Anyone here do paralegal work??
02-28-2001, 01:31 PM
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Anyone here do paralegal work??
hows the pay? easy work? or challenging...
fun or make you want to go postal on everyone around you?
just curious.... Girl here said she was making 2k a week
fun or make you want to go postal on everyone around you?
just curious.... Girl here said she was making 2k a week
02-28-2001, 01:46 PM
#2
Depends upon where you work and level of education. My daughter graduated Northeastern
University with a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice. She thought she might want to go to Law School, so she also went to school for Paralegal Degree/certificate, whatever you call it. She worked at two different law firms in Boston. She worked her you-know-what-off around the clock. Had to wear a beeper. They even got her at a Patroit's game and she had to leave. At one firm, the work was challenging and she loved it as she was doing depositions, preparing for trial, going to trial -- that was at a smaller firm. She then went to Skadden for more money, but the work was not challenging at all....mostly document production and proof reading. The first year associate attorneys did all the work that she had been doing at the smaller firm.
Sam was making great bucks, but most of it was from working around the clock, seven days a week. Ask your friend if the 2k is her normal salary -- or does it include overtime. Different areas of the country vary widely in salaries for paralegals. New York is very high. Also, there are different levels of paralegals. If you go and just get a little training, you will not earn as much as degreed.
Hope this helps. Search the web, I believe there is a national association of paralegals. I would bet that they have salary ranges and job descriptions posted there.
P.S. Sam eventually decided she did not want to go to Law School, left the paralegal field entirely (because you get topped out on how much you can ever earn/achieve) and is now working in the tech field, where she is only limited by her own drive to succeed.
Sam was making great bucks, but most of it was from working around the clock, seven days a week. Ask your friend if the 2k is her normal salary -- or does it include overtime. Different areas of the country vary widely in salaries for paralegals. New York is very high. Also, there are different levels of paralegals. If you go and just get a little training, you will not earn as much as degreed.
Hope this helps. Search the web, I believe there is a national association of paralegals. I would bet that they have salary ranges and job descriptions posted there.
P.S. Sam eventually decided she did not want to go to Law School, left the paralegal field entirely (because you get topped out on how much you can ever earn/achieve) and is now working in the tech field, where she is only limited by her own drive to succeed.
02-28-2001, 01:47 PM
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No but they do work for me....
the work varies tremendously from practice area to firm size and philosophy. Much of the work tends to be tedious (especially in the complex commercial/civil/medical malpractice fields). However, there are rewarding aspects as well.
Don't count on 2,000/wk. In fact, even half of that is on the high side in many areas.
Don't count on 2,000/wk. In fact, even half of that is on the high side in many areas.
02-28-2001, 01:53 PM
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Foley Hoag in Boston just called her a couple of weeks ago begging for her to come back....
she said, "no thank you." She really did enjoy working for them because they gave her so much responsibility. Working at Skadden just killed the whole deal for her....she hated it there.
02-28-2001, 01:57 PM
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No. But, I'm a lawyer and my perspective ...
I work at a nationwide firm based in Chicago (won't say who or I could be stoned). I do patent litigation, so our legal assistants are generally paid about the same as others, or maybe a bit more.
TTGolfer and DennyTT know what they're talking about. I'd say $100K/yr ($2K/wk) is not realistic, unless (1) you've got a lot of litigation XP, (2) you work in a high-demand field (e.g., patents, bankruptcy right now) and (3) work in an area where salaries are bid-up by cost of living (e.g., NY, Silicon Valley). You CAN make that other places, but only if you're working like 100 hrs a week. Not fun.
The job is pretty tedious from what I can tell. And, unfortunately, not all (many?, most?) attorneys are easy to work for. Too much pressure on them that gets pushed downhill.
TTGolfer and DennyTT know what they're talking about. I'd say $100K/yr ($2K/wk) is not realistic, unless (1) you've got a lot of litigation XP, (2) you work in a high-demand field (e.g., patents, bankruptcy right now) and (3) work in an area where salaries are bid-up by cost of living (e.g., NY, Silicon Valley). You CAN make that other places, but only if you're working like 100 hrs a week. Not fun.
The job is pretty tedious from what I can tell. And, unfortunately, not all (many?, most?) attorneys are easy to work for. Too much pressure on them that gets pushed downhill.
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02-28-2001, 02:32 PM
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All I gotta say is if Im not getting 2 grand a week after a few years of working
DO NOT walk into one of my buildings.. just kidding, I love engineering so money is really the most important thing.. lol.
02-28-2001, 04:00 PM
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LOL... there is no money in what I love>>> suggestions?
unless someone has some brilliant ideas on what to do with it..
1) drawing.. I'm a realist-perfectionist. Mostly pencil... I'm really good at reproducing things, but dont have quite the eye for design and layout that real artists do. I tried drafting and CAD but the subjects were boring (ohhh... sprockets... how interesting... NOT)
2) cars and modifications. Give me ANY late model car and I can setup an entire package for you... from body kits, rims, interior, engine, exhaust, suspension etc etc. Automotive performance consultant? LOL!! I dont think theres a market for that though.
3) I like doing webpages... as long as its a subject I like and fun. Other than that it becomes too tedious and I get cranky. The bad thing is I hate scripting and other stuff like that. Probably because I dont understand it though.
I do like doing research etc... but after reading replies I dont want something where i'm on call 24/7 to some a-hole lawyer (no offence to the lawyers on here... there are 'some' nice lawyers out there) I figured I'd ask though since most people make money doing stuff they absolutely hate!
1) drawing.. I'm a realist-perfectionist. Mostly pencil... I'm really good at reproducing things, but dont have quite the eye for design and layout that real artists do. I tried drafting and CAD but the subjects were boring (ohhh... sprockets... how interesting... NOT)
2) cars and modifications. Give me ANY late model car and I can setup an entire package for you... from body kits, rims, interior, engine, exhaust, suspension etc etc. Automotive performance consultant? LOL!! I dont think theres a market for that though.
3) I like doing webpages... as long as its a subject I like and fun. Other than that it becomes too tedious and I get cranky. The bad thing is I hate scripting and other stuff like that. Probably because I dont understand it though.
I do like doing research etc... but after reading replies I dont want something where i'm on call 24/7 to some a-hole lawyer (no offence to the lawyers on here... there are 'some' nice lawyers out there) I figured I'd ask though since most people make money doing stuff they absolutely hate!