In addition to our full paralegal courses that are available on Paralegal-BootCamp.com, this video channel provides paralegals and legal assistants with valuable tips and strategies to get some quick wins to advance their paralegal careers. Ann Pearson, Founder of Paralegal Boot Camp, brings three decades of experience in the legal industry to you in these videos.
Glad you enjoy it! I just published a new video a few minutes ago that you should check out - I interviewed an attorney on skills she likes to see in her paralegals.
Excellent content! Thanks so much! 🎉 I've spent the last 20+ years in the bankruptcy field. It's always been good for me. Now I'm having a hard time finding part-time or contract work. I love setting my own schedule and working from various locations. 😄 You've given me some key pointers to add to cover letters, resume, and my LinkedIn profile. I'll be subscribing and looking for more videos! PS: do you have any ideas about transitioning into other facets of the law, such as, family or personal injury?
Thank you so much for posting this interview. The information is very valuable & inspiring. My background is very similar to hers. I'm looking forward to starting a new career as a paralegal.
Regarding not discussing whose fault something was, that sounds nice, just move on without explaining it wasn't you but another department that missed something, but if that happens a few times and its encouraged not to discuss whose was at fault, how would they know that its not you that made several mistakes now when it comes to evaluating either performance or whether to keep you on as an employee, that part doesn't add up.
I think that if they see you coming up with and implementing solutions coupled with solid work output, they will catch on. Also, most electronic filing requires separate logins, etc. This happened to me once. The attorney was fussing but I was off work the day the document was filed. He asked me who was at fault. I told him I didn't know that, but I knew a way to fix it. I gave him my suggestion which was approved.
Only thing about Los Angeles is that 99% of the time they are looking for bilingual in Spanish in personal injury. Since I don’t speak Spanish it’s difficult to get hired in personal injury.
It’s a unique and relatable perspective to have a former student co-host. Kristy’s insight from both the student and professional viewpoints will be really helpful to those of us going through our programs/first legal jobs. Thanks for sharing!
lol, I do remember you saying AI could never take para jobs. AI is amazing but you still need another pair of eyes reviewing the document before sharing or filing. Para jobs are going to drop dramatically
Thank you for this interview. What a fascinating conversation. I'm enrolled in a paralegal certification program for this Fall and am looking forward to learning more about AI for sure and how to use it appropriately for paralegal use! For now, I've just been using it for 'fun'. I've been using it for recipes for things I have in the pantry & fridge (to avoid waste & avoid going to the store if I'm being honest) I've been using it for ideas on time blocking at work or coming up with chore schedule for the weekend. I've been working in a very small (but mighty) Estate Planning Law Firm for 2 years. I will push back a bit regarding AI 'taking over reception'. I think it will take many years to get there. Maybe in larger firms it will be sooner and / or it may help improve the quality of reception (drafting precise, warm, emails & letters for intake for example what later is described as 'grunt work'). However, for small firms having a person picking up calls especially in the area of Law I'm speaking about (Estate Planning, Elder Law, Probate areas that need a little softness maybe even Family Law...) is incredibly valuable and can mean the difference between making an appointment on the calendar for the Attorney....or not. Most clients prefer organic in-person interaction. AI will definitely help free time up for that kind of interaction which is something to look forward to but, I am confident that in-person interaction is crucial for a successful firm & will leave a lasting impression on the client. Again, my experience in different areas of law are limited and I'm hoping to expand that moving forward on my education path.
I agree! That's definitely an area of law that requires a person picking up the phone. I'd add - family law and personal injury to that list too. I'm sure there are other areas as well.
My take on the billable hour concern is that the mentality should be to emphasize results, not billable time. The clients shouldn’t have their cases extended so that law firms can make money off them. I believe this presents as an ethical issue that the state bar associations need to take up, if not done so already. The shift for the law firms should be to take on more clients/cases to replace the billable time lost to efficiency.
This was so helpful and the people doing this are amazing. Immediately subscribed. Former attorney, now opening up my own contract legal project management/ litigation management business. This channel is really helpful.
I agree that diversifying one’s experiences in the law office will benefit their career opportunities down the road. It’s also enriching to challenge yourself in a different aspect of litigation, whether you’re seeking a career as a paralegal or lawyer. Thanks for sharing!
I went college to become a paralegal. I always loved the power of knowing in the law sense. My kids are all grown up now and I still dream about having this career. I stumbled across you. 😊
Thank you for sharing! I have a couple of thoughts on this as follows: (1) I would switch around points #2 and #3 to where the paralegal is tracking their KPI’s, doing well in their KPI’s by seeking to be the top performer, then going to ask for the raise in that order. These all present as great ways to justify a higher salary for the paralegal, leading me to (2). (2) Think of it as building your case (in the litigation sense) for why you are worthy of a raise. Building a case includes gathering/organizing evidence, crafting theory, and presenting the arguments competently. I take it that managers want to spend the Firm’s time and money in the most efficient way possible. (3) Go to work each day with the intention to be the best at what you do and to get better at it. If you get all of your tasks done, don’t just sit around and wait to be told what to do, look for stuff to do. Show that you value the Firm’s time and want to help in any way you can. If there isn’t anything, pick a part of your job that you may not understand as well and train/practice at it (time permitting). Make that time as valuable as possible. Hope this helps.
I wish I could answer that with any degree of certainty, but I can't. It all depends on so many factors! Here are just a few: - geographic location - years of experience - the practice area you work in - your education and certifications - the size of the firm (and even whether it's a law firm, corporation, or government agency) - the list could on and on!
Great info! Another role I’ll add to your list of transferable options, for a mid to senior level paralegal specializing in Estate Planning (aka Private Client Services for larger firms) more specifically one who specializes in Trust & Estate Administration, a good transferable role is a Trust Officer working under a corporate fiduciary/trustee such as a bank or a trust company, or even an RIA investment firm. I made that move because I saw the need for that (as corporate trustees were always hiring the law firm I was working for to basically complete their general fiduciary duties that were not directly involving beneficiary engagement and stayed within the trust terms as outsourced) so I decided to fill that gap and cut out the middle man (please note I did not go on to work for a client of that particular law firm, but generally speaking, I was filling an industry gap). I actually went right into that role as a VP of their Personal Trust Dept. Banks are a little different with their ‘vice president’ title, and unlike other industries, they have many VP’s - one or two for each dept., but; nonetheless, it was a big move in the direction and something that I’m thankful to add to my resume. Oh, and best part was no more billable hour requirement!!!! 🎉😂😅 💯 🙌
If you get a chance, can you also add the URL here in the comments for that online platform that connects attorneys with freelance paralegals? I realized I only have the webinar URL and I had someone message me about the platform.
I'd really like to talk to you about this. I work in a local government and the paralegals are being hamstrung because of outdated EEOC guidelines. I started in the law with the intention to become a lawyer at some point but I decided against that. What is frustrating is we have all these skills from working in litigation and basically project management and building stakeholder relationships yet, we are only considered "administrative support". We aren't considered "professional" staff. So a lot of us with years of experience can't move up within our organization or try to move into another career because our applications get denied on a technicality. The job duties and descriptions my appear similar, but because we don't have that "professional' title, we get denied if we want to promote into a program manager, or program coordinator, or admin analyst. A lot of talented people are being underutilized and many of us have four year degrees and even graduate degrees. Our only recoruse is to leave public service and go into the private sector or take a demotion for a job a lot of us are over qualified for. Many of us work in public service because we want to work for the public. I would love to know how to break that glass ceiling.
This really bothers me. I’m so glad you made this video. I’ve dumped the last of my savings into getting a paralegal certificate, then hopefully, get licensed through the NALA exam. I only have an Associate’s degree (not in paralegal studies.) I was in the hospitality business and (even if it was for a 2nd job) worked as a bartender for 34 years amongst working in management, etc…. Obviously, I’m older and my body can’t handle bartending, any longer. Besides, I wanted to have a more respectable career at SOME point! As I’m doing this paralegal program, I’m regretting that I chose this. I worked for an attorney for a year -15 yrs ago and was trained very well. That was my favorite job. I wasn’t even a paralegal but he had me working on numerous tasks, including meeting with clients, going to court with him, legal secretary work, drafting all kinds of legal docs, and working with Abacus Law. He paid me well over $15 an hr, back then and had to train me from scratch! In doing my research of salaries for paralegal positions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (in the vicinity of where I live in the state) I was seeing open positions on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster, and other job search apps/sites starting anywhere from $54K to $80K (for highly specialized paralegals.) In the 8 weeks since I began my paralegal classes, these numbers seemed to drop significantly. I’m in the Greater Philadelphia Area, too. What the heck is going on? I never would have gotten myself into this to make $45K plus benefits per yr. I can make a lot more bartending if I really push myself after I’m healed from my surgery. According to the paralegal program I’m in, so far it’s showing how arduous of a job it really is. For employers only willing to pay a pittance for an employee doing a huge job for them, seems outrageous. Also, I’m not even certified , yet, or have any recent experience. Also, I’ve started this so late at 55 yrs old. Is it going to take me until I’m 65 with a ton of experience to start making decent money in this field and will finally be able to afford to support myself, by myself, in this ridiculously inflated society, again? If you have any encouragement at all, please feel free to let me know. That’s kind of why I told you my whole situation. It looks bleak. What are my chances of even getting hired for a decent place doing this job at my age with no experience, a paralegal certificate, and getting licensed by NALA? Thank you for your video. It gave some great advice. I’m just not sure if it will pertain to me when I start looking for employment.
This video was very helpful. I just started my paralegal career, however, I have been thinking about doing mediation/conflict resolution later. Thank you.
Are you someone who used to work as a paralegal and now have a different title but got there because of your paralegal experience? Share your title in the comments!
