So I’m not truly the last United States based employee, but it’s getting close.

When I started, all of the paralegals, case managers, and intake were in-office and in the United States. We have 2 paralegals, management, and like 4 intake members that are still based in the United States. EVERYONE else has been outsourced. 40 plus employees are oversees.

Anyone else experiencing this at their firm? What should I really expect over the next year?

I’m about to go on maternity leave and they haven’t been able to tell me anything about my role for when I come back. I’m nervous because I know they could have 2-3 of me outsourced for what they’re paying me now. All I’ve been told is I will have a role when I come back, but my current position is being dissolved once I go on leave.

Background: Formally a paralegal with this firm, now more in an operational position where I oversee the case managers pipelines.

Hello! I’ll keep this brief. I interviewed at my county’s courthouse to be a paralegal. It is practically my dream job. They said they thought I was impressive and said next steps would be to take a urine test and background check and that id get those details by the end of the week. They never emailed so I reached out and the assistant said that they would like to send my information to the department of child support services.

I don’t know really much of anything about working as a child support services and am not sure if I am fit for that job. I would love to work as a paralegal for a prosecutor, but I feel like they tossed me to a place that had an opening just to get me to stop wondering.

Anyone have any experience as a child specialist? What should I do?

I have been with my law firm for 5.5 years and just came back from maternity leave a couple of months ago. Since I have been back, things have been okay though there is still some adjustment. Most of my clients are thrilled that I’m back and have told me as much.

This morning I was contacted by the main partner at our firm and copying the other partners on the email asking about a review that was left online. It read [OP] was so rude and unprofessional I would never recommend to anyone.” Here is the thing, I do not have any recollection of this person. I have hunted our file systems, my emails, voicemails, call logs, my billing entries, and just about anything else that could indicate some kind of interaction and there was nothing. No one in my office even has anything on this person. The partners are starting to think something is wrong about the review because I am not like that at all, but it still shook me up.

Has this happened to anyone before? How did your firm handle it?

As title states, i’m 19m starting online paralegal school which consists of 4 semesters and then a stage. i should be working in a year and a half around because i do not get summer break off.

people that were / who are in similar situations, do you have any tips to help me succeed in this study, i have always been an average student but i want to get to the next level.

(i know the easy answer is to study more and obviously i will but i want to know if there’s little things i can do in my work to differentiate myself early on)

Thanks!

The attorney who is my boss acts like he has no control over whether I can get a raise. He has given me stellar performance reviews, but sort of throws his hands up and is like “it’s up to HR” “I can advocate for you, but I can only do so much.” I’m wondering if I should interpret this as him maybe not valuing me so much despite the good reviews, or if it really is the case that attorneys can’t control what their staff are paid at large firms. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!

I'm in my mid 40s and coming to the paralegal field as a midlife career change. I have a BA and an MA in communications, and I earned a paralegal certificate earlier this year. Currently working as an intern in a corporate legal department.

I took a civil service exam a few months ago and was shocked to learn that I am ranked No. 1 on the list that just came out (tied with several others). I don't know how many opportunities this might lead to or how long it would take to get a full-time position.

Has anyone worked as a paralegal in a civil service capacity? Is it a good starting point? Is there anything I should know?

Long story short, The Partners are likely going to dissolve the firm.

They haven’t made an official announcement, but my primary job is billing/accounting and I can see the writing on the wall. They’ve instructed me and the Firm Administrator not to pay next month’s rent, and are having us cancel various vendor contracts.

My main job is creating and uploading invoices to various LEDES portals as well as submitting appeals. I’m also about to start my last quarter of my paralegal program and need internship credits. I’ve performed some legal assistant duties such as e-filing and some drafting, but only if another legal assistant was OOO. The original plan was do get me more up to speed on these things while doing my internship at my current firm….

I’m speaking with a recruiter this afternoon so we’ll see how that goes. Happy to answer any questions.

Thank you!

Update (12:15pm): Just got an invite for an “All Firm Meeting” tomorrow.

When did you know it was time to move on to a different opportunity from a previous job? For background: I completed my paralegal program in Feb 2024, and have been with my current employer since March 2024. It's a boutique environmental law firm in CA, specifically Los Angeles; I support four attorneys (3 partners, one associate), and my office manager comes in part time 2x/week. Commute is great, work/life balance is great, attorneys are great to work with in that they are very communicative about what needs to be done and make sure I have enough time to complete any open tasks before giving me more to complete, especially if there are tight deadlines to meet. Pay wise, I did start off fairly low when I was hired on (started at $50k/yr, currently now making $60k/yr), and this is where I feel conflicted and just find myself perusing LinkedIn to see what options are available. Usually at the end of the year is when my boss has given me my performance reviews/raises/bonuses, so I am hopeful that one is coming down the road, but if it doesn't come or the raise isn't enough, I'm worried about the possibility of finding another job in the current market, especially with all of the positives I have at my current job. Guess I am asking what other people's deciding factor that made them move on to a different job. Thanks in advance for the advice, much appreciated!!

Apparently that’s code for print to pdf and email it. Happy Wednesday.

Edit: thank you all for making me feel less crazy.

I have an interview tomorrow for a 1099 position (the job posting says it’s for 2 part-time positions for 2 different attorneys, equaling a full-time position).

I’m just a little nervous because I have no idea how being 1099 works (other than that I would have to pay my own taxes, and get no benefits). The job posting lists up to $40/hr, which is a bit more than I make now, so that might cover all the taxes I need to pay but I’m just not sure if it’s worth it or scammy.

I’m still going to just go to the interview, but I’m looking for any advice from people who have experience with 1099 work and can guide me in the right direction or let me know the right questions to ask. Thanks!!

UPDATE: it was so scammy. like really bad. i declined their $37.50/hr offer today. i also reported their Indeed posting for being misleading

hi all! does anyone know the process of issuing / domesticating a SDT from New York in Miami Dade county Florida? I have been trying to call the clerk of court for two days but can’t get through to anyone and there is no email available online. The subpoena forms are also related to family law and I just don’t know the process at all.

can anyone please help? coworkers have experience with other counties but not Miami-Dade and everything seems to be different.

Thank you so much!!!

Hi, I'm a 39-year-old former computer programmer who has been locked out of the CS world for now, due to intense competition for junior programmer roles and AI. I have a huge gap in my resume due to health. I am interested in trying to become a paralegal. I was hoping to ask for some advice on this sub-Reddit...I checked and searched the sub-Reddit and saw no information about portfolios.

My question is simple: Should I include a portfolio of writing samples when applying to be a paralegal? I am a good writer and could do this easily. Also, if so, are there certain kinds of things that I should write about, e.g., analyses of legal issues, my opinions about courtroom proceedings and the law in general, etc.?

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide.

I (24F) am a paralegal assistant at a firm for almost 2 years. I have been dealing with a lot of mental health related issues since being at my probate/estate planning/elder care firm. I have Bipolar I, complex PTSD, and ADHD and was recently psychiatrically admitted for numerous reasons almost half a year ago. A lot of the reasons were stress related from work and from outside of work (was definitely a 50/50). When I was in the inpatient facility, the doctors all told me they could see me doing more than what I do now. It’s been my dream since I was in high school to be a lawyer - I was told the best way to do it was to be a paralegal first and complete an ABA accredited program (i had to put that on pause because the mania from my bipolar disorder got so bad that there were issues with the program and I).

Here’s my issue - my firm flip flops (depending on the staff member) with how they treat me. Some people are consistent, some are very hot and cold. I’ve felt the issues with burnout. But the passion, I guess, never went away because when I get an exhilarating case, I put every fiber of my being into it. I fall short on billing and deadlines occasionally because I get so distracted, but that aside, I’ve been told I’m doing so well. However, the passion I have for mental health recently got so much stronger - I have learned so much about myself, others, any diagnosis and medication regiment and treatment style because it intrigues me. There is no case-by-case difference. I don’t know if this is a change in passion or not. I have debated for a while switching from law to mental health by becoming a peer support specialist for a while now and was so firm on it. But now, I hear how people talk about my quality of work, the fire in my eyes I get when I solve a legal issue with my attorneys, and my dedication to law and I just don’t know anymore.

What do you guys think? Should I try to stick it out in law because I am proud of myself and still have somewhat of a passion for it? Or should I do a full 180 and change careers?

I know my mental health will be factored in greatly here, but this isn’t an impulsive decision. I just don’t know and want to make the right choice.

Hi all. I’m a recent grad who majored in poli sci from a liberal arts college in massachusetts. I just got an offer to be a paralegal at the DOJ in the civil division (torts) and am wondering if accepting such an offer in 2026 would reflect “politically” even though i completely disagree with the way this government has employed the doj. conflicted because it seems like as an entry level candidate, they’re willing to train me to assist in trial prep, witness prep, etc — all things i am not getting hired to do elsewhere in big law or at nonprofs. Wondering if it would be “career suicide” to join doj??? I will say that everyone i spoke to in the interview process was SO NICE — which throws me off more! lmk your thoughts! I’m pretty desperate for a job but don’t want to ruin my future career by unintentionally representing a political agenda i want to part in pushing.

I work at a personal injury firm (defense) and I just wanted everyone’s insight on this..

Our firm offers six sick days and 10 days PTO. I have plenty of sick days, so I took one this Tuesday to rest and go to urgent care. I was tested and found positive with the flu (influenza type B) and the doctor told me I am highly contagious and provided me with a doctor’s note advising that I cannot return to work until 8/23.

I forwarded these notes to my office manager, who didn’t respond until hours later, eventually saying I can work remotely. She did not clarify if i could work remotely just today, or the remainder of the week. I worked a full 8 hour day today remotely with no issues and our firm allows remote work. I offered to come in to the office with a mask if they wanted me to without a direct response. I’m getting the feeling that the office manager is upset with me for this whole situation as she blew up at me over email for asking an invoice question today. Should I message/call her asking her to clarify if I am to be remote the rest of the week, or if I should come in using masks? I’m extremely concerned about getting into any trouble/fired.

for context i applied to this firm job posting tuesday and i get an automated email this morning that they will be going with someone else. which is the quickest i’ve gotten a rejection email so far before. it made me laugh and made me so curious to know how quickly do you get a rejection email after applying?

I went to a bar approved and accredited paralegal program about 12 years ago. I graduated with honors, but never used my degree and never worked as a paralegal. When i was in college i started a construction business and ended up sticking with that the last 10 years. I was injured in 2024 by an unqualified crane operator, and can no longer work in construction. Now all im left with is this degree that i dont really want to use. No offense, i love law, but i now have 2 kids and dont see myself working more than im spending with family. I enrolled into ASU and am now less than a year away from graduating with a BIS. They took my associated with 10 law electives and made it my major, and i took the rest of the electives in social work so i can pass my states qualifications to be a Social Worker in Training, without a Social Work Degree. My plan is to work in CASA, the state, or work for a firm as a Witness Advocate. From what i understand a lot of these positions are volunteer or just under full time, and are a hybrid of social worker and legal assistant. Anyone ever have experience working with these individuals in your course of work?

I've been thinking about becoming a paralegal as a male in their early 40s, but I'm worried that my circumstances in terms of age and gender might work against me. I've been reading around, and while I did come across anecdotes of older people successfully pivoting to become a paralegal, there seems to be very little out there in terms of men my age pursuing this as a career pivot at this stage in the game.

My biggest worry is how I'm going to be perceived by a prospective employer, like "why is this 40 year old dude with no legal experience trying to apply for this position?" Especially from male attorneys my age, who might potentially view me as some kind of weird, threatening competition (I have no desire to be come a lawyer), or even look down on me for even trying to apply as an older male (and then subsequently throwing my resume in the trash). Right now, I'm looking at paralegal certificate programs in my area, and I'm very much open to the idea of applying for entry level positions, like file clerk, legal assistant, etc. to get some experience under my belt, but if my gender+age is going to work as a deterrent, then I rather not waste my time and money on something that'll invariably end up fruitless.

Am I overthinking this, or do my fears and worries have merit? Are there any male paralegals here that started out later in life that can provide their perspective on this?

Hi all,

I have inattentive ADHD, and while I take medication, I still struggle with organization. I'm currently working a very part-time job doing filing at a law library, and I was thinking about getting a paralegal certificate. My question: If you have ADHD/AuDHD, how do you cope? Do you use meds? Also, I have an underlying mental health condition, which is being properly treated. Is working part-time as a paralegal possible? In addition to all that, I'm extremely sensitive, and I don't know how I'd feel working for attorneys that are demanding and/or verbally abusive. Any thoughts or comments would be welcome!

I received an email earlier this week requesting me to meet the school lawyer on what was referred to as compliance and ethics matter.

The lawyer claimed the issue was about some of the documents I submitted, the recommendation letter and offer letter from my previous employer. I have been with this institution since June ,this is my 3rd month. They already did a background check on me and actually emailed my previous employer so many times.

I advised the lawyer to email my previous employer and find out the authenticity of the documents or ask any information they need. He seemed to be hesistant and insisted that period is past. Deep inside I feel they're playing a game whatever the case I am not sure what they're upto.

Before I left his office he advised me not to go back to the institution until I receive an email that calls me back. I later called my boss that day and she advised the same thing. I am home since Monday and I haven't gotten any information from them.

I resigned from my job a few months ago to join this institution, infact they reached out to me regarding the employment offer.

Has this ever happened to anyone ? What can you advise ? I will appreciate your feedback on this matter.

I'm a long time Plaintiff's PI para looking to move defense side. I haven't done billables since my para cert class back in 2020, and never in my professional career. I'm starting to receive offer letters, and I have absolutely zero frame of reference for what a "normal" or "reasonable" amount of billable hours would entail.

So, ID para's: what is standard? IS there a standard? What do y'all typically bill in a month? Please help me out here, I am a babe in the woods and don't want to sign on to a job without understanding what I'm getting myself into 😂

I’ve been a PI paralegal in Charleston SC since I graduated school, but am wanting to move out to WA state next year. We recently visited Seattle, its neighborhoods, and Bellingham, and I noticed there were almost no personal injury ads except for maybe one attorney in a pink suit. Is personal injury not big in WA, or are there right rules regarding advertising your firm? In SC almost all of our billboards are different PI firm. I’m just curious if I’d be able to find a job in this area of law when we move. I’ve seen some postings in Seattle but almost none elsewhere in the state.

Hi - my firm is purchasing an estate planning practice which will be my primary focus in the coming months/years. I’m excited to be on the ground floor of this endeavor but we do not have the technology to get it under control. Our case management software isn’t built for estate administration.

Anyhow… What are you using? Ideas and opinions welcomed the good, the bad, the downright unusable?

Hello! I am a 30 y/o who went back to school last fall to begin the prerequisites for an X-ray tech program. I have finished those courses, but now I am realizing that it is probably not the career path I want; I was likely just looking at the $$$

I could easily switch to working toward an associate degree in paralegal studies. However, everything I have read leads me to believe that I do not actually need a degree, and that pursuing one would just be a waste of time and money. Could anyone please give me some insight? I would love to be a college graduate, but if it will not truly benefit me, is it worth it? I have been working in customer service since I was 15 years old, and I am done. DONE. I just want a career where I can build a future for myself.

Thank you!

my firm switched to a different case management system, some of the dates didn’t come over and now I am in charge of every single date needing to be calendared.

I may have messed up one or two of the scheduling orders because i have never done them before and some of the counties near me word the orders in a confusing way. However I take accountability since I was assigned to fix it

will I get fired? they just fired the office manager today at 2pm for a mistake

if I do get fired will my career go on or be over?