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katied75 *
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| 07/09/2008 08:06 PM |
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I'm 28 and looking to start working full time in about 2 years (I'm currently a stay at home mom with two young children). I am not sure what I want to do, but am willing to go back to school. I currently have a bachelor's degree in psychology and am interested in the legal profession.
Could anybody tell me what a typical day is like as a paralegal? What types of hours are worked, and how flexible can they be? Also, how much vacation time would a paralegal typically have? I have considered teaching (my former profession) because I'd have summers available to spend with my children. However, I don't enjoy the job. Being a paralegal, are there opportunities for trading in vacation weeks in exchange for working only 4 day weeks in the summer, for example? Or are most firms strict on 8 to 6, 2 weeks vacation a year?
Thanks! |
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WendyNC
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| 07/09/2008 10:30 PM |
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Could anybody tell me what a typical day is like as a paralegal?
The short answer to that is no, not because we're unwilling, but because the question is too broad. A typical day at a small transactions firm in North Carolina is a rather different thing from a typical day at a large litigation firm in Florida, which are different from a corporate legal department at a widget manufacturer, which bears little resemblance to a day at legal aid. All of those are different from working for a title company, a lawyers' liability insurer or a state bar, and being a freelancer is an entirely different gig. Then there's the whole contracting industry, both governmental and private side, or the instances where we can provide direct services to the public such a preparation of certain bankruptcy documents or representation before the social security administration. All that is just on the civil side. The criminal side has its own wealth of opportunities.
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Wendy Kimbel, ACP, NCCP
Paralegal Assistance, Inc.
105 E. Center St., Ste. C
Mebane, NC 27302
Phone: 919-967-4495
Fax: 919-304-0743 |
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ahamm *
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| 07/25/2008 01:48 PM |
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I work at a civil defense firm in SC. The firm is comprised of 3 partners and four associates. Our firm focuses primarily on personal injury (where we represent the Defendant's and/or his insurance carrier), construction litigation (which is a nightmare), and my boss, one of the founding partners, also works in family law and estate planning.
A typical day for me involves first checking any phone messages, e-mails or any notes that my boss may have left for me since the previous work day. I maintain a task list so that I can prioritize what needs to be done, b/c I am generally working on 6-8 cases per week, with new ones being assigned weekly.
My work consists of preparing responsive pleadings (i.e. Answer to Plaintiff's Complaint), discovery requests and discovery responses, letters of representation to clients, letters of acknowledgement of assignment of case to insurance adjusters, taking clients' phone calls and answering whatever questions they may have (if I'm not sure, I pass the call on to my boss). Deadlines rule my job, and if I slip (which, admittedly, I have once before), there is hell to pay. If case goes into default (meaning, the Answer was not submitted on time), we have to file Motions with the Court to allow our client to answer. I subpoena medical records and bills, bank account statements, employment records, etc. and update our files as they come in. I maintain a medical summary for every personal injury case we have. I also schedule client appointments, mediations, depositions, send out Notices of Depositions, schedule court reporters as needed, and handle all of the invoices that come in for medicals, depositions, copy fees, etc. I also act as my boss's personal assistant, ordering flowers upon request, making hotel, plane and car rental reservations, providing my boss with directions when she has a meeting, deposition, etc. out of town. I also have to keep up with her expenses and enter those into the system so we can bill for them.
My boss is also a part-time judge, so I have to keep up with her court schedule as well.
Each insurance carrier has different requirements for their cases, i.e. different reports due at different times, e-mail everything to one but not to the others, what is considered to be billable varies from company to company. At our firm, any bill we receive that is $100+ must be forwarded to the adjuster for payment, and a lot of adjusters are very, very slow in paying these bills.
Construction litigation cases usually have at least 3-5 defendants, which is a HEADACHE to deal with. I hate construction cases.
Regarding family law, my boss is sometimes appointed as a Guardian ad Litem, which means she acts solely for the best interest of the child. This is typically in custody cases.
Estate planning is not one of my favorites, and I'm lucky that our work in that area is few and far between. It's usually for my boss' friends or family. All I do is type up whatever she tells me to and then act as a witness when the client comes in to sign the document(s).
I also cross-trained with our bookkeeper, so when she's out of the office, I am responsible for whatever needs to be done that day, i.e. deposits, running pre-bills or final bills, allocating deposits, and printing checks.
This is just an idea of what I do on a daily basis. I can't speak for any other paralegals, but I'm sure their work is just as involved as mine, if not more. It's hectic and stressful, but I enjoy it (most of the time lol). I hope this helps. |
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ahamm *
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| 07/25/2008 01:55 PM |
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I almost forgot about vacation and benefits.
I work M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. I rarely work weekends, and, if I do, it's to make up time missed during the week, or if I'm really behind on a project.
I do get full benefits (excluding vision), which has been a lifesaver. I have only worked at my job for 8 months, so I've only had 5 days of paid time off. I think after one year I will have one week's vacation, but I'm not sure. My boss is flexible to a point about me leaving early or coming in late. As long as I make up my time and don't take advantage of her generosity, then all is well. The firm as a whole is very family-oriented (the majority are married and/or have children), so the attorneys understand if someone's child is sick (of course, this can cause some resentment if there is a big project they need the paralegal to work on, but generally nothing is said). Everyone pitches in if someone is out, anything to get the work done. We also get paid holidays and a really great Christmas party. I started this job mid-December and got a decent bonus. The firm also hosted an engagement party for an associate and his fiancee a few months ago, and they spared no expense! :) |
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Sexy Para... *
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| 07/28/2008 01:14 PM |
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Wow Ahamm,
I hope you get paid well....you handle a lot of areas and duties. I'm tried just reading about your average day at work.
Keep up the good work!! |
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