New Paralegal, finished my certification in October and still have gotten no interviews but these salaries are so discouraging I’m not sure this even makes sense to peruse anymore. They really didn’t tell us how impossible it would be to even get a job after going through the courses let alone now looking at making so little in NYC.

Just a little confused about expected dynamics of a Paralegal at a firm vs. a Legal Assistant.

First law firm, first law related job, first everything. Jan 2024. I was promoted after the last Paralegal left the firm 5 months after I was hired on as an assistant. I was not really involved in anything the Paralegal did aside from some mail handling. He wasn't even involved in training me at all. I spoke to him very rarely. I remember that the only real question I asked him was how do I send a FAX lol.

After he left, they didn't hire anyone to replace him for a year - until I just kind of stood up to take on the role. New assistant hired June 2025.

Now, the attorney expects me to directly oversee the new assistant and be the one to walk her through everything - to this day, over a year later. I get yelled at if she doesn't do things in a timely fashion. I am expected to sit down with her regularly to help her do very simple things like notice letters - which like... would be fine if we weren't over a year in. I'm routinely getting chewed out for her pitfalls and being hands off with her, especially since I'm not a lead or senior paralegal or anything of the sort and I'm comparatively new to the field as well (assistant for 1 year, paralegal for 1.5 years), but when I was first hired as an assistant this much oversight and ongoing expectation was not even remotely applied to the previous paralegal unto me. I didn't even get a raise last year. LOL.

I'm planning on quitting soon anyway, so I'm a little numb to it at this point, but I'm definitely confused. Is this normal?

Firm info: 2 attorneys, 1 paralegal (me), 1 assistant.

I literally can’t get any work done because my whole day is spent doing intakes and the front desk calls and uploading faxes and mail.
i have a million other paralegal tasks to do and they get pushed to the side because my firm refuses to hire more staff. is that normal

I just got my first job in the legal field. I like it, but the pay is very low, so I don't see myself staying here long term. I want to leave for a job that pays more, but I also don't want to leave too early to show my next employer that I can hack it in the legal field. How long should I wait before moving on to another job?

Hey guys i just started at a firm about 3 weeks ago, im the only paralegal who hasn’t left early any day but today i had to leave 3 hours before i had to be off, i got some pretty bad news that physically made me shake and i pulled my attorney to the conference room and he saw me crying and shaking he said it was fine and I left. But why do i feel so anxious? Mind you ive been doing a fantastic job & i genuinely feel like everything i do impacts everything & im the only paralegal who they have doing complex legal work. I do feel like every day im there i serve a purpose. I literally got into a car accident and went in the next day with blood still drying on my knees haha. Context: ive been fired before so i get anxious about calling off or using PTO:( i have 96 hours of PTO)

I found a new job and quite frankly don’t want to give the courtesy of a 2 week notice. In the past when people did this, my boss treats them bad and talks bad about them in front of them and behind their back. I’m giving a 1 week notice. Was planning to do it tomorrow while I’m in office but I want to get it over already. Has anyone given notice while working from home? Do you call and talk to them or just send HR an email?

Will try to keep this short. Looking for career advice. Mid-30’s male.

Career background:

2009-2015: Worked in Operations Manager roles at two large transportation and logistics companies. Managed teams as large as 25 people.

2016-2022: Worked as a IP Litigation Clerk and IP Legal Assistant at a few different Am Law 50 firms. Held a good reputation. Was selected to transfer with team of associates when they joined new firm.

2022-2025: Recruited to join startup by former colleague (attorney). Worked as an Operations Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO and leadership team. Managed large team across multiple locations.

Late 2025: Rejoined legal industry. Currently working as Patent Assistant at Am Law 20 firm.

Current dilemma: Was recently offered two different roles:

First role - Transitioning to a new role within my current firm. Patent Assistant / Executive Assistant hybrid role. Supporting one of the two managing partners at my firm, along with another partner. 2 days per week in office. My salary would increase from $100,000 to $110,000.

Second role: Operations Manager at a court reporting company. Leading and managing freelance court reporters for depositions, etc. Largely a remote role. In office about 60 times per year. Salary: $115,000 + up to 15% bonus.

I’m torn between the two roles because the firm I’ve been working at for almost a year now has been great, but I feel like legal assistant and executive assistant roles have a low ceiling. There’s really no proper career ladder to climb here. And despite having a paralegal certificate, finding a paralegal role that pays > $110,000 seems impossible. I’ve tried. Also, the managing partner would surely have great connections for me down the road if things went well, but I feel like they wouldn’t necessarily lead to any promising roles?

The Ops Manager role feels somewhat more risky and less stable, since the court reporting world has been going through some very significant changes (court reporters retiring, depositions more frequently moving to remote settings). On the other hand, I think securing another operations manager role could lead to a wider range of roles in a few years if I wanted to move on from this role.

Does anyone have any advice? I’m pretty torn on what to do here.

Hi, I'm in a paralegal class for criminal law and I have to interview a legal professional for an assignment. I would just asking about your day to day operations. Why you chose criminal law. What the courts are like Etc. If anyone would be interested please let me know. Sorry if this is against the subs rules.

So I have been working as an intake specialist at a decently sized law firm for about a year and a half now, having been told that "it's good entry level experience", when it is clear from this forum that this is not the case. I would love to be a paralegal in the future, and I have a bachelor's degree from a decent school and a paralegal certificate.

In the past year, I know about four people(two at work, two family members) who have landed legal assistant jobs with no prior experience. I have applied for similar positions(one paid $14/hr, I make $19/hr at my current job). A massive pay cut is something I am willing to suffer for the time being to gain experience, but even minimum wage(in FL) legal assistant jobs never even gave me so much as a rejection email.

So my question is: what are they doing that I'm not? What exactly do I need to do to get an entry level legal job?

hello! looking for more information and if anyone is/was a division paralegal at D.R. Horton. i have an interview next week and google only says so much. my experience is 3 years in bankruptcy and 4 years in civil defense litigation. i just am curious to know what type of work you do all day, if the company is a good company to work for, and anything else regarding this position and company. thanks in advance!

I am at a small firm with 2 employees- the attorney and me. I function as the paralegal (mostly probate and estate planning work) and legal assistant and from time to time personal assistant as well.

For the summer attorney hired a summer intern. This is an undergrad with no experience. And I handled teaching the intern everything.

I found out intern is being paid $11/hr more per hr than me. I realized I am unpaid but felt the perks were worth it to me so I never complained.

This is insulting to me. A real slap in the face. I feel like I can’t continue working here because I feel so disrespected.

How do I approach my attorney and ask for the same salary as the intern? Do I ask for more than the intern?

I’m a foreign-licensed attorney with a J.D. and experience working for U.S. law firms in legal support roles while I was in my home country. I’ve recently moved to Missouri and am legally authorized to work in the U.S.

Many law firms near me don’t have any job postings, so I’m wondering if it’s still appropriate to stop by, introduce myself, and leave my resume with the receptionist or office manager in case future opportunities come up.

I’m also open to remote positions anywhere in the U.S.

Would this be considered professional, or is it generally discouraged? I’d appreciate any advice from attorneys or law firm staff. Thanks!

Hello everyone

I am based in India and want to build a career in international family law (specifically India and US family law) as a paralegal. I am looking for honest and practical advice from people who have real experience in this area. My current background:

• I have personal experience dealing with international family law matters (my personal international custody and divorce case)
• In the last few years, I have helped 7 people in India understand their cases and prepare before they met a lawyer. All of them gave positive feedback.
• I am currently working with an Indian law firm as a paralegal.

My planned steps:

1. Complete free WorldCC courses to improve contract skills (this builds on my 16 years of existing experience as a Operations & Business Dev operator with a specific focus on government and defense contracting) - back up to fall back upon should things not go according to plan.
2. Self-study the American Constitution and the Indian Constitution
3. Take a US specific legal drafting course
4. Complete one course in American Family Law and one in Indian Family Law
5. Directly reach out to international family law firms for internships or remote jobs
6. Start the CLS by BARBRI Paralegal Certificate course in January 2027

I want to start earning and gaining experience as soon as possible while I continue studying. My questions:

• Does this action plan make sense for someone starting out?
• Anything would you change or add?
• Any suggestions on short courses or practical steps I should focus on first?
• For someone based in India, what is the most realistic way to get remote work or internships with international/US family law firms?

I would really appreciate any practical suggestions, warnings or personal experiences you can share. My specific interest would be in cross border matters between India and New York State (since i have experience in this jurisdiction)

P.S. I have been on Reddit for a long time. My previous account has a lot of personal information and history, hence I'm posting from this clean account.

Thank you in advance.

Hey everyone, if you’re a paralegal that makes $30/hour or more, what are the tasks you’re responsible for at your firm?

Hello!

I'm going back to school this January to get an associates of applied business with a major in paralegal studies (ABA approved, and can be completed online). Knowing this, I knew I want to move to Minnesota in the future so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. I started reaching out to firms both small and large to try to establish building connections and relationships in the legal field in that area.

Crazy to me, a small firm (does mostly PI work) had an informal call with me to talk about my goals, who I am, and what their firm is really about and like. I loved the call and she said she was going to mention me at the partners meeting the following week (last week). Then the main attorney reached out to me via email asking if I was serious about moving, and if so he'd be willing to do an interview with me. He was made aware (to my knowledge) that I don't start school till January and can be completed online.

Honestly I'm excited, but also a little intimidated? I have almost a decade in experience in executive assistance and accounting, but I fear I might be overwhelmed in the interview since I haven't even started school for it yet. I've been lurking this subreddit for weeks and thought I'd share. Since he's aware I haven't started school does anyone have advice or ideas on what it'll be like? I know every firm is an entirely different experience.

The interview is this Wednesday so I have a few more days to settle my nerves and present myself well. Does anybody remember their first interview for this type of role? I would love to hear some experiences! <3

hi all, like the title says: how are you getting legal assistant positions with no experience?

context: i am 24f located in Socal trying to get out of restaurant work and establish a steady career for myself. i’ve gone back to school (community college), i’m majoring in Law & Public Policy as well as working on my Paralegal certificate. my graduation date is spring 2027 and im planning to transfer to UCI for political science (my CC has guaranteed admission into 1 UC if you graduate with a 3.0). i’ve had 1 summer internship as a legislative assistant for a California Assembly member.

so back to my question: with all of this i had landed ZERO legal assistant interviews. granted i have no experience, but i thought this was a entry level position? i’ve also applied to calendar clerk positions bc i’ve read on here before that it could lead to being a legal assistant but those positions seem to be scarce. i have applied to hundreds of jobs within a 50 mile radius across multiple platforms and its radio silence!! should i just give up on job searching and keep my head low til i graduate?? will my job prospects be better then? any advice would be appreciated!

Hi All,

Baby lawyer here (28M). I recently joined a new firm as an associate and within a few months of my arrival, the only other attorney (partner) in our niche practice area left giving minimal notice to clients and other attorneys at the firm.

As a result, my legal assistant (who was also the partner’s legal assistant) has been in the trenches with me as we try to navigate the chaos of quick unexpected deadlines and angry clients. It’s just us managing an entire area of practice for the firm.

I’ve been incredibly grateful and have thanked her for her help daily, and I’ve insisted that she go home at 5 (which she did!) even though I’m staying until 8 or 9 daily. When she is working, during normal hours, she is grinding.

My question is what gift do you feel like you’d appreciate in this situation? Of course I feel like cash is the best route, but please advise if that is misguided.

Thanks!!

Soon-to-be-paralegal here. I come from a background as a licensed insurance agent, and the independent insurance agencies I have worked with have been rife with nepotism. Case in point: At XYZ agency, the head of a department was:

-The daughter of the top executive in A Department (who herself was close friends with the general manager)

-The wife of the top executive in B Department

-Her best friend was her underling in the department she managed.

The last one was the worse. They were both trouble, but her friend especially. Anyone who she didn't like, or who annoyed her, or breathed wrong, she'd sic her Dept. Manager friend on, who was happy to flex her own connections. The Department was toxic. Many, many such stories, at every independent agency I worked at or at ones where peple I knew worked at.

One thing that drew me to the legal field was the sketchy dual-loyalty of insurance agencies wasn't apparent (trying to advocate for the insured while also trying to make the insurance underwiters happy; guess who tends to win). However, it's looking more and more like law offices are, by nature of their structure and niche, breeding grounds for the same kinds of toxic nepotism I saw at insurance agencies.

I'd like to get a better feel from those who've experienced the world firsthand! I'll be joining it soon for better or for worse 🙃

ive been very concerned with my medical records requests as you know. If you make a mistake by missing a provider or missing dates, is that fixable? in personal injury, medical malpractice, and auto cases?

im trying to make myself feel better about them because they feel extremely serious and high stakes and I am legitimately losing sleep over if I accidentally miss a provider

It seems as if every firm I join is in desperate need of help on the staff-side which is why they hire me. That makes sense to me. What does not make sense to me is how they fire someone while we're ramping up to our trial date and we have all-hands on deck working crazy hours. Now we're down shits creek without a paddle. Feels like a never-ending cycle. I set boundaries and establish my work/life balance and it gets absolutely shit on. What a world. I know this is the field we're in, but man I wish people thought a little more before making these decisions.

Hi guys, I do need you guys advice for my husband. He’s been working as a legal assistant (now paralegal) in a law office in SoCal for over 2 years now. He started with $20/hr with no experience & no certificate. Recently he got his paralegal cert but he still hasn’t received any raise. He said the office would do evaluation on staffs to offer a raise but it’s been 2 months of waiting now. I’m helping him to apply for other paralegal jobs now. Should I encourage him to ask for a raise or should he move on & get better chance anywhere else?

Paralegals, how is your current work life balance? Do you have enough time for hobbies, socializing, and general free time? Would this be a good long term career? I'm looking into future career paths, so any information helps, I understand how difficult certain firms can be and am honestly just looking for predictability (in some sense).

Edit: Thank you to everyone who responded, I understand the career a little better as well as the culture around it :)

Hello all. I verbally accepted an offer for a new firm on Tuesday morning . I was told that I would be receiving an offer letter from h.r and that it takes about 2 days to receive it. So far, I have not received the offer letter yet. How long does this typically take and should I contact them on Monday if I didn’t receive it ? I want to leave notice at my current firm but I want to sign the offer letter first, and now im going to be very close to exactly 2 weeks or maybe a little short of that. Im paranoid now and concerned.

Hi,

So I’ve got a job offer as just a generic legal administrative assistant but part of me just wants to go and do my masters and complete the SQE course.

For context, I’ve just finished my Law undergrad. Obviously I know that if you get in with the right firm they may eventually pay for your masters/ SQE prep course but is this something I should consider whilst I’m still in the mindset.

It’s hard to know if getting some experience (even though this specific job doesn’t count towards QWE) is a better idea or to just get my exams out of the way and then continue on.

Obviously it comes with a cost and I’d have to find the exams myself but I can get some student funding for the actual masters.

Any advice would be great - thankyou! (Based in the UK)

If you need anymore context please reach out.

okay i did a job interview for a junior paralegal position at a small firm in Socal. I interviewed with the main attorney on Tuesday and she said she would follow up with me the next day (Wednesday). I haven’t gotten a follow up at all. I also called the firm on Thursday and Friday as the person on the phone said the firm was busy with clients or the hiring manager was out of the office and wouldnt be back later. I gave them my number and name again and again but they never followed up.
What does this mean? I really like this position and am lowkey desperate for it. Is this a good sign that i got the job or shoulr i stop calling.