Job Responsibilities
My job responsibilities vary from the mundane to the not so
mundane. Basically, as a paralegal, I was responsible for the run
of the mill copy jockying and document filing retrieval. This
included filing documents with the court, etc. In addition, I
drafted routine documents, such as settlement agreements and the
related notices and motions. On the other hand, I was also
responsible for managing information on proofs of claim filed in
connection with various bankruptcy proceedings. This included the
amount and type of claim, as well as its status and probable payout
|
Job Requirements
Technically, all you need to become a paralegal is a college
degree (or argubaly, it equivalent). When I got the job, however,
times were tough (fall 2001). The job market was tight, and there
was a large number of high calibre candidates leaving consulting
and banking jobs in order to go back to law school (I was such a
candidate). Thus, law firms were being increasingly selective in
their hiring of paralegals. Speaking from my own experiences, as
well as those of several friends who were also paralegals, hiring
for these positions began to resemble banking criteria - good
grades from top schools (although, the requirements were much less
rigorous to this effect in the paralegal arena).
|
Uppers
The best part about this job in hindsight was that it really prepared me for law
school by giving me a crash introduction to the practice of law. I gained
firsthand knowledge in how the law works, from both a procedural and substantive
standpoint. As a result, during my first year of law school, I had a leg up on
the competition, in that I was familiar with may of the terms and concepts that
seemed foreign to my classmates. Additionally, I got a chance to see if
practicing at a law firm was the right thing for me by experienceing the day to
day life of a lawyer firsthand. Finally, specifica to my office at A&K, the
people were great. I was treated with a lot of respect, and there was almost no
social heirarchy - - I spent a great deal of time in the office working directly
with partners and asociates of all levels. Moreover, I also spent a lot of time
socializing with my colleagues, regardless of their title, outside of the office.
|
Downers
The worst part about being a paralegal is that you are a
paralegal. The job is not that interesting - in the end, you are
responsible for the administrative details of someone else's work.
There is not much room to be entrepreneurial. This is often
frustrating, as I view myself as a creative person who likes to be
challenged. Likewise, since I viewed this job as an intermediary
step between college and law school, the temporary nature bred a
bit of disrespect for my title. This feeling was somehat offset by
the fact that most of the lawyers understood my situation and went
through great lengths to accomodate me (and for lack of a better
explanation, make me feel better about the whole experience).
|
Lifestyle
The lifestyle of a paralegal is not that bad. If you want, the job can be a 9-5,
with some exception. I was working for the bankruptcy practice at a particularly
heavy time, so my hours tended to be on the long side. That said, since
paralegals are essentially interchangable, when I needed to get away, as long as
I gave some advance notice, I was able to do so. However, even during the
toughest times, I really never felt that I was trapped in the office.
|
Compensation
Compensation is OK. The base salary is usually less than $40k, but
since you can basically wor as much as you want, actual pay tends
to be significantly higher. If you want to put in the time and the
firm has the work for you to do, you can earn nearly double the
base. Additionally, if you stay late enough, the firm will usually
pay for dinner. Salary aside, benefits were solid - medical
andlife insurance, paid vacation,etc.
|
Advice to Jobseekers
If you are a post- or soon to be college grad considering going
into law, by all means, take a paralegal job. You will see what it
is like to work at a law firm on a day to day basis, and in turn,
see if this is a career for you. In addition, if you choose to go
to law school, it will help you immensely in getting through your
first year. On the other hand, if you are looking to paralegalind
a career... well, I'm not so sure I can help.
|
|
