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

Livia · #7 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 · #8 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.

DavidMn · #9 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 · #10 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.

DavidMn · #11 08-04-2006, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsysoul

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.

Oh on that note, I'll share some more stories with you soon. SOrry! but I've been very busy lately. I'm glad you enjoy hearing them!

JazmenFlowers · #12 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 · #13 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?

JazmenFlowers · #14 08-04-2006, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Does that mean defense?

yeah..sorry, forgot to add that

amber · #15 08-04-2006, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

yeah..sorry, forgot to add that

That's cool - my favorite teacher was a lawyer in asbestos defense. I got the impression it was lucrative. But he was the one who said it happens a lot that he'll do all the trial prep, tons of discovery, etc. - and at the last minute they will settle. So you do all that work and then don't need it. I mean, it sounds bad, but you have to do it. Still, I think it would be frustrating to do all of that trial prep all the time, and then rarely have a trial.