The "lucrative and growing field" lie

Why do they keep this lie perpetuating?
hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-surprising_jobs_that_pay_25_an_hour-983

Paralegal or Legal Assistant
Attorneys that represent clients in local, state, and federal courts are swamped with research and paperwork duties. Hence, jobs for paralegals are expected to grow by 22 percent during the Two Thousand 06 - Two Thousand 16 decade. You can prepare by attending an online associate's or bachelor's degree program in paralegal studies. In 2008, paralegals earned just below $25 an hour ($23.46). However, top earners took home $73,450 for the year, making this a solid investment in a two-year education.

AGAIN----the formation distortion continues.....the above is pasted from an Internet article today, (cont'd)

(cont'd)

Posted today Sept 28,2009..Distorted information because:

Firms have been laying off since 2008 and are on hiring freezes...

top earners of 2008 made $73,450......if you have 10 years experience and live in NYC or CA.

Again: per article...paralegas expected to grow through 2016....not growing in 2008 or 2009.....distortion of information.

When will it stop...????

I think a lot of that information in the Internet Career Centers is cut and pasted from many other places. Someone gets paid to write an article - not to disect and verify information. And all that person is interested in is making a good article.

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Wilmington, Delaware said: Paralegal or Legal Assistant
Attorneys that represent clients in local, state, and federal courts are swamped with research and paperwork duties. Hence, jobs for paralegals are expected to grow by 22 percent during the Two Thousand 06 - Two Thousand 16 decade. You can prepare by attending an online associate's or bachelor's degree program in paralegal studies. In 2008, paralegals earned just below $25 an hour ($23.46). However, top earners took home $73,450 for the year, making this a solid investment in a two-year education.

AGAIN----the formation distortion continues.....the above is pasted from an Internet article today, (cont'd)

This article does not say WHO is hiring these paralegals???? It mentions "courts" at all levels are swamped with paperwork and research projects..WHERE....what states???

mary in Tampa, Florida said: I think a lot of that information in the Internet Career Centers is cut and pasted from many other places. Someone gets paid to write an article - not to disect and verify information. And all that person is interested in is making a good article.

Agreed....PROBLEM......it is distortd information...

Paralegal or Legal Assistant
Attorneys that represent clients in local, state, and federal courts are swamped with research and paperwork duties. Hence, jobs for paralegals are expected to grow by 22 percent during the Two Thousand Zero Six - Two Thousand Sixteen decade. You can prepare by attending an online associate's or bachelor's degree program in paralegal studies. In 2008, paralegals earned just below $25 an hour ($23.46). However, top earners took home $73,450 for the year, making this a solid investment in a two-year education.

AGAIN----the formation distortion continues.....the above is pasted from an Internet article today, (cont'd)

What is really bad is paralegal being touted as such a wonderful career - yet, there is only like two or three states that have any legal requirements to be a paralegal.

mary in Tampa, Florida said: What is really bad is paralegal being touted as such a wonderful career - yet, there is only like two or three states that have any legal requirements to be a paralegal.

Hello Mary....

Again...it started out as a Wonderful career for me...auspicious beginnings!!!however...for me took 5 years to get 40k pay..same happens in other careers...If you can launch yourself into a BIG Firm after "training job"...and stay there for 10 years..it is good...

However...I still believe you need a husband for a 2nd income..to get anywhere..husbands are good for more than income, of course..

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Wilmington, Delaware said: Hello Mary....

Again...it started out as a Wonderful career for me...auspicious beginnings!!!however...for me took 5 years to get 40k pay..same happens in other careers...If you can launch yourself into a BIG Firm after "training job"...and stay there for 10 years..it is good...

However...I still believe you need a husband for a 2nd income..to get anywhere..husbands are good for more than income, of course..

Speaking of today...and the economic crisis...NO.....it is hard to impossible to get the first job...I believe a person today would be lucky to get (1) a job with a sole practioner...and sit there until the economy improves and jobs open or (2)get a city or county position....once there,,,can stay....but pay is low...THose are the 2 avenues I see for now..

Heck the para(s) with 20 years experience...as you know...have gotten caught up in a firm layoff..NOW...what are they to do???

Alas, finding a husband has been as futile as finding a job. Since I'm unemployed, men think all I want is a meal ticket! Companionship would be great, but I do have friends, family and pets...

That is very true.

Para 1 in Falmouth, Kentucky said: Why do they keep this lie perpetuating?
hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-surprising_jobs_that_pay_25_an_hour-983

OMIGOD - I read that a few days ago, and it angered me. If you click on the link you provided, at the bottom right hand of the page below the article, there is another link in small, blue writing that says, "Send us feedback." So that's exactly what I did.

I wrote that not only is the pay not all that great but that attys are often abusive and there's an industry-wide morale problem. The work environment is often hostile and oppressive. And it's dead end because there's no room for advancement - you can't get promoted anywhere.

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Wilmington, Delaware said: (cont'd)

Posted today Sept 28,2009..Distorted information because:

Firms have been laying off since 2008 and are on hiring freezes...

top earners of 2008 made $73,450......if you have 10 years experience and live in NYC or CA.

Again: per article...paralegas expected to grow through 2016....not growing in 2008 or 2009.....distortion of information.

When will it stop...????

Hi KMM - Regarding your comment on the pay, I submitted feedback on that lame article. I told them, among other things, that it's rare for a paralegal to make $73K, and if they do, they are probably located in NYC and have 15+ years' exp.

That article really angered me.

Para 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio said: Alas, finding a husband has been as futile as finding a job. Since I'm unemployed, men think all I want is a meal ticket! Companionship would be great, but I do have friends, family and pets...

Do not tell them you are unemployed...BUT I know what you mean...

dh in Northern CA, California said: Hi KMM - Regarding your comment on the pay, I submitted feedback on that lame article. I told them, among other things, that it's rare for a paralegal to make $73K, and if they do, they are probably located in NYC and have 15+ years' exp.

That article really angered me.

Oh I hear you LOUD and CLEAR...it was such an OUTRAGEOUS distortion of the facts......

Good to hear from you dh in CA...your life will be better!!!!

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: Oh I hear you LOUD and CLEAR...it was such an OUTRAGEOUS distortion of the facts......

Good to hear from you dh in CA...your life will be better!!!!

I work in Los Angeles and I make 73k. Been a paralegal over 15 years

The federal government is hiring paralegals. That the only place I see. And the salary is not that low either. A paralegal at the highest pay scale can make in excess of $100,000.

loyalramfan in Los Angeles, California said: I work in Los Angeles and I make 73k. Been a paralegal over 15 years

I was working in OC before returning to NOthern CA. I think OC and LA are very similar in salaries. I know that 73K wouldn't go far in OC. People who make that who can own a home probably spend a good portion of their lives commuting.

In Oct, '07, the last time I spoke to a recruiter whom I used to use down there, she was placing experienced secretaries in jobs at $70K. I've been meaning to call her, just out of curiosity, to see the difference in pay now with the economy.

At 73K, I would think one is pretty much maxed out in salary except for yearly cost of living.

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: Oh I hear you LOUD and CLEAR...it was such an OUTRAGEOUS distortion of the facts......

Good to hear from you dh in CA...your life will be better!!!!

Thank you, KMM. Yes, my life will be better. Even if I end up making 2/3 (or less) what I made before. Getting out of law is worth every dime I spent getting an education (or every dollar of debt) and every bit of extra dollar I gave up that I otherwise would have made had I stayed in that Godforsaken industry.

I can't even get into it because the few that are hiring want years of experience. If nobody will give it to you, where are you expected to get experience? Not even the local Legal Aid office takes paralegal volunteers!
Every time I see another tv commercial for schools offering paralegal programs I want to scream, "NO, DON'T DO IT!!"

dh in Northern CA, California said: I was working in OC before returning to NOthern CA. I think OC and LA are very similar in salaries. I know that 73K wouldn't go far in OC. People who make that who can own a home probably spend a good portion of their lives commuting.

In Oct, '07, the last time I spoke to a recruiter whom I used to use down there, she was placing experienced secretaries in jobs at $70K. I've been meaning to call her, just out of curiosity, to see the difference in pay now with the economy.

At 73K, I would think one is pretty much maxed out in salary except for yearly cost of living.

Actually LA pays more than OC. I moved up here 5 years ago from OC and within 2 years I made 10,000 more than in OC. I way below LA market.

loyalramfan in Los Angeles, California said: Actually LA pays more than OC. I moved up here 5 years ago from OC and within 2 years I made 10,000 more than in OC. I way below LA market.

In Fall of '05, I turned down an offer for a word processor/floater position at $59k. I was making $52.5k at the time to handle 2 named partners, 2 assoc., plus a bunch of admin crap - banking, billing, some a/r. The recruiter told me she was placing secretaries w/my experience at $60-62k and that she had a position she needed to fill paying $64k because, she said, that it was for a difficult atty.

I would rather take a WP/floater position for a little less $ than make a couple thousand more to be a secretary and have all that atty interaction. I guess my point is that, if I wanted to change jobs in order to keep my salary with the "going rate," I could have increase my income by close to 10k. I didn't because I was focusing on getting out of the industry altogether.

Something else I thought about after reading that article: When I was at UCLA's paralegal program, there were a few guys in my class who were already successful in their careers and went thru the program to add to what they were already doing. One guy had a masters degree and occasionally testified as an expert in cases involving environmental issues. There was a girl who was doing the night program who also had a masters degree. I have no idea what she did but showed up every day afer work in a biz suit.

I just don't think paralegals who come out of paralegal school without any other education or experience are going to go very far. I think the ones with the good incomes like the one mentioned in the artice, while they exist, are very rare.

loyalramfan in Los Angeles, California said: I work in Los Angeles and I make 73k. Been a paralegal over 15 years

Like we commented...if live in Ca or NYC...some IP paraleagls in D.C get pid well...good job to you in Los Angelos!!!!!!!!!! congrats...on your longevity...

dh in Northern CA, California said: Thank you, KMM. Yes, my life will be better. Even if I end up making 2/3 (or less) what I made before. Getting out of law is worth every dime I spent getting an education (or every dollar of debt) and every bit of extra dollar I gave up that I otherwise would have made had I stayed in that Godforsaken industry.

Gotta agree with you...I had a unbelievable job hopping career...that started out auspiciously...

I stll believe the key is to land in a mid-sized firm or big firm as a paralegal..get the good pay and beneftis.. and in a stable firm that retains employees....oh, there will still be days from hellooo.

mary in Tampa, Florida said: That is very true.

There is a new phase of dating coming about called "Recession Relationships" - because of unemployment, LEGAL or otherwise, people have more time on their hands and are looking at all of their priorities. EXAMPLE, I woman met a man when she was unemployed and her good luck was that he was self-employed. Her good luck was a "relationship" and a "job".

loyalramfan in Los Angeles, California said: I work in Los Angeles and I make 73k. Been a paralegal over 15 years

Excellent!!! congrats on your success. Hope you have a huaband or roommate. not a put down. just an economic comment relating to your LEGAL job and cost of living.

Donald_ in New Jersey said: The federal government is hiring paralegals. That the only place I see. And the salary is not that low either. A paralegal at the highest pay scale can make in excess of $100,000.

Good information.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: No entry paralegal job pays that kind of money. None. One needs experience before one can even think about making that kind of money and applying to the government.

I know that Don has been looking for his first paralegal job for some time. His paralegal school should be ashamed of itself for making him think the government will hire him at entry level.

Excellent point DLP. Got to get the experience first. The work may be quite different in government paralegal positon, BUT, as DLP as pointed out, you POINT OUT in interview that you have experience in the legal environment.

kmm in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: Excellent!!! congrats on your success. Hope you have a huaband or roommate. not a put down. just an economic comment relating to your LEGAL job and cost of living.

I don't need a roommate nor do I have a husband. I support myself fine on 73K in Los Angeles.

That's wonderful, loyalramfan, and I hope your job is a satisfying experience, not like the horror stories most others have.

Thanks. I can't say it's satisfying cuz I'm sort of burned out, but I work for the most wonderful attorneys. They are brillant, funny and really, really appreciate me. Course I try to do my best job for them - so in a sense I earned their respect.

dh in Northern CA, California said: In Fall of '05, I turned down an offer for a word processor/floater position at $59k. I was making $52.5k at the time to handle 2 named partners, 2 assoc., plus a bunch of admin crap - banking, billing, some a/r. The recruiter told me she was placing secretaries w/my experience at $60-62k and that she had a position she needed to fill paying $64k because, she said, that it was for a difficult atty....

ONe time,I had the pre-interview with the office administrator. She told me that "HE" was dfficult to work for. I walked......I had not interest in interviewing or even considering putting myself through "Hello" for a week under Mr. Difficult.

That is what I call a Bad Start. I walk....

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: ONe time,I had the pre-interview with the office administrator. She told me that "HE" was dfficult to work for. I walked......I had not interest in interviewing or even considering putting myself through "Hello" for a week under Mr. Difficult.

That is what I call a Bad Start. I walk....

Yeah - at interviews, I listened for key buzz words. If I heard anything like "heavily reliant," "needs a little handholding," "demanding," etc., then I was not interested in the job. An interviewer once used the term "very particular" in describing somebody. Forget it. While that didn't seem so bad, I took as a sign that it was bad if the woman mentioned it.

Once, the administrator described the attys as "self-sufficient," "laid back," and the atty himself said that overtime is "the exception, not the rule." I was very interested in this job. They called me back for a 2nd interview. The recruiter told me they liked me but that they hired someone w/20 years' exp. I had 3 at the time.

Even with nice people, I hated being a secretary. I hate b*tchwork, and I hated knowing that it would never get me anywhere, that I'd always be at the bottom. So, for me, working for nasty attys exacerbated an already bad situation.

dh in Northern CA, California said: Yeah - at interviews, I listened for key buzz words. If I heard anything like "heavily reliant," "needs a little handholding," "demanding," etc., then I was not interested in the job. An interviewer once used the term "very particular" in describing somebody. Forget it. While that didn't seem so bad, I took as a sign that it was bad if the woman mentioned it.

Once, the administrator described the attys as "self-sufficient," "laid back," and the atty himself said that overtime is "the exception, not the rule." I was very interested in this job. They called me back for a 2nd interview. The recruiter told me they liked me but that they hired someone w/20 years' exp. I had 3 at the time.

Even with nice people, I hated being a secretary. I hate b*tchwork, and I hated knowing that it would never get me anywhere, that I'd always be at the bottom. So, for me, working for nasty attys exacerbated an already bad situation.

I hear you on all points..Gotta say...I messed up when first in Miami..had a possible interview and the administrator said the attorney was nice!!!!! Did not have my head on straight, not at all...very bad judgment call on my part...hate when I do that..

Being a secreatary anywhere bites..it is an entry level position for college grads who can move up a corporate ladder....or a positon for those who are great typist..

kmm in Wilmington, DE in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania said: I hear you on all points..Gotta say...I messed up when first in Miami..had a possible interview and the administrator said the attorney was nice!!!!! Did not have my head on straight, not at all...very bad judgment call on my part...hate when I do that..

Being a secreatary anywhere bites..it is an entry level position for college grads who can move up a corporate ladder....or a positon for those who are great typist..

correction: Secretary

loyalramfan in Los Angeles, California said: Thanks. I can't say it's satisfying cuz I'm sort of burned out, but I work for the most wonderful attorneys. They are brillant, funny and really, really appreciate me. Course I try to do my best job for them - so in a sense I earned their respect.

Not being smart aleck - Describe what doing your best job is?

Anticipating their needs and getting a job done early so they don't have to come to me asking if it's done yet; being organized with the documents so I can find what they need; when I know a deadline is due-asking in advance what I can do to help, input of my ideas on a project if I think it will be more efficient; and most importantly, having a good and cheerful attitude whenever they ask me to do something, even if I think it's a stupid project.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Just giving 'em the work, period, while not asking too many questions.

Agreed. That is what I believed my job was...do that and you will be ok...However...for some bosses..."enough work is never enough"..then stuck between rock and hard spot...it happens..unfortunately.

loyalramfan in Los Angeles, California said: Anticipating their needs and getting a job done early so they don't have to come to me asking if it's done yet; being organized with the documents so I can find what they need; when I know a deadline is due-asking in advance what I can do to help, input of my ideas on a project if I think it will be more efficient; and most importantly, having a good and cheerful attitude whenever they ask me to do something, even if I think it's a stupid project.

Agreed.

On the issue of Federal Jobs, I post this quote from an article in The Legal Intelligencer, [Philaladelphia legal newspaper] October 19, 2009.

"Finally, the award for best job posting of the week goes to the Environmental and Natural Resources Division at the Justice Department. In an ad for a supervisory paralegal, which pays up to $95,026 a year, the "Job Summary" begins:

"Our Office is conveniently located near the Navy Memorial/Archives Metro. A wide variety of shopping venues, the Verizon Center, museums, the national mall, restaurants and coffee shops are all within walking distance. We also offer access to an onsite fitness center. The Environment and Natural Resources Division ranked number 1 out 279 Federal organizations in the 2008 Best Places to Work survey. ENRD is a great place to work."

Little wonder, if working consists of shopping, eating out and going to the gym."

$95k a year? Who needs law school?

Donald_ in New Jersey said: $95k a year? Who needs law school?

What you do not understand is the job title,"Supervisory Paralegal". The position requires "lots" of paralegal experience.