Summary

Hi. I am a 41 year old male who has worked in the travel industry since 1990. My first job at the age of 19 was at a large law firm working as a mailroom clerk/messenger and in the file room. I am now thinking about obtaining a paralegal certificate and, if I am successful in finding employment in this field, I am going to complete my undergraduate and possibly graduate-level studies. I would appreciate any advice as to whether or not I am making the right decision. Thank you.

Law firm hiring is on the decline because of the economy. Large law firms in particular are laying off lawyers and nonlawyers alike. As a result, paralegal hiring is very competitive. You would be an entry paralegal vying with others in your boat for very few paralegal openings. I think you may also face age discrimination.

At a minimum, you need a two-year degree and paralegal certificate, preferably from an ABA-approved paralegal school. A four-year degree would be better. Major doesn't really matter. You DO NOT need a graduate degree in paralegal studies or similar nonsense. If you eventually want to go into firm admin or management and you want to keep going to school, get an M.B.A.

Finally, consider that lawyers are among the most difficult people one can work for. You can expect to work more hours than you will be paid for. You will deal with unreasonable deadlines, unreasonable stress and unreasonable disrespect. You will receive little thanks for your efforts. Being a paralegal and working closely with lawyers is nothing like working as a runner or in the file room.

I'd look at something else outside of law. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Yeah, you will encounter age discrimination and possibly gender discrimination.

Plus lawfirms are really getting hit with downsizing right now. If you are able to get into a mail room/office services position and they really like you and think you are bright, they will promote you to file clerk or paralegal secretary and then possibly paralegal without any additional education at all. I've seen it happen.

I've seen receptionists being upgraded to paralegal. These individuals had their degrees and paralegal certificates prior to the firm hiring them, however. I also know of at least one firm that upgrades legal assistants to paralegal.

For sure, being hired for any job boils down to being in the right place in the right time. But IMO one shouldn't stake one's career plans strictly on a longshot possibility of being promoted from a lower level position.

Get a degree and paralegal certificate for better odds of being hired as a paralegal.

I would second Dallas' comment somewhat about gender discrimination. I am male. I was forty-three when I opted for law as a career change.

I found that many people misperceive male paralegals. Some people think male paralegals want to be lawyers. Or else they think paralegal is an entry-level law firm position with eventual promotion to lawyer. Some of these people adhere to this old wives' tale for female paralegals as well.

Some lawyers cannot abide male paralegals. They see males as a threat to their authority, primarily because males are less likely to put up with their bullying. Older attorneys are used to having female legal assistants and cannot handle the notion of having males assist them.

I'm not saying being male is a deal-breaker for becoming a paralegal; after all, I was hired and worked as a paralegal for more than eleven years. But I would say being male may have contributed to personality differences between my last (and most likely final) attorney and me. I also believe I may have suffered a very minor amount of sex discrimination in my work searches and, for sure, misperceptions OTJ. Your mileage may vary.

To some degree, the gender discrimination against male paralegals is truly alive and well. However, based on the few male paralegals I know, it's well-founded. Male paralegals are more difficult to work with, they do not make good subordinate employees in the legal profession.. male testosterone and ego often get in the way. They are also generally less respectful to their female paralegal colleagues.

Based on past experience, I won't work for a female attorney, nor with a male paralegal colleague.

Instead of pursuing the paralegal profession, you may be better suited to looking into becoming certified/licensed as a Private Investigator - with that credential you can work either for a law firm or for a PI firm that provides services to law firms.

Jane Do Girl in Pensacola, Florida said: To some degree, the gender discrimination against male paralegals is truly alive and well. However, based on the few male paralegals I know, it's well-founded. Male paralegals are more difficult to work with, they do not make good subordinate employees in the legal profession.. male testosterone and ego often get in the way. They are also generally less respectful to their female paralegal colleagues.

Baloney and a straw man.

The male paralegal issue is one of attorneys not accepting male assistants because they more used to working with and bullying females. As I wrote, above, males are less likely to put up with their bullying. Notice, Jane, that I have not differentiated between female and male attorneys. Attorneys are attorneys and they will or will not bully, whether or not they are female or male.

Jane Do Girl in Pensacola, Florida said: Based on past experience, I won't work for a female attorney, nor with a male paralegal colleague.

Good. You don't have to if you don't want to, Jane. But wouldn't it be more enlightened, and intelligent and perceptive, to leave out the sexism.

I stand by my comments.

Where I have worked the male paralegals were very popular, very smart and worked well with their attorneys. One of the paralegals was a JD who did not want to be a practicing attorney. Another was a gay guy, really great. Another was a super funny outgoing guy - total comedian. Another was a bit frustrated with his role of paralegal and went to law school only to never ever find a lawyer job after passing the bar.

But a lot of attorneys won't have a male paralegal. They just won't. And that sortof tells you how people feel about paralegals - it's a secretarial support role more than anything.

Paralegal in Dallas, Texas said: Another was a bit frustrated with his role of paralegal and went to law school only to never ever find a lawyer job after passing the bar.

The shareholder in my first firm thought I should go to law school. I was in my mid-forties. Who would hire a new lawyer in his mid-forties? (I wouldn't have counted my paralegal experience.) She said she would hire me. Yeah, sure. I have learned that one does not base a major career change, not to mention the major expense of law school, on such assurance.

I can see it now. I would have presented with my brand-new J.D. and law license, only for her to say sorry about that, she has no openings. Or else she would have offered me a job at barely more than my paralegal pay. I would have been nothing more than a paralegal with a law license, doing paralegal work, while staring at humungous student loans.

Paralegal in Dallas, Texas said: [A] lot of attorneys won't have a male paralegal. They just won't. And that sort of tells you how people feel about paralegals - it's a secretarial support role more than anything.

I have done so-called "advanced" work heretofore reserved for associates - such as drafting demand letters, client opinion letters and very through expert disclosures. But, you're right, Dallas - though I stand by my position that attorneys feel male legal assistants threaten their authority. IMO that shows the low regard so many attorneys have for female legal assistants.