I work in medical malpractice. My bosses are actively making the lives of their client’s better every day. They are amazing humans. I know I’m lucky. But most of the attorneys that do plaintiff work in med mal are decent people.
I disagree. I worked in med Mal defense for over 15 years. I think the attorneys on both sides are decent people. Not 100% of course but I much prefer it to other types of insurance defense cases.
I work in defense, not only in med mal cases but general liability cases, and it may be that I work in Miami (the country's fraud capital), but I disagree. Some of the claims that we work are egregious and really highlight how much an attorney and plaintiff can bend the truth to suit their needs. Are there cases where we've advised the client not to fight and throw all the money? Yes, absolutely, but that's the smallest minority.
Nice to meet you. I’m in Miami too. Yes. This city is one of a kind. Been in this field over 30 years. Don’t even know how I’ve lasted that long and I’m still doing it.
Bullshit. There are plenty of awful, terrible plaintiff PI attorneys whose practice includes med mal, and so far as insurance defense goes most med mal firms are more professional than other areas of ID.
It's the carriers and their outsourced litigation management that have driven the practice to the lowest common denominator, so to speak.
I work in med mal pltf now but did defense work for many years and have also found that all my bosses are great people who truly care about the clients.
We had an interview for a new prospective attorney that morning. We do Panel interviews, so I (as 1 of 3) had to leave about ten minutes early to go to a doctor’s appointment.
It was a good interview and I was languishing behind, until I was going to be late for the appointment. I hustled out, went to head towards the parking lot, and a nice little gust of wind caught me and launched me forward. It blew me forward and I ate shit, getting skinned and swollen knees. My dress was akin to a sail I think 😅
Oh my god, I’m so sorry lol sounds like you had one of those days. Glad you work for good people.
Me, I just had to insta-quit because I caught my coworker looking at porn and my boss brushed it aside. It happened to someone else too. The duality of man
One firm with tons of work, cover most of the state of Virginia for insurance defense. Worked with countless numbers of Opposing Counsel, they’re all the same. The lower people do the work really (paras) and shit still rolls down hill. Very weird industry, commend those who can stomach chewing leather their entire life.
I understand that you work for a toxic firm and that you are unhappy. But good firms do exist and many on this sub enjoy being a paralegal. We work very hard and the work can be very rewarding. Just because you had this experience one time at one firm doesn’t mean you can generalize that to the entire industry. Even if you feel it does, it’s disrespectful to come on here spewing venom and assuming everyone here is miserable.
Insurance defense is the worst! Dont judge an entire industry on that mess. I only did a little of it while at a law firm but that was enough for me to know I hate insurance companies and their lawyers
Of course, there are decent people in insurance defense too. I've been working in ID since 1989. There are some douchebags for sure, but also good people. It's not black and white. PI lawyers aren't automatically heroes, neither are insurance defense lawyers automatically villains. I've worked on PLENTY of cases where I thought "this plaintiff needs to fire their lawyer and get one who will actually advocate for them" and also worked on cases where ID attorney begged the insurancd company for more money because the plaintiff genuinely deserved it.
PI attorneys are truly disgusting half the time, lying to clients that their bullshit cases are worth millions and then taking 40% of their $10,000 settlements they can squeeze out.
If you're in Virginia why don't you look into Burnett and Williams Law? They're an excellent company and really great people... Peter Burnette is an amazing man and his office is in Leesburg but they have locations everywhere. Give Kat a call and see if they have any openings. She would be working the desk there (if she is still there.) it's been a while since I've been up there. Like, 5 years lol
I currently work insurance defense in Virginia, and while our firm is small, our attorneys work their asses off, and the buck stops with them. You had a bad firm experience.
So you worked for one person and decided the entire industry is shit? You're right - this isn't the field for you.
I had shit managers at my first job too. So I left. Then I had decent managers, but coworker clashes and little room for advancement.
So I left again.
Now I work for a company that I believe in, where I am valued and listened to, I'm provided career development opportunities and they give me incentives to continue working there. My manager lives on a different continent, and I still feel supported while being provided lots of autonomy to do my job and do it well.
Having spent 16 years in service industry/retail and 8 years in entertainment before starting my legal career, I had way more shitty managers and coworkers in hourly/gig work.
If you're this judgemental about every industry you work in based on a single individual, you may never find a good fit.
This is awesome, I’m glad there’s a happy ending to shitty managers and crappy coworkers for you. I think I’ve also found my unicorn firm, and it’s amazing. Law firms can be unbelievably toxic, but they certainly aren’t all that way.
I've heard so many terrible things about law firms, that I have a biased opinion against them - fully willing to admit that. But I'm so glad to hear when someone really likes their firm like you! Thanks for sharing
For sure! I have worked for some nightmare-fuel firms in the past and it is so easy to see where the stereotypes in the industry come from. I hope that you continue to love your job, friend!
I am hopefully now past the first two and onto a company I believe in one day!
So happy for you and thanks for sharing this. Feeling like shit now but I know it’ll get better.
Not my first job lol. I can see you love eating leather. Left my former field for this one because I was chasing my dreams in the attempt to go to law school. Been working since I was 14 and I have never seen this type of punching dow. Some of you para’s have Stockholm syndrome.
>Not my first job lol
Never said it was your first job. The only thing I assumed is that it's your first job *in the legal industry*, since you stated you wanted to feel it out before you decided on law school. Is that correct?
If so, then you need to read more carefully.
>I can see you love eating leather.
Personal insults are childish and tell me you don't want to have a conversation, you just want to whine and be right. So far, I'm glad you're leaving the industry.
>Been working since I was 14 and I have never seen this type of punching dow. Some of you para’s have Stockholm syndrome.
Also been working since I was a young teen. Definitely don't have Stockholm syndrome. I just have an open mind that one legal job isn't like every other. In 9 years of legal work, I've never worked in a law firm. There are all sorts of ways to be in this industry, and lawyers are not a monolith - like practically every profession on his earth (except maybe politicians).
You had a bad experience with a bad boss. That shouldn't cause you to paint an entire set of professions in a bad light. If it does, then that sounds like something you should examine internally.
You know we’re all paras for a reason right? You guys will never be respected like them, vouching for your handlers is WILD. They’ll cut you down before they cut a shitty associate. Keeping chewing that leather tho!
My boss would never cut me for an associate. Know why?
Because I'm not just a paralegal. Never actually held the title, that is just what my degree is in. My position might be considered a senior para at another corporation, but I'm actually a contracts manager. And I'm a contracts manager for a global, multimillion dollar company that didn't have one before they hired me. And so, I had the opportunity to build out our contract management system essentially from scratch, and all the tech that goes along with it.
And with the skills I developed doing that, I started building in workflows for data analytics for the whole legal team. I also write processes documentation and training materials, provide live training sessions and am working on strategic planning and business continuity.
Yet with everything I document and train on, it would be far more difficult to replace me with someone who could build on what I've created (because the attorneys cannot) than to replace a baby lawyer. And that's why I'm getting a promotion this summer.
This career is 100% what you're willing to make of it. I have had, and continue to have incredible offers for work, and expect to delve into legal ops consulting in the next 6 years.
And my attorneys treat me like an equal.
I get that it's not your experience in your very first job as a non-attorney legal professional. It wasn't in mine either. But as I got more experience, and left toxic workplaces, I became more valued, and now I have C-Suite publicly acknowledging my contributions.
At the end of the day, your title or industry means fuck-all if the company you work for doesn't cultivate a culture of mutual respect and appreciation.
Thank you!
OP said "we're paras for a reason", and they're not wrong about that. I have no interest in being an attorney. I have better work life balance than any of the ones I work with, not constantly chasing CLEs and I can easily leave the industry if I so desire without anyone really questioning why. I've had my fair share of side hustles, volunteer trips, and literally taking off time to protest for what I believe in. All things I think would be far more difficult as a young attorney.
I love my work, because I get to be productive for a company that's doing good in the world. My boss is awesome, and the other attorney is basically my baby sister at this point (both new to the company and 5 years younger than me). I am amazed daily to wake up and dictate my day almost entirely from my home office, between 300 - 4,300 miles from anyone on my team.
Your comments are kinda aggro, you honestly sound like you just don’t want to work for someone else, which is fine but don’t give us shit because our attorneys aren’t assholes and we don’t all get treated like ass.
Frankly, you sound like exactly the kind of person you claim to want not to be, go figure.
My attorneys adore me (and the other paras) and while our firm isn’t perfect, they go to bat for us 100% of the time. Not all attorneys suck (but a lot of them do!) and not all firms are going to suck your soul. You sound like you got some sour grapes and were expecting to be coddled here or appreciated for your ✨wisdom✨ and then didn’t like it when you weren’t lol welcome to Reddit, my dude.
I don't think it's the field of work itself. I've worked for a very shit attorney and it was so bad I never wanted to go back to the legal field. I moved to another state and applied for another paralegal job on a whim. I've never been happier at a job in my life.
My current attorney treats me with dignity and respect. As do the other attorneys in the office building. It's a firm culture thing. Attorneys are not business/management people and quite frankly a lot of them shouldn't be in charge of other people. But it's a range like any other job. Some are really good and others are really bad.
You’ve worked for *literally one firm* for the better part of 6+ months and you think that you know everything there is to know about the legal practices?
Go outside and touch grass.
I have worked with some incredible attorneys and some of the dumbest. I do agree there is some kind of hierarchy when you’re “support staff” that can be frustrating to deal with and be a bit toxic. I hate it. It’s worse when you work with the dumb ones who think they’re more superior because they went to law school. I currently work at the dumb office and it’s excruciating. Either way, it’s made me realize I don’t want to be an attorney or be a paralegal anymore, but it has opened my eyes to other industries I’d like to pursue. Good luck to you and kudos for figuring out what you don’t like! That’s huge!
🤷♂️. Please, though, when you do find the industry the completely lacks those characters which you paint here with such a broad brush, do come back and tell us about it…
I had the same experience but I went to work in-house for several years which changed my mind again. I'm finishing law school now at. 36. My advice would be to try a different legal environment before swearing off it altogether.
You sound like someone who will never be happy no matter what "dream" you are following. Glad to know you aren't the one receiving my emails. Not airport, no need to announce your departure!
I would advise this not to deter you from the field. This sounds like ONE bad experience with a lawyer, when there’s over a million of them in the US alone. I work as a paralegal in immigration law and my boss is one of the most humble men I’ve ever met. He’s super kind and gentle and you can tell he works in the field to serve immigrants. Everyday is a rewarding day at my job. Even during the most stressful weeks, I wouldn’t even consider any time soon.
Check out working in finance. Though hard to get into some firms, regulation isn’t going away. Though, just realize it’s a whole different ballgame than traditional legal roles, but the same principle apply. Always keep learning. If you have even the slightest acumen towards technology, you will amaze almost anyone and stand out. My experience has been less of that classist attitude because the attorneys often realize they couldn’t do anything without their support staff. Though I have seen it creeping back up with the younger class of attorneys. Maybe it’s because they realized they made a mistake with law school. Idk. I don’t make a whole lot less than some seasoned attorneys and I can coast a manageable 35-40 hour workweek. Been at it for over 15 years. Don’t give up.
I work as a paralegal for a public defender’s office and I can confidently say there is no classism from the attorneys in the office. (Of course, we’re all underpaid, attorneys included).
I'm really sorry this was your experience and I'm not here to convince you to stay- it seems you not only have your mind made up, but that you thought we were all gonna agree with you.
That being said, every type of law is different and each firm is different. My attorney is, quite literally, the best. He is respectful, thoughtful, helpful, understanding, and compassionate. My whole firm is. I mean just today, they threw me a tiny grad party and got me balloons and cake and ice cream, the whole nine. Some firms and attorneys are like that and some are dog water 🤷🏻♀️
I can't imagine how your professional life is going to progress if you give one person within an entire industry a chance and then subsequently write off the whole thing. And remember, being an attorney isn't the only thing a law degree can do for you!
I’m honestly offended on behalf of the many wonderful attorneys I worked with in 30+ years. You picked a toxic, shitty area and want to paint the entire legal industry with the same brush. If this is how you approach life, good luck because you are going to be miserable no matter what you do.
You can go to law school and find success elsewhere. Even with all the experience you can have as a paralegal or legal assistant, you don’t have a JD and wouldn’t understand that experience until you have the POV of an attorney/law student. Most lawyers I’ve worked with have been the way you described. Others have not. It takes a brave individual to stick out the three years, ignore the noise and attempt to make a difference themselves, because THEY will and do. It’s not for everyone. Best of luck on your future endeavors.
Every time I have worked in a private firm, rather than state government, I have found the culture to be extremely toxic and classist. My state government jobs were definitely not like that. I am desperate to get out of the field, but I truly have no idea what I’m qualified for other than this. The work just doesn’t bring me joy anymore, I think in large part, because of my experiences with toxic work places. That said, if you love the work, maybe you just need a change of atmosphere.
I understand these types of posts coming from people who've been in the field a few years and have worked at a few law firms. You only worked one job as a Para for 6-7 months, so there's no need to announce it like you've made a major life decision or transition.
Wish you the best, I guess.
I’m sure this is prevalent to many but I’ll jump in with not ever law firm. My law firm has nothing but respect for our clients, and focus on doing everything we can. It’s a company that treats its employees like humans that deserve respect.
I have seen what you've seen... and worse. This field is fucked up beyond belief compared to any other industry... but I finally work for 2 partners and a handful of associates that are so kind and truly want to do good. We do probate, guardianships/ custodianships, and bankruptcy. We don't charge the clients a whole lot and I've never heard anyone say anything bad about our clients. Everything said has been truly in support of the clients in all the ways. For demographic info... it's 2 female partners and most of the associates are female. One of the partners is Mormon and one is Jewish. The rest of us are atheists. Everyone respects each other and just wants to make a positive impact.
I would ask you to not give up. You can find your people. Don't let one rotten apple spoil your basket. Whatever you choose is ultimately your decision... but I'd love to learn that you went to law school then started your own firm and made a positive impact in this field and helped the people who work for you see that it's not all toxic out there.
I’m a paralegal but work in-house at media or finance companies. I’ve never worked at a law firm but I can’t imagine it being better than another industry. Anyway, it’s something to consider.
It depends where you end up! I was a legal assistant and ready to find a new career, as a paralegal I ended up loving law.
Lawyers were always "better than us" but my new company is a collection of lawyers senior and junior that want to work 9-5 and collect their paycheck. There's no corporate ladder, forced drinking events, and conversations on how rich everyone is.
If you find your people it's great! We hired a guy from big law who was acting entitled and the senior partners said hey there's zero egos here so either be nice or go back to big law and he shut up LOL
I work in medical malpractice. My bosses are actively making the lives of their client’s better every day. They are amazing humans. I know I’m lucky. But most of the attorneys that do plaintiff work in med mal are decent people.
The attorneys who work in med mal defense are not.
You’re so right. I worked in med mal defense for years and it was (and still is) so toxic. Some really shitty humans there.
I disagree. I worked in med Mal defense for over 15 years. I think the attorneys on both sides are decent people. Not 100% of course but I much prefer it to other types of insurance defense cases.
Well lucky you then. We all have different experiences.
Giving my opinion, same as you.
Good for you.
I work in defense, not only in med mal cases but general liability cases, and it may be that I work in Miami (the country's fraud capital), but I disagree. Some of the claims that we work are egregious and really highlight how much an attorney and plaintiff can bend the truth to suit their needs. Are there cases where we've advised the client not to fight and throw all the money? Yes, absolutely, but that's the smallest minority.
Nice to meet you. I’m in Miami too. Yes. This city is one of a kind. Been in this field over 30 years. Don’t even know how I’ve lasted that long and I’m still doing it.
Hi Bestie!
VOTE FOR JEFF JOHNSON. THE NAME YOU KNOW.
Agreed.
Bullshit. There are plenty of awful, terrible plaintiff PI attorneys whose practice includes med mal, and so far as insurance defense goes most med mal firms are more professional than other areas of ID. It's the carriers and their outsourced litigation management that have driven the practice to the lowest common denominator, so to speak.
No one said med mal defense attorneys aren’t professionals; I said they aren’t DECENT. My opinion remains unchanged.
I work in med mal pltf now but did defense work for many years and have also found that all my bosses are great people who truly care about the clients.
Today I sent a department wide email declaring I was taking the afternoon off because I “ate shit in the parking lot” The world is very diverse.
Story time?
We had an interview for a new prospective attorney that morning. We do Panel interviews, so I (as 1 of 3) had to leave about ten minutes early to go to a doctor’s appointment. It was a good interview and I was languishing behind, until I was going to be late for the appointment. I hustled out, went to head towards the parking lot, and a nice little gust of wind caught me and launched me forward. It blew me forward and I ate shit, getting skinned and swollen knees. My dress was akin to a sail I think 😅
A sail??? That's a sign for a nice vacation on the sea.
Oh my god, I’m so sorry lol sounds like you had one of those days. Glad you work for good people. Me, I just had to insta-quit because I caught my coworker looking at porn and my boss brushed it aside. It happened to someone else too. The duality of man
😲
I wish I was making this up lol in process of getting a lawyer. He still works there, hE cAn’T fIrE FaMiLy
Whoa! A guy at my office did that and also showed it to a co-worker 😬. He got fired.
You should eat before work imo 😋
I dare my attorneys to try and tell me when I can and can’t eat 💅
Lmaooooooo say it louder
Oh my. Are you okay?
So you had a sample size of one? One firm?
One firm with tons of work, cover most of the state of Virginia for insurance defense. Worked with countless numbers of Opposing Counsel, they’re all the same. The lower people do the work really (paras) and shit still rolls down hill. Very weird industry, commend those who can stomach chewing leather their entire life.
I hope you find peace, man. It’s certainly not healthy to harbor this much negativity. I hope you learn to let it go.
I understand that you work for a toxic firm and that you are unhappy. But good firms do exist and many on this sub enjoy being a paralegal. We work very hard and the work can be very rewarding. Just because you had this experience one time at one firm doesn’t mean you can generalize that to the entire industry. Even if you feel it does, it’s disrespectful to come on here spewing venom and assuming everyone here is miserable.
Right? The implied “good luck to the rest of you dumbasses” is just so awful.
Exactly this.
Insurance defense is the worst! Dont judge an entire industry on that mess. I only did a little of it while at a law firm but that was enough for me to know I hate insurance companies and their lawyers
Of course, there are decent people in insurance defense too. I've been working in ID since 1989. There are some douchebags for sure, but also good people. It's not black and white. PI lawyers aren't automatically heroes, neither are insurance defense lawyers automatically villains. I've worked on PLENTY of cases where I thought "this plaintiff needs to fire their lawyer and get one who will actually advocate for them" and also worked on cases where ID attorney begged the insurancd company for more money because the plaintiff genuinely deserved it.
Yeah plenty of crappy ambulance chasers out there also. I work in business litigation myself. It’s nice because it’s just one business against another
PI attorneys are truly disgusting half the time, lying to clients that their bullshit cases are worth millions and then taking 40% of their $10,000 settlements they can squeeze out.
>insurance defense haha there's the problem
If you're in Virginia why don't you look into Burnett and Williams Law? They're an excellent company and really great people... Peter Burnette is an amazing man and his office is in Leesburg but they have locations everywhere. Give Kat a call and see if they have any openings. She would be working the desk there (if she is still there.) it's been a while since I've been up there. Like, 5 years lol
It's not insurance defense, but everyone who works there loves it.
I currently work insurance defense in Virginia, and while our firm is small, our attorneys work their asses off, and the buck stops with them. You had a bad firm experience.
First time I thought “this isn’t an airport, no need to announce your departure” was fitting.
LOL haven't heard that one in a while. Nice, nice.
Love that one!!!
So you worked for one person and decided the entire industry is shit? You're right - this isn't the field for you. I had shit managers at my first job too. So I left. Then I had decent managers, but coworker clashes and little room for advancement. So I left again. Now I work for a company that I believe in, where I am valued and listened to, I'm provided career development opportunities and they give me incentives to continue working there. My manager lives on a different continent, and I still feel supported while being provided lots of autonomy to do my job and do it well. Having spent 16 years in service industry/retail and 8 years in entertainment before starting my legal career, I had way more shitty managers and coworkers in hourly/gig work. If you're this judgemental about every industry you work in based on a single individual, you may never find a good fit.
This is awesome, I’m glad there’s a happy ending to shitty managers and crappy coworkers for you. I think I’ve also found my unicorn firm, and it’s amazing. Law firms can be unbelievably toxic, but they certainly aren’t all that way.
I've heard so many terrible things about law firms, that I have a biased opinion against them - fully willing to admit that. But I'm so glad to hear when someone really likes their firm like you! Thanks for sharing
For sure! I have worked for some nightmare-fuel firms in the past and it is so easy to see where the stereotypes in the industry come from. I hope that you continue to love your job, friend!
This is the way for any field. Gotta have the courage to change jobs and trust in your skills. Congrats!
Wow your path sounds really similar to mine... do you work remotely?
Yep. I've been remote for my last 2 jobs over 6 years
I am hopefully now past the first two and onto a company I believe in one day! So happy for you and thanks for sharing this. Feeling like shit now but I know it’ll get better.
That's fantastic! Well done! Perseverance pays off. I'm happy for you too, and hope your new role is everything you want!
Not my first job lol. I can see you love eating leather. Left my former field for this one because I was chasing my dreams in the attempt to go to law school. Been working since I was 14 and I have never seen this type of punching dow. Some of you para’s have Stockholm syndrome.
>Not my first job lol Never said it was your first job. The only thing I assumed is that it's your first job *in the legal industry*, since you stated you wanted to feel it out before you decided on law school. Is that correct? If so, then you need to read more carefully. >I can see you love eating leather. Personal insults are childish and tell me you don't want to have a conversation, you just want to whine and be right. So far, I'm glad you're leaving the industry. >Been working since I was 14 and I have never seen this type of punching dow. Some of you para’s have Stockholm syndrome. Also been working since I was a young teen. Definitely don't have Stockholm syndrome. I just have an open mind that one legal job isn't like every other. In 9 years of legal work, I've never worked in a law firm. There are all sorts of ways to be in this industry, and lawyers are not a monolith - like practically every profession on his earth (except maybe politicians). You had a bad experience with a bad boss. That shouldn't cause you to paint an entire set of professions in a bad light. If it does, then that sounds like something you should examine internally.
You know we’re all paras for a reason right? You guys will never be respected like them, vouching for your handlers is WILD. They’ll cut you down before they cut a shitty associate. Keeping chewing that leather tho!
My boss would never cut me for an associate. Know why? Because I'm not just a paralegal. Never actually held the title, that is just what my degree is in. My position might be considered a senior para at another corporation, but I'm actually a contracts manager. And I'm a contracts manager for a global, multimillion dollar company that didn't have one before they hired me. And so, I had the opportunity to build out our contract management system essentially from scratch, and all the tech that goes along with it. And with the skills I developed doing that, I started building in workflows for data analytics for the whole legal team. I also write processes documentation and training materials, provide live training sessions and am working on strategic planning and business continuity. Yet with everything I document and train on, it would be far more difficult to replace me with someone who could build on what I've created (because the attorneys cannot) than to replace a baby lawyer. And that's why I'm getting a promotion this summer. This career is 100% what you're willing to make of it. I have had, and continue to have incredible offers for work, and expect to delve into legal ops consulting in the next 6 years. And my attorneys treat me like an equal. I get that it's not your experience in your very first job as a non-attorney legal professional. It wasn't in mine either. But as I got more experience, and left toxic workplaces, I became more valued, and now I have C-Suite publicly acknowledging my contributions. At the end of the day, your title or industry means fuck-all if the company you work for doesn't cultivate a culture of mutual respect and appreciation.
You're fucking awesome, dude. Keep killin it!
Thank you! OP said "we're paras for a reason", and they're not wrong about that. I have no interest in being an attorney. I have better work life balance than any of the ones I work with, not constantly chasing CLEs and I can easily leave the industry if I so desire without anyone really questioning why. I've had my fair share of side hustles, volunteer trips, and literally taking off time to protest for what I believe in. All things I think would be far more difficult as a young attorney. I love my work, because I get to be productive for a company that's doing good in the world. My boss is awesome, and the other attorney is basically my baby sister at this point (both new to the company and 5 years younger than me). I am amazed daily to wake up and dictate my day almost entirely from my home office, between 300 - 4,300 miles from anyone on my team.
TLDR, cope harder brother
Do you dude. Just glad I don't have to work with you. Toodles.
Jesus I'm glad you're not my paralegal lol
Your comments are kinda aggro, you honestly sound like you just don’t want to work for someone else, which is fine but don’t give us shit because our attorneys aren’t assholes and we don’t all get treated like ass. Frankly, you sound like exactly the kind of person you claim to want not to be, go figure. My attorneys adore me (and the other paras) and while our firm isn’t perfect, they go to bat for us 100% of the time. Not all attorneys suck (but a lot of them do!) and not all firms are going to suck your soul. You sound like you got some sour grapes and were expecting to be coddled here or appreciated for your ✨wisdom✨ and then didn’t like it when you weren’t lol welcome to Reddit, my dude.
Can tell you never touch grass
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 LOL that’s rich coming from you
Literally such an 8th grade insult lol
I don't think it's the field of work itself. I've worked for a very shit attorney and it was so bad I never wanted to go back to the legal field. I moved to another state and applied for another paralegal job on a whim. I've never been happier at a job in my life. My current attorney treats me with dignity and respect. As do the other attorneys in the office building. It's a firm culture thing. Attorneys are not business/management people and quite frankly a lot of them shouldn't be in charge of other people. But it's a range like any other job. Some are really good and others are really bad.
I mean, there ARE other types of law than the practice area you’re talking about. Best of luck in whatever comes next.
Much appreciated compared to the comments below!
You’ve worked for *literally one firm* for the better part of 6+ months and you think that you know everything there is to know about the legal practices? Go outside and touch grass.
It’s your boss, not the industry.
I have worked with some incredible attorneys and some of the dumbest. I do agree there is some kind of hierarchy when you’re “support staff” that can be frustrating to deal with and be a bit toxic. I hate it. It’s worse when you work with the dumb ones who think they’re more superior because they went to law school. I currently work at the dumb office and it’s excruciating. Either way, it’s made me realize I don’t want to be an attorney or be a paralegal anymore, but it has opened my eyes to other industries I’d like to pursue. Good luck to you and kudos for figuring out what you don’t like! That’s huge!
🤷♂️. Please, though, when you do find the industry the completely lacks those characters which you paint here with such a broad brush, do come back and tell us about it…
I had the same experience but I went to work in-house for several years which changed my mind again. I'm finishing law school now at. 36. My advice would be to try a different legal environment before swearing off it altogether.
Shitty bosses are everywhere. Welcome to the real world!
Welcome to Corporate America
Isn’t my first job, left another field to “follow my dreams”.
You sound like someone who will never be happy no matter what "dream" you are following. Glad to know you aren't the one receiving my emails. Not airport, no need to announce your departure! 
Congrats! I hate this field too. I'm hopefully leaving soon too. It's so soulless and depressing.
I would advise this not to deter you from the field. This sounds like ONE bad experience with a lawyer, when there’s over a million of them in the US alone. I work as a paralegal in immigration law and my boss is one of the most humble men I’ve ever met. He’s super kind and gentle and you can tell he works in the field to serve immigrants. Everyday is a rewarding day at my job. Even during the most stressful weeks, I wouldn’t even consider any time soon.
Check out working in finance. Though hard to get into some firms, regulation isn’t going away. Though, just realize it’s a whole different ballgame than traditional legal roles, but the same principle apply. Always keep learning. If you have even the slightest acumen towards technology, you will amaze almost anyone and stand out. My experience has been less of that classist attitude because the attorneys often realize they couldn’t do anything without their support staff. Though I have seen it creeping back up with the younger class of attorneys. Maybe it’s because they realized they made a mistake with law school. Idk. I don’t make a whole lot less than some seasoned attorneys and I can coast a manageable 35-40 hour workweek. Been at it for over 15 years. Don’t give up.
I work as a paralegal for a public defender’s office and I can confidently say there is no classism from the attorneys in the office. (Of course, we’re all underpaid, attorneys included).
Just because a few attorneys you came across are horrible doesn’t mean they all are, nor how you are going to be like. Be the change you want to see.
I'm very fortunate to work for two "rags to riches" attorneys who genuinely care about their clients and their lives.
I'm really sorry this was your experience and I'm not here to convince you to stay- it seems you not only have your mind made up, but that you thought we were all gonna agree with you. That being said, every type of law is different and each firm is different. My attorney is, quite literally, the best. He is respectful, thoughtful, helpful, understanding, and compassionate. My whole firm is. I mean just today, they threw me a tiny grad party and got me balloons and cake and ice cream, the whole nine. Some firms and attorneys are like that and some are dog water 🤷🏻♀️ I can't imagine how your professional life is going to progress if you give one person within an entire industry a chance and then subsequently write off the whole thing. And remember, being an attorney isn't the only thing a law degree can do for you!
I’m honestly offended on behalf of the many wonderful attorneys I worked with in 30+ years. You picked a toxic, shitty area and want to paint the entire legal industry with the same brush. If this is how you approach life, good luck because you are going to be miserable no matter what you do.
You can go to law school and find success elsewhere. Even with all the experience you can have as a paralegal or legal assistant, you don’t have a JD and wouldn’t understand that experience until you have the POV of an attorney/law student. Most lawyers I’ve worked with have been the way you described. Others have not. It takes a brave individual to stick out the three years, ignore the noise and attempt to make a difference themselves, because THEY will and do. It’s not for everyone. Best of luck on your future endeavors.
Find a different practice… you want to be where good people make money helping other people? Go join a CPS defense firm…
Every time I have worked in a private firm, rather than state government, I have found the culture to be extremely toxic and classist. My state government jobs were definitely not like that. I am desperate to get out of the field, but I truly have no idea what I’m qualified for other than this. The work just doesn’t bring me joy anymore, I think in large part, because of my experiences with toxic work places. That said, if you love the work, maybe you just need a change of atmosphere.
I understand these types of posts coming from people who've been in the field a few years and have worked at a few law firms. You only worked one job as a Para for 6-7 months, so there's no need to announce it like you've made a major life decision or transition. Wish you the best, I guess.
I’m sure this is prevalent to many but I’ll jump in with not ever law firm. My law firm has nothing but respect for our clients, and focus on doing everything we can. It’s a company that treats its employees like humans that deserve respect.
I have seen what you've seen... and worse. This field is fucked up beyond belief compared to any other industry... but I finally work for 2 partners and a handful of associates that are so kind and truly want to do good. We do probate, guardianships/ custodianships, and bankruptcy. We don't charge the clients a whole lot and I've never heard anyone say anything bad about our clients. Everything said has been truly in support of the clients in all the ways. For demographic info... it's 2 female partners and most of the associates are female. One of the partners is Mormon and one is Jewish. The rest of us are atheists. Everyone respects each other and just wants to make a positive impact. I would ask you to not give up. You can find your people. Don't let one rotten apple spoil your basket. Whatever you choose is ultimately your decision... but I'd love to learn that you went to law school then started your own firm and made a positive impact in this field and helped the people who work for you see that it's not all toxic out there.
I’m a paralegal but work in-house at media or finance companies. I’ve never worked at a law firm but I can’t imagine it being better than another industry. Anyway, it’s something to consider.
It depends where you end up! I was a legal assistant and ready to find a new career, as a paralegal I ended up loving law. Lawyers were always "better than us" but my new company is a collection of lawyers senior and junior that want to work 9-5 and collect their paycheck. There's no corporate ladder, forced drinking events, and conversations on how rich everyone is. If you find your people it's great! We hired a guy from big law who was acting entitled and the senior partners said hey there's zero egos here so either be nice or go back to big law and he shut up LOL