leave immediately when your shift ends. Never let them know that you are willing to go above and beyond. The smarter and more reliable, and more equipped that you lead them to believe that you are...the more they will rely on and take advantage of you. They will never appreciate it. Be prepared to ignore childishness and tantrums. Negotiate all the terms of your employment upon being hired and then remind them later on when they dont live up to it that that was what they agreed to. Dont stress out trying to get things done...tell them you did not have time. And if there is more than one attorney in the office, make sure that there is a receptionist or other administrative support. NEVER agree to do anything on your lunchbreak. Attorneys are like vulchers. They will suck out of you everything and anything they can...they same way they suck money out of their clients. Lawyers are not a better class of people. They have been through a lot of school and therefore believe they are above everyone else and entitled to have everyone do everything for them. They are lazy. Never give an attorney 2 weeks notice unless you have already found another job.

You said it. My former boss's saying, "If I have to come to the office to work then my staff is not doing their job", and he never came to the office, which is not a bad thing. He just never worked.

which would be ok if you are not one person trying to answer 3 separate phone lines and do EVERYTHING on 205 cases by yourself with no help at all, working with no break, working hours you are not getting paid for, and working 22 months straight without a vacation. Going home and going straight to bed with no life, no time for yourself, and little to show for your hard work but a car to drive and a roof over your head.

shelliesmitley in Evans, Georgia said: which would be ok if you are not one person trying to answer 3 separate phone lines and do EVERYTHING on 205 cases by yourself with no help at all, working with no break, working hours you are not getting paid for, and working 22 months straight without a vacation. Going home and going straight to bed with no life, no time for yourself, and little to show for your hard work but a car to drive and a roof over your head.

Did we have the same job? I worked so many cases "alone" with no assistance what-so-ever. Forced to take over a position a former employee had. She quit and they removed me from my office and dropped me in the middle of 300 cases. I will admit the former employee came to the office after hours for 2 hrs a night for 3 days to give me some training, only because they paid her to do it. That really did help me though. Once she was gone that was it. The boss was no help at all. I worked the cases alone all the way through settlements and was let go after that. It took 2.5 yrs to finalize those cases. Firm made over 14 mil and I got nada to show for it. That's just one of my stories over my 22 yr career. Don't get me started...LOL

Amen. Leave at the end of your shift.

Wow, Sismitleybarb, you described working in a law firm perfectly. Let yours be a lesson to all those young folks who are considering training as paralegals - it's not worth it until law offices change drastically. Although, I am starting to sense a change in the legal market, in as much as it's becoming very obvious to savvy legal consumers that they can get much better quality much faster from an experienced paralegal than they can from a green associate. The way I see it, the market will always be better for paralegals than associates because of that fact. I've even seen some attorneys at Above the Law blog recommend licensing for paralegals with a limited practice exception. That would certainly go a long way to getting legal services to people who can least afford them but who deserve a chance to stand up for their rights.