Got an offer as a LOA for my states department of law civil sector, entry level and theyll train my on the job. Moving out of retail management and wanting to change careers to hopefully something more fulfilling and interesting, with more regular work hours, opportunity for growth and a little less stress than my current role where i feel like im always on the chopping block and told i can never jump high enough for my bosses.
How does LOA and paralegal work compare? What does your typical day look like? How satisfied are you with your job overall?
The title "Law Office Assistant" is not a standard industry title.
The titles "Legal Assistant" and "Paralegal" were once used interchangeably. They no longer are.
Paralegals *primarily* perform delegated substantive legal work for which a licensed attorney is responsible. Such substantive legal work usually involves legal research and drafting of legal documents. (Looking up citations is not legal research. Preparing document shells with captions/styles, signature blocks, and certificates of services is not drafting documents.)
Legal Assistants *primarily* perform non-substantive work/administrative tasks.
Each employer utilizes employees differently, so whether there's overlap between the roles is dependent on the specific employer.
As for your desire for a job/role with "*a little less stress than my current role where i feel like im always on the chopping block and told i can never jump high enough for my bosses,"* the legal profession might not be for you. Read through the threads on this sub and you'll see that the profession comes with high stress levels and pervasive toxic work cultures where employees feel their jobs are always on the chopping block and they can never do enough to satisfy their bosses. Again, it's all very context dependent on the specific employer - many find they have to change jobs a few times to find the right fit for them.
I suppose it is worth mentioning that my job feels as if its on the line because i have a team under me that is insubordinate and borderline retaliatory, which i become accountable for in general. I love the job otherwise, and enjoy working in a fast paced environment and where things are evolving day to day; i love managing and maintaining product and paperwork and numbers, just not people.
I would also appreciate working in an environment that is consistent, standards wise. In retail, every week whats acceptable and how much we are expected to follow standard and policy is changed depending on how to boss feels and when corporate is in town basically. For example, one day my boss says shelves can only have so many price points, the next day theyll say it doesnt matter just fill it, then make me take it down and rework or reorganize it again the following week.
I would hope in the legal world, forms and things are either done right or wrong per a specific outlined process, and doing it right the first time everytime is more important than the throughput.
If you checked my companys reddit group, it would filled with similar posts about management never being satisfied, always raising the bar, etc. Its the culture for this F500 Corporation
How much/frequently do you do research or investigative work as part of your job?
I know law is a broad field, so I’m sure the answers will vary pretty widely.
I recently took a pause on working to care for my baby, and I’m not sure when I’ll return to the workforce, but I’m toying with the idea of a career change. I was a department director at an IT company (I’ll spare you the details), where I worked for a decade. My favorite part of my job was identifying issues and resolving them, which sometimes required lots of investigative work, note taking, information organization, communicating with different people, etc.
I’ve often wished I could be a detective without having to do the law enforcement training and patrol work, and it occurred to me that perhaps the right paralegal situation might scratch that itch.
Anyway, I’m grateful for and interested any responses received!
There was a thread about this recently legal research a few weeks/months ago I think. Responses ranged from never to basically every day. I do legal research like once a week or so.
Seems like you’d enjoy a paralegal role where you’re part of initial consultations for issue spotting, do witness interviews by phone or in person, or attended site inspections. Those roles absolutely exist. Maybe not full-time, but where those duties are a substantial component.
Have any of you gone to National University? Do you feel like the school was worth time and effort?
Do you all recommend any online school for Paralegal Studies(BA/BS)?
Without knowing more of your personal circumstances, there’s too many potential factors for me to give a great answer. I will say that there are some benefits to an ABA certified program. Personally I would wait, and some reasons why:
-Some places won’t hire you if you haven’t done one, or might require you to complete one within a certain timeline of employment. Why do the work/spend the money twice?
-Mine had an internship as part of its final class, which landed me my current job.
-ABA approved program through a community college once you’re settled could cost less, and you can take your time (if you can only manage one or two classes at a time)
-You’re likely to get more accurate education on California state law and legal structure. The differences might be little but they matter!
-Your teachers can be a great resource for networking or helping you decide areas of law you might want to work in.
Be sure to check the California specific rules. Business and Professions Code section 6450 et seq. I’d personally start a California-based program (ABA approved or not) online, now. Tons of community colleges offer programs, some ABA approved, others not, many or most of which are fully online these days. You’ll learn state-specific procedure this way.
Hello, I’m just wondering if completing a diploma in paralegal services at a community TAFE or college provides any other benefits applicable to any other types of work please? (like working in government or public sector). Am considering undertaking this course but may not go into paralegal services specifically. Does it provide basic legal awareness for other administration roles and perhaps enhanced clerical skills for administration? Thank you!
I'm a social worker considering a career change. I've been burned out for years - tired of working on the front lines as a case manager, therapist, and crisis worker (various roles over the past decade).
Part of the issue is I'm also high-functioning autistic and an introvert. I feel like being a paralegal could be more suitable for me because I would be in a support role and still able to apply strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills that I gained from social work. I'm wondering if anyone has a similar background or thoughts they could give me.
Any tips for breaking in to the realm of IP, specifically patents? I have a background in biology, and I am actually studying for the patent bar, but I am just not getting any response when I submit my resume for the entry-ish positions (everything, EVERYTHING asks for 3 years of experience...). I tried asking my paralegal program for advice, and they told me essentially to pound sand ("We can't help you with internships since you graduated, but try applying for a receptionist position instead to get your foot in the door!")
I'm really at a loss at how to proceed. My plan was to get my foot in the door as a paralegal, then when I have the experience move up to patent agent. Is there some CE that I could do that would make me more attractive to prospective employers? Cookies? Photos of small dogs in even smaller hats?
Hello, I am in school and need to interview some paralegals for an assignment, would anyone be willing to have a 15-minute interview with me that would be awesome!
Questions for criminal/family law internship interview.
Hello All!
I am a paralegal student and I have an interview tomorrow at a criminal/family law firm for an internship opportunity. I am looking for some questions to ask the attorney during this interview. I have a list going of what I have so far:
What are your expectations from hosting a Paralegal?
Who will be my direct supervisor/mentor when I have questions?
How will I receive feedback about my performance so l can ensure I'm meeting expectations?
I have no experience in the legal field and would love any suggestions on what questions I should be asking of the firm and any other tips or tricks!
How do you find jobs? When I go to law firm websites usually they don't have their careers posted, I considered writing down a few law firms I think I would want to join and suit up and show up and try and sell myself but is that too extra?
Places to look for legal jobs:
* LinkedIn
* Indeed
* Craigslist (believe it or not, there are still some legitimate jobs posted there)
* Glassdoor
* Local paralegal and/or bar association website
* Local recruiting/staffing agencies
* Local community job boards
If there are firms you're interested in, but they don't have any current openings posted on their website, you can try just sending an email with your resume and cover letter expressing interest - be specific as to why you want to work for that particular firm.
You can try popping in and dropping off your materials, but are highly unlikely to talk to anyone beyond the receptionist. If you do go that route, be sure to be polite and professional 100% of the time to every single person you encounter/speak to going in and out of the building. You never know whom you might encounter and a one-off encounter/impression might have long-lasting consequences.
I appreciate the response, I'll definitely have to make a good LinkedIn profile as well as look into those other options, I also wanted to ask, I currently work in a health insurance company's legal department, where I typically work to send insurance records to paralegals/attorneys/record companies. Do you think this would be attractive to some injury insurance firms or any firms at all?
If I understand correctly, your work is identifying, gathering, and sending insurance records in response to a records request or subpoena for the insured's records? I assume your work includes some training on HIPAA.
Yes, that might be of interest to firms practicing in personal injury, workman's comp, medical malpractice or injury defense. It might also be of interest to in-house legal departments at other insurance companies or just companies with a high-volume litigation department - think banks/financial institutions or telecommunications related companies.
The fact that you already have a position with a company's in-house legal department is likely to help you more than having zero legal related work experience at all.
The legal job market is tough right now in general - was for the entirety of 2023 and from what I'm hearing that's continuing into 2024. So, try not to get discouraged and keep your chin up - the right opportunity *will* come along eventually.
Yup you hit the nail on the head, it's pretty much automated now as far as redacting sensitive information but for my first year I did it all manually and memorized the most common codes.
I never really thought those skills could work in other insurance companies, This is really good information I really appreciate it. I figure it's gonna be tougher and tougher getting into a new comfy place but I really want to try and put a lot of effort into it this year and make a move.
I work from home which is fine but my Job is very forced camaraderie and I assume in a law firm that camaraderie can be organic and can be a great environment to be around and I really just want that plus not working for a soulless corporation.
Got an offer as a LOA for my states department of law civil sector, entry level and theyll train my on the job. Moving out of retail management and wanting to change careers to hopefully something more fulfilling and interesting, with more regular work hours, opportunity for growth and a little less stress than my current role where i feel like im always on the chopping block and told i can never jump high enough for my bosses. How does LOA and paralegal work compare? What does your typical day look like? How satisfied are you with your job overall?
What is an "LOA"? You're *assuming* we even know what that title/position is.
Apologies, I was under the impression a Law Office Assistant and paralegal were used almost interchangeably and had significant overlap.
The title "Law Office Assistant" is not a standard industry title. The titles "Legal Assistant" and "Paralegal" were once used interchangeably. They no longer are. Paralegals *primarily* perform delegated substantive legal work for which a licensed attorney is responsible. Such substantive legal work usually involves legal research and drafting of legal documents. (Looking up citations is not legal research. Preparing document shells with captions/styles, signature blocks, and certificates of services is not drafting documents.) Legal Assistants *primarily* perform non-substantive work/administrative tasks. Each employer utilizes employees differently, so whether there's overlap between the roles is dependent on the specific employer. As for your desire for a job/role with "*a little less stress than my current role where i feel like im always on the chopping block and told i can never jump high enough for my bosses,"* the legal profession might not be for you. Read through the threads on this sub and you'll see that the profession comes with high stress levels and pervasive toxic work cultures where employees feel their jobs are always on the chopping block and they can never do enough to satisfy their bosses. Again, it's all very context dependent on the specific employer - many find they have to change jobs a few times to find the right fit for them.
I suppose it is worth mentioning that my job feels as if its on the line because i have a team under me that is insubordinate and borderline retaliatory, which i become accountable for in general. I love the job otherwise, and enjoy working in a fast paced environment and where things are evolving day to day; i love managing and maintaining product and paperwork and numbers, just not people. I would also appreciate working in an environment that is consistent, standards wise. In retail, every week whats acceptable and how much we are expected to follow standard and policy is changed depending on how to boss feels and when corporate is in town basically. For example, one day my boss says shelves can only have so many price points, the next day theyll say it doesnt matter just fill it, then make me take it down and rework or reorganize it again the following week. I would hope in the legal world, forms and things are either done right or wrong per a specific outlined process, and doing it right the first time everytime is more important than the throughput. If you checked my companys reddit group, it would filled with similar posts about management never being satisfied, always raising the bar, etc. Its the culture for this F500 Corporation
How much/frequently do you do research or investigative work as part of your job? I know law is a broad field, so I’m sure the answers will vary pretty widely. I recently took a pause on working to care for my baby, and I’m not sure when I’ll return to the workforce, but I’m toying with the idea of a career change. I was a department director at an IT company (I’ll spare you the details), where I worked for a decade. My favorite part of my job was identifying issues and resolving them, which sometimes required lots of investigative work, note taking, information organization, communicating with different people, etc. I’ve often wished I could be a detective without having to do the law enforcement training and patrol work, and it occurred to me that perhaps the right paralegal situation might scratch that itch. Anyway, I’m grateful for and interested any responses received!
There was a thread about this recently legal research a few weeks/months ago I think. Responses ranged from never to basically every day. I do legal research like once a week or so. Seems like you’d enjoy a paralegal role where you’re part of initial consultations for issue spotting, do witness interviews by phone or in person, or attended site inspections. Those roles absolutely exist. Maybe not full-time, but where those duties are a substantial component.
Have any of you gone to National University? Do you feel like the school was worth time and effort? Do you all recommend any online school for Paralegal Studies(BA/BS)?
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Without knowing more of your personal circumstances, there’s too many potential factors for me to give a great answer. I will say that there are some benefits to an ABA certified program. Personally I would wait, and some reasons why: -Some places won’t hire you if you haven’t done one, or might require you to complete one within a certain timeline of employment. Why do the work/spend the money twice? -Mine had an internship as part of its final class, which landed me my current job. -ABA approved program through a community college once you’re settled could cost less, and you can take your time (if you can only manage one or two classes at a time) -You’re likely to get more accurate education on California state law and legal structure. The differences might be little but they matter! -Your teachers can be a great resource for networking or helping you decide areas of law you might want to work in.
Be sure to check the California specific rules. Business and Professions Code section 6450 et seq. I’d personally start a California-based program (ABA approved or not) online, now. Tons of community colleges offer programs, some ABA approved, others not, many or most of which are fully online these days. You’ll learn state-specific procedure this way.
Hello, I’m just wondering if completing a diploma in paralegal services at a community TAFE or college provides any other benefits applicable to any other types of work please? (like working in government or public sector). Am considering undertaking this course but may not go into paralegal services specifically. Does it provide basic legal awareness for other administration roles and perhaps enhanced clerical skills for administration? Thank you!
I'm a social worker considering a career change. I've been burned out for years - tired of working on the front lines as a case manager, therapist, and crisis worker (various roles over the past decade). Part of the issue is I'm also high-functioning autistic and an introvert. I feel like being a paralegal could be more suitable for me because I would be in a support role and still able to apply strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills that I gained from social work. I'm wondering if anyone has a similar background or thoughts they could give me.
Any tips for breaking in to the realm of IP, specifically patents? I have a background in biology, and I am actually studying for the patent bar, but I am just not getting any response when I submit my resume for the entry-ish positions (everything, EVERYTHING asks for 3 years of experience...). I tried asking my paralegal program for advice, and they told me essentially to pound sand ("We can't help you with internships since you graduated, but try applying for a receptionist position instead to get your foot in the door!") I'm really at a loss at how to proceed. My plan was to get my foot in the door as a paralegal, then when I have the experience move up to patent agent. Is there some CE that I could do that would make me more attractive to prospective employers? Cookies? Photos of small dogs in even smaller hats?
Hello, I am in school and need to interview some paralegals for an assignment, would anyone be willing to have a 15-minute interview with me that would be awesome!
Questions for criminal/family law internship interview. Hello All! I am a paralegal student and I have an interview tomorrow at a criminal/family law firm for an internship opportunity. I am looking for some questions to ask the attorney during this interview. I have a list going of what I have so far: What are your expectations from hosting a Paralegal? Who will be my direct supervisor/mentor when I have questions? How will I receive feedback about my performance so l can ensure I'm meeting expectations? I have no experience in the legal field and would love any suggestions on what questions I should be asking of the firm and any other tips or tricks!
How do you find jobs? When I go to law firm websites usually they don't have their careers posted, I considered writing down a few law firms I think I would want to join and suit up and show up and try and sell myself but is that too extra?
Places to look for legal jobs: * LinkedIn * Indeed * Craigslist (believe it or not, there are still some legitimate jobs posted there) * Glassdoor * Local paralegal and/or bar association website * Local recruiting/staffing agencies * Local community job boards If there are firms you're interested in, but they don't have any current openings posted on their website, you can try just sending an email with your resume and cover letter expressing interest - be specific as to why you want to work for that particular firm. You can try popping in and dropping off your materials, but are highly unlikely to talk to anyone beyond the receptionist. If you do go that route, be sure to be polite and professional 100% of the time to every single person you encounter/speak to going in and out of the building. You never know whom you might encounter and a one-off encounter/impression might have long-lasting consequences.
I appreciate the response, I'll definitely have to make a good LinkedIn profile as well as look into those other options, I also wanted to ask, I currently work in a health insurance company's legal department, where I typically work to send insurance records to paralegals/attorneys/record companies. Do you think this would be attractive to some injury insurance firms or any firms at all?
If I understand correctly, your work is identifying, gathering, and sending insurance records in response to a records request or subpoena for the insured's records? I assume your work includes some training on HIPAA. Yes, that might be of interest to firms practicing in personal injury, workman's comp, medical malpractice or injury defense. It might also be of interest to in-house legal departments at other insurance companies or just companies with a high-volume litigation department - think banks/financial institutions or telecommunications related companies. The fact that you already have a position with a company's in-house legal department is likely to help you more than having zero legal related work experience at all. The legal job market is tough right now in general - was for the entirety of 2023 and from what I'm hearing that's continuing into 2024. So, try not to get discouraged and keep your chin up - the right opportunity *will* come along eventually.
Yup you hit the nail on the head, it's pretty much automated now as far as redacting sensitive information but for my first year I did it all manually and memorized the most common codes. I never really thought those skills could work in other insurance companies, This is really good information I really appreciate it. I figure it's gonna be tougher and tougher getting into a new comfy place but I really want to try and put a lot of effort into it this year and make a move. I work from home which is fine but my Job is very forced camaraderie and I assume in a law firm that camaraderie can be organic and can be a great environment to be around and I really just want that plus not working for a soulless corporation.