<p>So I have finished my BS 22 years after I started it and am qualified to…well, that’s the problem. I’d love to go to grad school but neither of the local universities offer the programs I’m interested in. I’m trying to make a list of things I might be interested in and paralegal came up. Our community college offers a two year degree in Paralegal Studies. </p>
<p>Does anyone work as a paralegal? Are you a lawyer who works with paralegals? Is it a growing profession or is the competition fierce for getting a job? I’d be 45 when I finished the program, is it a profession with age discrimination? </p>
<p>I’ve seen rankings where it is top 10. I think it also depends on where you are. The jobs are at law firms and corporations with legal departments.</p>
<p>Not a lawyer, but I frequently interact with our counsel’s paralegals. A good, experienced paralegal with specialized skills (i.e. foreign patent prosecution matters) is worth her weight in gold. To be a great paralegal, you have to have exceptional attention to details, be very organized, be able to multitask like there is no tomorrow, and also have great people skills. Something tells me you can handle this kind of a job As far as how in demand paralegals are in your area, do a little search on Indeed and see how many job ads will come up. You will be able to get some ideas as to what the employers are looking for in a candidate. Good luck!</p>
<p>I can weigh in on this. Most paralegal jobs are horrible. They do a lot of clerical work and are not treated well at many law firms. However, there are some really good jobs. The paralegals at the company where I was just employed almost did lawyer work. They had a lot of responsibility and were treated like professionals. They had a lot of years of experience and were making in the 60s, I think. Many law firm paralegals (as opposed to in-house/company) hate their jobs. It really depends on the attorney(s) for whom you work. You may be running personal errands or you may be negotiating settlements!</p>
<p>My son worked as a paralegal his last two years in college and was offered a large amount of money to stay at the firm (one insane, very prominent sole practitioner). He turned it down. He was, in my opinion, bordering on practicing law. He had a lot of responsibility and learned a lot about finance, went to court etc. That was an unusual position, though. He felt that there was no advancement without going to law school, and he bailed on that plan (wisely, it turns out).</p>
<p>I’m technically a paralegal, although I’m doing administration at this time, and in a lot of law firms it’s a crappy job because it’s seen as a temporary thing on the way to law school. A paralegal with special skills like real estate, complex litigation or trial practice can make a lot of money – between $150 to $200,000, BUT the overtime can be staggering and involve mandatory travel for weeks at a time sometimes in less than desirable locations.</p>
<p>I have personally known more than a handful, but not many more than that, of paralegals in private corporations like American Express, pharmaceutical companies, and a couple of the big toy manufacturers who ran departments and became Vice Presidents with all the respect, perks and compensation to go with that position.</p>
<p>If you don’t mind a little advice, my suggestion would be to get a lot of details about possible positions, in terms of tasks, role on the team, overtime requirements and promotion opportunities. There is a huge variety and I think if you ask a lot of questions and be patient in choosing a position you will find something that is really right for you. Please accept my best wishes for finding that perfect position.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for sharing their insight. </p>
<p>I’m in a difficult position because, as I said before, the universities here simply do not offer the grad school programs I am interested in. No Masters degrees in Sociology, Social Work, Educational Leadership and so on. It’s discouraging. I currently work as a preschool teacher but the pay is terrible, of course. I need to make more over the long term. </p>
<p>Mr PMK has 3-4 years left for his doctoral program and I no longer feel like I can wait until we move in 3-4 years to get started on grad school in terms of a career. My age is weighing on me like never before and I know 42 is young but it’s sure not young to start a new career.</p>
<p>Paralegal work appeals to me because A)there is a local program at the community college here and B) it’s “portable” in that I believe I could get a job when we move post-doctoral degree for Mr PMK. It is discouraging to read that they are not treated well at many jobs…I had always thought that paralegals were part of a legal team and valued as such.</p>
<p>kate, as MOfWC and zoosermom said, it all depends on the company/firm. Do not get discouraged! (I will cry if our outside counsel’s paralegals disappear!). Do your research before you commit to any offer. I once walked out of a job offer because I found out that the biotech co that offered me the job was a meatgrinder with a Stalin-like personality in charge. </p>
<p>I have a rebel idea for you: have you considered… law school? ;)</p>
<p>Keep in mind too, Pug, that most of those that have answered your query have answered it from the perspective that a new paralegal might be seeking a job in a large firm.
Not all paralegals are 1 of a thousand, that deal with foreign laws, or anything nearly so exotic.
Plenty are 1 of 1 or two that might work in an atty office of 1, 2, or 3 attys. Expectations and competition depend much on your specific goal. New York City international conglomerates may need paralegals, but so does John Doe in Podunk.
Like Bunsen, I’m not a lawyer, but I frequently interact with paralegals. I’ve met many that work a 40 hr week, and also serve as receptionist in small family owned firms.</p>
<p>My experience is that they have been predominantly under 40(many much younger) and female. “Worth HER weight in gold”(post 4)
According to American Bar, about 73% of American atty’s are men.</p>
Often they are. Just get a feel for the place during interviewing. I’ve found that small firms can be amazing places to work and you can learn a lot and make your own path. If you don’t need medical benefits (which I imagine you don’t?) a solo practitioner or small firm could be just the place for an educated, competent, mature woman. Just my two cents – not that it’s worth anything, but I don’t want to discourage you. It’s a great job, but very diverse, so you have to pick the right option for you. I hope that makes sense.</p>
<p>Have you considered residential real estate? In many places, it’s the paralegal who meets with the clients, deals with the other side, prepares the documents and attends the closings. You can set your schedule, do things your own way, be treated like the educated professional you are and it’s a happy type of law.</p>
<p>Except that in Texas, virtually all residential closings are handled by title companies with little to no attorney or paralegal involvement.</p>
<p>Being a paralegal can be a terrific job or a horrible job or somewhere in between. Some paralegals make themselves very valuable to attorneys. Good pay and benefits…but you have to ask yourself if you would be happy in a supporting role. Is it fine to have decent pay and benefits, without the pressure of client development, etc., but with the pleasure of knowing that you are a valuable member of the team? Or would it make you nuts to make a no-nothing 27 year old llawyer look good, and in 10 years, she will be a partner making lots more money and you’ll still be a paralegal. That’s fine with some folks and not fine with others. (My guess is that zoosermom knows more about practicing law than a large number of attorneys in her firm.)</p>
<p>I know a paralegal who has been Chief Legal Officer for two corporations. She is running their legal department and supervising all litigation. (Probably crossing the line on a daily basis.) We have another former paralegal who is supervising a national litiation docket and scores of in house attorneys.</p>
<p>However, some paralegals “summarize depositions” day after day after day. Others are pretty much the secetary/maid/servant for their attorney.</p>
<p>Really, an incredibly varied profession…again, there are great jobs and bad jobs.</p>
<p>Pug’s personal perspective on “moving up” must be taken into account too.
She says she would be a new grad at 45. While some may have risen to Chief Legal Officer(post 13) I am guessing she wasn’t hired at that spot, right out of community college. Pug must ask herself what position does she desire, and can it be accomplished?
If the job she seeks typically takes 20 yrs experience, for example, then one might choose not to go for it, given her age.
But a twist on Missy’s comment: As a brand new graduate youself, if would be quite some time before you got the experience to make a no-nothing 27 yr old lawyer look good. In 10 yrs she will be a 37 yr old partner, but you’d be a 55 yr old paralegal. How many more years would you WANT to work?</p>
<p>Thank you all so much. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I set up an appt to talk with the head of the Paralegal program at our local community college, so that’s a start.</p>
<p>Years ago I did consider law school but it never worked out with all the moving we had to do as a military family. Now, I can honestly say that I have no interest in going to law school, which is good because the closest one is 3 hours away! Law school itself plus then being an attorney would take too much of my time and energy at this point in my life. Gosh, I hope that doesn’t sound lazy. I want to work, I really do. I mean, being a preschool teacher is hard work which I enjoy but I want something where I can make more money and in a more professional environment. </p>
<p>I have no desire to be a maid/servant. I’ve already cleaned housing for a living plus I’ve been stay at home mom. But I would like to be a member of a team. I don’t mind making other people look good. I’ve taken a lot of pride in my work over the years and I’ve never had a job that involved a lot (any?) public recognition. As for the 27 year old who makes partner? They can have it; I want to have a job and a life. Plus I anticipate working for about 20 years and then retiring. That does limit how far I can go in a job but that’s okay in my mind.</p>
<p>Again, thanks to all of you! My mind is swirling with this new idea of my working future.</p>
<p>I am sure that you have enough life experience to be able tell at the interview whether the attorney is looking for a valued team member vs. a maid/servant. It may be hard to believe in 2011, but there are still women - even young women - who like to work for needy men. I’ve never actually encountered anyone who really liked needy women, but there are some who still thrive on pleasing needy men.</p>
<p>I’ve been a paralegal for 20 years, and a legal secretary. Where are these good paying paralegal jobs? I’ve never had one. You don’t need a degree to be a paralegal. If that’s what you want to do get a job as a legal secretary. You’ll get on the job training and be able to see if you like it. Most paralegals do both anyway - like me. My job title is paralegal, but the job duties are mostly secretarial. The pay stinks and paralegals are ALWAYS the first ones laid off when things get tough. An attorney will keep himself on the job, and he will keep his secretary and just give her the paralegal duties. Bye-bye paralegal. And it’s not fair to compare a “male” paralegal to a female. I’m not kidding - sexism lives in this job market. If you are a male paralegal you will be treated like a junior attorney - and get paid like one. A female paralegal always ends up a secretary.</p>
<p>The 2-yr community college paralegal programs are for those without a bachelor’s degree. There exist a number of much shorter programs, less than 6 months, for those who already have a bachelor’s degree. Some are available via distance learning, including one at Duke, if you can’t find a local program.</p>
To be a great paralegal, you have to have exceptional attention to details, be very organized, be able to multitask like there is no tomorrow, and also have great people skills. Something tells me you can handle this kind of a job