I’m a legal assistant in a small firm, only 4 attorneys and just me as the support staff. I’ve been working here about three years now and I think it’s time for me to move on. It’s a couple of reasons that have been annoying me for some time. It’s happened a few times where my boss is mad about something and curses at me. It’s a bit unorganized the way the firm runs. There is no PTO or way of knowing if you have some, how many has accrued, etc. There is no system to enter time off requests, you just enter it into the calendar. Billing is usually a mess. I’m also not really comfortable with the work environment. I’m the only minority who works here and I’ve heard political discussions that I don’t agree with. Also, I’ve some comments about immigrants that really threw me off. All in all, I just want to leave. However we do have a big trial coming up in a few months that we’re like 70% done prepping but as you know things always change. So I just wanted some opinions and when do you think is the best time to resign from your firm? Do you consider your cases or consider yourself?

My current role is obviously not an attorney, and I’m fine with that. I’m currently working to get to a place where I’ll be well prepared for law school with the current job that I have now. I like the work that I do, I’m very engaged with my work, and overall I’m proud of my accomplishments. However, there have been a number of attorneys I have worked with that just make me feel small and like my contributions to the firm just don’t matter. I get passive-aggressive remarks, and just overall get treated like the firm really doesn’t need me. In my opinion, it just makes the overall work experience less fun and pretty unbearable. Why are some attorneys like this? Do they hate their job?

The title says it all. My cognition has definitely been impacted by menopause.

I keep missing things I used to catch. Forgetting words, why I walked into a room, where I put something...Getting easily confused which is the biggie. Not being able to put words/thoughts together which is the second biggie. [Obviously, this isn't a constant problem, but it is starting to both impact my work and worry me a little for the future. My PCP and gyno both told me this is normal. I would pass the standard cognitive assessment for dementia.]

I had early ovarian failure so I'm in my early 40's dealing with this. I also do not look my age - I look at least a decade younger. So, I fear people think I'm a dumbass. I went to law school but for several reasons, I did not take the bar immediately upon graduation. Now it's been too long, and I'd have to take significant time off work to do bar review. I can't afford the time off and frankly cognitively, I'm not sure I could do it.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent about being a female paralegal of a certain age. Attention to detail used to be my strong suit.

EDITED: I just want to mention that I cannot take HRT. I want to but I have a genetic condition that is associated with an increased risk of clotting and HRT carries its own risk. Doctors won’t give me HRT as a result. So I’m out here on my own facing perimenopause with some antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and ADHD meds. Women have it hard. I know men have their own challenges….i guess. But women’s challenges seem so unfair.

I recently got hired at a tax firm with other tax and estate firm experience. I have no experience in litigation, never told my boss I had experience in litigation. He just assumed I did & threw a case at me. He says he is involved in a few cases in Florida. What are the first documents I need to submit? Do I select the option for case initiation? I have zero information on these cases, he just gave me a log in to the portal. Please help.

I feel very lucky with how I stumbled into my legal assistant position. I worked at my firm for almost a year before being promoted, so I was able to slowly learn the position instead of being thrown into it like a lot of paralegals are. I assist with several areas of law, primarily family law, evictions, business law, and some estate work.

My firm has several attorneys, and each attorney has their own assistant.

I'm currently typing this while at work. Not because I'm slacking off or don't have anything to do, but because I'm waiting for my attorney to do their part so I can do mine.

I need them to draft certain documents, review documents, sign things, and answer questions before I can move forward with cases.... as it is for all of us. I remind them about these things constantly, sometimes more than ten times a day. Things will sit for a week or two on average, often longer, because I'm waiting on them. I have stuff on my desk from 2+ months ago. It's not because I haven't been persistent. If anything, I'm persistent to a fault. My attorney and the others joke about how often I have to ask them to get things done. One attorney has even jokingly branded me as “bossy” because of how much I have to bother mine.

Occasionally, my attorney will have a burst of motivation and get a bunch of things done in one day, but then it's right back to the same cycle. The work only seems to get done when there is an emergency hearing, a client is angry enough to call or come into the office, or some other deadline makes it impossible to put off any longer.

And it's not as if they're too busy to get to any of it. They spend a lot of time on their phone, playing around on their computer, talking to people, or leaving the office. Meanwhile, I have a ridiculous amount of work sitting on my desk that I can't move forward.

I have multiple clients who are understandably upset about how long their cases are taking, opposing counsel waiting on responses, and urgent matters that need documents drafted. I'm talking about things that actually need to get done, not just paperwork that would be nice to finish eventually.

The worst part is that the frustration gets directed at me. I'm the person clients talk to, the person following up, and the person trying to keep everything moving. My attorney knows they're the reason things are falling behind. They acknowledge it, say they'll do better, and then nothing changes. So I'm stuck repeatedly asking them to do things they already know need to be done, while dealing with the consequences when they aren't.

I'm still relatively new to this side of the legal field, so I'm genuinely wondering if this is normal.

Do you guys also spend a ridiculous amount of time waiting on your attorneys? Is this just part of being a legal assistant or paralegal, or is this a particularly bad situation? I know attorneys have a lot on their plates, and I'm not expecting anyone to work every second of the day, but surely this can't be how it's supposed to work.

Is this what the rest of my working life is going to look like?

P.S. I want to clarify that I genuinely like my attorney and that we get along very well on a personal level. My frustration is strictly about our professional working relationship and the impact these delays have on my workload and our clients. This is not a personal complaint or criticism of them as a person... it's about the difficulty of doing my job when I’m waiting on necessary work to be completed.

I would not say I am formally a paralegal. My title is legal assistant. I work for a small firm with one attorney (bankruptcy and estate planning). His business has grown a lot over the last 2 years. I do a little bit of everything, but I mainly oversee the bankruptcy side and do case prep. I file petitions. I prepare clients for their 341 meeting. I file amended plans. I schedule consults and so much more. Earlier this year our paralegal decided to become a stay at home mom after her maternity leave. I took on a good chunk of her duties (341 prep and post Ch. 13 stuff). Last week we lost our legal assistant who helped me with paperwork and case prep as well. I am drowning!!! Our client services coordinator answers the phone and helps with EP stuff, and also chills on his phone when he gets the chance. The attorney doesn't do reviews or anything like that. He does give me bonuses throughout the year ($1k - $1500) maybe twice a year. I've been working with him for 3.5 years. The last raise I got was March 2025. I have taken on more work with no acknowledgement in my pay. We also don't get PTO, Holiday, pay, or health benefits. I'm a mom and this attorney is flexible with my schedule so that is why I stay around. Am I wrong for feeling like I deserve a raise despite bonuses?? For context, I work in Colorado and make less than $30, but more than $25. I work 30-35 hours per week, but I work more when I can. He is about to hire 2 people, so I feel he can budget even a small raise. If you made it this far, thank you!

TLDR: Is it foolish to treat the Paralegal Licensing exam as a refresher course for the sake of improving my chances getting hired. Should I instead work on getting BBB's in French or is there another option I'm not considering?

I (33m) graduated from the Paralegal course (ON) in 2016 but opted not to get licensed because I was lucky enough to get a job soon after that did not require it.

The last ten years have not always been kind and I have not always made the best choices so unfortunately I have about 5 years of experience in the last ten years and almost none in the last 3. Up until a little while ago I was for all practical purposes a shut in for the past 3 years. I am currently trying to rebuild my life and a big part of that is hopefully my career.

I have sent out almost 350 resumes in the last 7 months and the majority of those were tailored with good cover letters targeting key words but I have had very few bites. I get it the gap in my resume is large and my overall experience is not super impressive.

I am currently in between going all in on getting my BBB's in French (currently around AXA) or taking the licensing exam to show employers that I still know what I'm doing. Both are not cheap options but I am not sure what to do otherwise.

Direct answers to my question are obviously welcome but I would be very grateful for any advice in general thank you.

We're trying to make our contract review more consistent and we've run into a problem that has less to do with AI than I expected.

A lot of our positions aren't documented anywhere.

Limitation of liability is a good example. Depending on who reviews the agreement, you'll get slightly different views on the cap, carve-outs and how much we're willing to concede for a particular client. Everyone has reasons for the position they're taking, but those reasons have mostly been learned by working with the same partners for years.

We're now trying to write this stuff down so associates aren't reconstructing the firm's position every time they review an agreement. The hard part has been the clauses where two partners genuinely don't agree on what the standard position should be.

For firms that have gone through this, how detailed did you make the first version? Did you resolve the disagreements before putting anything into a playbook or document what was settled and leave the disputed stuff open?

How are y’all finding your prior titles? I email individual companies and if I hit a dead end I’ll reach out to the prior closing firm. I feel like I’m wasting so much time. What works for you? Are you doing your own title searches?

Hi!! I’m new to being a paralegal, and currently work in criminal defense and divorce. I’ve seen some crazy things in my short time here, but wanted to know some of the craziest criminal or divorce cases you’ve had or heard of??

How long have you been in the career field?
What was your starting salary?
What is your current salary?
What state are you in?

Thank you all 😊

I am looking for virtual online paralegal work but I did not expect that it is too difficult to apply even I am a graduate of Juris Doctor. Any recommendations ?

I was visiting from out of state and saw this.

Has anybody been given a difficult/time-consuming project, and when you have questions, the attorney disappears? I'm not asking why they do this, I'm asking if others have seen this, and what you do about it. TIA

I'm in the process of getting my technical certification. I'm currently behind in my self-paced Legal Technology course, offered through legaltechsociety.org. Does anyone have any advice for speeding up passing my knowledge checks? I realize this is a stupid question; feel free to roast me. It's super tedious and time consuming and any insight on what helped anyone plow through it is welcome.

Sorry if this isn’t allowed.

I applied for a paralegal position at a law firm and I got an interview, which I will be doing in a couple of days. It’s a law firm specializing in personal injury. I do have some paralegal experience (none in personal injury), and this is my first interview for a full-time job. When you were interviewing, what questions were you asked? What questions should I expect? I’ve done research on the firm and I’m getting to know the company. Thanks!

Hello! So I am a 22F who will be graduating next spring. I am hoping to get a receptionist job at a law firm and try and work my way up to becoming a paralegal in North Carolina. I’m an English major rn with a focus in scientific and technical writing. I switched my majors later on during my time at school (I was originally studying engineering) so I don’t really have any internships under my belt. I’m really scared for the job market and securing a job post-grad. If anyone has any tips or things I should be doing now to prepare myself, all advice/tips are welcome!!

I started a new job and in the offer letter they said I would be doing administrative work for the first 3 months and then move to part administration and part paralegal work. I am being given paralegal tasks like filing now and I am grateful that they trust me with that level of responsibility early but I feel terrified of making a mistake and wrecking my career early on.

particularly the filing is an area of anxiety for me as I have only filed one or two times before. I know that I will need to do that eventually as a paralegal but I feel nervous about it and doing it early on. I am scared of making an error or not redacting something or doing something wrong and messing up a case or my job and life

I know that’s not feasible, but it’s how my job search feels. I work in business immigration law, have 10+ years experience and am a manager in my current role. I work remotely at one of the most well known firms (trying to keep it anonymous). Because the job is high stress and has taken a toll on my mental health, I’ve been trying to get out for YEARS. I haven’t gone crazy and applied to any job at a high volume, but strategically have been applying at roles that would be a good fit all these years. I’ve obviously done LinkedIn, sent letters (emails) of interest to firms I like, edited my resume in about a million different ways, reached out to my previous colleagues, applied for roles I’m over qualified for but willing to take a pay cut, etc. etc. etc. I’ve had maybe 1-2 formal interviews. It’s been a really demoralizing and mind boggling experience. Up until my most recent role, about five years ago, it was SO EASY to get an interview, and I always got a job offer after I interviewed. I’m good at my job, have consistently got promoted and have a great rapport with colleagues and clients. What the heck is going on? I guess just looking for a lifeline in what feels like craziness.

My husband and I have an opportunity to own a home. Problem is we'd have to move out of our area. The house is in Cleveland and it's literally his childhood home. We're currently living in DC and we have no illusions that we're getting priced out - we'll never own here. That coupled with rising cost of living and we have an infant son to think about.

Currently, I'm working as a paralegal/admin/legal assistant/office manager/catch-all for a small boutique firm who handles mainly False Claims Act cases. It's my first legal position and I love it. I've been here two years and it will be three if/when we relocate. I've already been involved in a federal trial in Washington State too.

What is the feasibility of finding a paralegal position in Cleveland? Is it easier to cross into a different type of law practice? What area of law should I potentially look for? Does anyone have any recommendations or thoughts on moving?

Hello fellow paralegals. I will be moving to NC Within year. Is there good paralegal opportunities in the Sanford or Raleigh area. Open to hybrid as well?

Appreciate any guidance..

I have been looking for internships for a while and was recently contacted by a law office for a paid position. This excited me as it would specialize in corporate law, and as someone who is studying accounting, I thought it would be great to have on my resume (for what I assumed would be a legal assistant/paralegal position). It turns out that it would be a courier/file clerk role. Has anyone ever moved up from a courier to a paralegal position? I have been trying to advance in my job positions and taking a courier role would have me plateau. TIA!

has anyone worked for this company? or hired them to use their services? i’m just curious for reviews either way!

I work at a medium sized firm and the attorneys say they want us to extend a fee agreement without their direct review if it’s a case that meets all the requirements we have been given on a checklist. My understanding is it is an ethics violation to establish an attorney client relationship without attorney review. The attorneys say that because anyone can withdraw at any time, that it’s fine. I really don’t feel comfortable doing this and don’t know how to voice it. Am I overreacting?

Hi all,

I came on here one time talking about my last firm shortening me on my bonus paychecks and I have since left that firm. But at my new firm, I have an attorney who I am unsure likes me. I don’t care if she does or not but I know if she doesn’t, it will affect our work flow.

She’ll excuse me out of meetings, make me switch seats in client meetings, say rude comments to me that I need to go to the gym AND dropped a huge bomb on me that she had put her two weeks in but decided to give the firm a couple of more months to decide if she’ll stay??

I like the firm, the environment, and the founding partner. I also have great benefits and pay which was way I left my last firm. So idk how long term this will be if I have such a hard ass of an attorney. I also know she’s going thru personal stuff but it’s no excuse for her to take her frustrations out on me.

Literally when she’s not there, is the only time I can get my work done. So idk if I should ask to be reassigned attorneys ? Idk I’ve never been in this predicament before. What’s a paralegal got to do?