legal professionals

JazmenFlowers · #1 08-04-2006, 10:50 AM

I was just wondering who all is in the legal profession besides me and strandie...

Livia · #2 08-04-2006, 10:54 AM

Me! I'm a Legal Assistant - I support 3 1/2 attorneys. 2 of which are on vacation right now.

The 1/2 attorney lives in El Paso, and I usually only spend about 30 minutes a week doing stuff for her, so she doesn't really count.

I love what I do, but everything you've heard about attorneys is true. Except for Strand - he probably NEVER procrastinates.

irishgrl · #3 08-04-2006, 11:20 AM

I am Certified Paralegal, but I dont work at it. It doesnt pay enuff in the private sector in my neck of the woods.

strandinthewind · #4 08-04-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

. . . he probably NEVER procrastinates.

LOL - hardly ever!!!

amber · #5 08-04-2006, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

Me! I'm a Legal Assistant - I support 3 1/2 attorneys. 2 of which are on vacation right now.

The 1/2 attorney lives in El Paso, and I usually only spend about 30 minutes a week doing stuff for her, so she doesn't really count.

I love what I do, but everything you've heard about attorneys is true. Except for Strand - he probably NEVER procrastinates.

What kind of attorneys? I notice you own a house...just scoping it out.

Whenever I'm looking at the jobs on Craigslist, it appears that IP paralegals/assistants are the highest paid.

gypsysoul · #6 08-04-2006, 04:00 PM

I'm a barrister in London.
The profession is separated in England - solicitors and barristers. Barristers are the freaks who wear wigs and gowns.
Wigs can make even geeky men look distinguished, they just make us females look like stripogram girls

DavidMn · #7 08-04-2006, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsysoul

I'm a barrister in London.
The profession is separated in England - solicitors and barristers. Barristers are the freaks who wear wigs and gowns.
Wigs can make even geeky men look distinguished, they just make us females look like stripogram girls

Thats very interesting. DO you hear alot of cases?

gypsysoul · #8 08-04-2006, 04:51 PM

I'm in court pretty much every day, David.
My area of practice is not a nice one (child abuse) and it gets very stressful at times but certainly there's never a dull moment when you're cross examining people and trying to catch them out!
Also, as you know, I also do my journalism too, so, yeah, I'm pretty busy.

tynan88 · #9 08-05-2006, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsysoul

I'm a barrister in London.
The profession is separated in England - solicitors and barristers. Barristers are the freaks who wear wigs and gowns.
Wigs can make even geeky men look distinguished, they just make us females look like stripogram girls

Wow I'd love to do that, did you begin work as a solicitor or did you go straight for the bar? I know I'd like to work as a barrister but I'll probably go be a solicitor first as it can be way too hard to go straight to self employment.

If you don't mind me asking does it pay well?

gypsysoul · #10 08-05-2006, 04:31 AM

Hi Tynan
Like most barristers I went straight to the Bar after studying. Very few become solicitors and then change. They are very different jobs really.

I never even considered becoming a solicitor as I didn't want the hassle of having to deal with office admin paperwork or having to see clients all the time.
As a barrister I just see clients at court and don't have to take their phone calls at all times of the day and night!

Yes, having to wait for your fees to come in instead of having a regular monthly salary is annoying but that's the downside of being self employed. However, when I'm not in court my time is my own - this is great for me since I do some freelance journalism work.

As for money - yes it can pay very well. Like any profession, at the higher end you can make a fortune.

In the mid range you can make a very good living. And even at its lowest end you can always be just one case away from the big one!

What stage are you at? I'm happy to give you any tips you might need.

Livia · #11 08-04-2006, 04:08 PM

Yes, it pays well, but also comes with a LOT of BS. I always say I'm really an actress (but you'll never really know)...you have to be thick-skinned and able to handle all personality types - all the difficult ones. Multi-task and kiss ass at the same time. I cope by making up nicknames for everyone and amusing myself w/ my own internal dialogue - a la Stewy from the Family Guy. Venting to friends via email throughout the day helps. They think it's hilarious.

IP is booming right now - I think that would be interesting to do. I'd love to get into copyright/publishing/entertainment law. We do education/employment/administrative law. We represent school district employees all over Texas. So, not much litigation, which is great. That's where the high turnover rate is with secretaries - in litigation - cuz it sucks. We are a boutique law firm, and most of us don't believe in working more than 40 hours/week, so we don't. One of my guys is a workaholic - he's here every weekend, and doesn't even need to be. It's sad, really. He's got a wife and 2 young daughters who rarely see him. Alternatively, there are other attorneys in our firm who are the "fun dads." They hardly work at all during the summer - always got some activity planned w/ the kids. I also have my own office, I'm wearing jeans and flip-flops and I have the radio blaring. The pay is not as good as a big-time firm, in a skyscraper downtown - but the other perks are worth it. The other secretary here took a huge cut in pay, for less bs, casual dress code, etc.

amber · #12 08-04-2006, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

Yes, it pays well, but also comes with a LOT of BS. I always say I'm really an actress (but you'll never really know)...you have to be thick-skinned and able to handle all personality types - all the difficult ones. Multi-task and kiss ass at the same time. I cope by making up nicknames for everyone and amusing myself w/ my own internal dialogue - a la Stewy from the Family Guy. Venting to friends via email throughout the day helps. They think it's hilarious.

Crap, I'm terrible at that. I should've gone to school just to learn that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

IP is booming right now - I think that would be interesting to do. I'd love to get into copyright/publishing/entertainment law.

The adds are usually say they start at 65-75K.

I would be filthy rich if I made that much.

Yes, I thought it was interesting, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

We do education/employment/administrative law. We represent school district employees all over Texas. So, not much litigation, which is great. That's where the high turnover rate is with secretaries - in litigation - cuz it sucks. We are a boutique law firm, and most of us don't believe in working more than 40 hours/week, so we don't. One of my guys is a workaholic - he's here every weekend, and doesn't even need to be. It's sad, really. He's got a wife and 2 young daughters who rarely see him. Alternatively, there are other attorneys in our firm who are the "fun dads." They hardly work at all during the summer - always got some activity planned w/ the kids. I also have my own office, I'm wearing jeans and flip-flops and I have the radio blaring. The pay is not as good as a big-time firm, in a skyscraper downtown - but the other perks are worth it. The other secretary here took a huge cut in pay, for less bs, casual dress code, etc.

That sounds very awesome. I swear, I don't know why, and it might be stupid, but I'd trade a lot to be able to wear (basically) what I wanted to work. I'm not crossing my fingers on that one, but it would be great. They dressed casually at Earthjustice, but...

I got the impression that quite a few people want to work in litigation, because it is exciting? Or maybe it pays better? It's completely stressful though, right? I don't know if I would want to.

Thanks for sharing - your job sounds pretty darn good, too.

It's nice for me to see how many different kinds of law settings are out there, I don't really know much about it in the real world, if that makes sense.

JazmenFlowers · #13 08-04-2006, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livia

Yes, it pays well, but also comes with a LOT of BS. I always say I'm really an actress (but you'll never really know)...you have to be thick-skinned and able to handle all personality types - all the difficult ones. Multi-task and kiss ass at the same time. I cope by making up nicknames for everyone and amusing myself w/ my own internal dialogue - a la Stewy from the Family Guy. Venting to friends via email throughout the day helps. They think it's hilarious.

IP is booming right now - I think that would be interesting to do. I'd love to get into copyright/publishing/entertainment law. We do education/employment/administrative law. We represent school district employees all over Texas. So, not much litigation, which is great. That's where the high turnover rate is with secretaries - in litigation - cuz it sucks. We are a boutique law firm, and most of us don't believe in working more than 40 hours/week, so we don't. One of my guys is a workaholic - he's here every weekend, and doesn't even need to be. It's sad, really. He's got a wife and 2 young daughters who rarely see him. Alternatively, there are other attorneys in our firm who are the "fun dads." They hardly work at all during the summer - always got some activity planned w/ the kids. I also have my own office, I'm wearing jeans and flip-flops and I have the radio blaring. The pay is not as good as a big-time firm, in a skyscraper downtown - but the other perks are worth it. The other secretary here took a huge cut in pay, for less bs, casual dress code, etc.

damn...you sound just like me! I had no idea you were a paralegal!

I work in toxic tort/product liability. at my last firm it was strictly asbestos and a few silicosis/welding rod cases and worked with a lot of firms in TX. at my new firm I work in the same area, but not asbestos, it's for a company that makes metalworking fluids.

amber · #14 08-04-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

damn...you sound just like me! I had no idea you were a paralegal!

I work in toxic tort/product liability. at my last firm it was strictly asbestos and a few silicosis/welding rod cases and worked with a lot of firms in TX. at my new firm I work in the same area, but not asbestos, it's for a company that makes metalworking fluids.

Does that mean defense?