Tips from Anonymous Paralegal #1
[Based on the sensitive nature of this topic, most paralegals decided to answer this question anonymously. I didn’t have a problem with that, because I’d rather have honest answers than names with guarded answers].
Dear Attorney:
You could make my job easier and I could be a more effective employee by considering the following:
- Not everything is an emergency, please prioritize my work.
- Please meet with me in the morning to go over your work schedule for the day, in case the clients call or a question comes up on those files. (What cases you are working on and what you are doing in them)
- When I have an issue on a file, please sit down with me and discuss it. If you don't the file will just wait until you do.
- Have a weekly meeting to go over what is coming up in the next week and what needs to be done in the files.
- Leave me alone when I am working on a big project. (i.e. discovery, mediation preparation, deposition preparation, trial preparation).
Sincerely,
Your overworked paralegal.
[Note: These answers mirrored Shirley’s so closely, that I had to double check to see that this was an independent response. It was.]
I have enjoyed your blog so much; it is a gem of paralegal info snippets, which I consier very useful. Bookmarked.
Paralegal Degree Success
I taught high school theatre and am thinking of going to get my certificate in paralegal tudies from the graduate school. Would I be going down in pay or up in pay?
Hi I'm new to your blog. Thanks for sharing this post. I find it very interesting.
I think it boils down to training and communicating. The attorney trains the paralegal. Then it's time for the paralegal to train the attorney. Attorneys forget that paralegals can't read their minds. Trust me were good! Most of the time, we can read your mind, but every once in awhile we need to meet with you! Once a system is developed for communicating and meeting everything flows -- sort of like that VISA commercial (where everyone uses the credit card and all is flowing nicely. Watch out for the one paying with cash).
This is a great subject and definitely one that needs addressing.
Someone also needs to address the need for quality paralegals and to stop the "get rich quick by becoming a paralegal in 3 days" mentality or the "get your paralegal certificate by taking our courses" when those courses do not establish the need for quality education to begin with.
Paralegals need to be able to spell correctly (or at least know how to use spell check) and have proper grammer. You will not get that with a "weekend paralegal course" and do not expect to make $40k starting the following Monday!
I had to laugh when I read the comment that stated "Trust me were good!" Um, no, you are not good if you cannot write correct sentences. That sentence should say, "Trust me, we're good!"
I have hired and worked with numerous paralegals and I have generally found that the statement "they don't know what they don't know" sums up the lack of quality out there. There needs to be testing and licensing of paralegals just like attorneys and then maybe the attorneys could trust that "you're good" and not feel the need to micromanage.
From a disgusted paralegal taking the attorney's side on this subject!
Loved the humor in this blog! The most enjoyable moments in my paralegal career have been when my attorney and I worked as a team. It's amazing how communication and organization calms everyone's nerves.
Leslie Sansone Williams
http://www.legaledpro.com
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