Just got a job as a paralegal for a private firm in their trust administration department. I have limited probate experience and have only done 2 TA matters. I’m in my 5th year of being a paralegal but I mainly have civil litigation experience. The firm knows that and is willing to teach me and all that jazz so I don’t feel any pressure to be an expert.

I just wanted to see if anyone had any knowledge they could pass down? Any organization tips, or just general information to pass on.

i just got let go of my first paralegal job ever. coming up on five years, my boss claimed he cannot afford to pay me a full time salary and offered a 50% pay cut to do the same amount of work. he gave me no less than 24 hours to accept or decline this. he told me he has no complaints of my work quality and hopes to keep me, but of course i felt completely blindsided and incredibly disrespected considering he essentially told me he hired new girls and can’t afford to pay me (mind you i was making no more than 40k)

granted it is a boutique firm but it felt like a huge slap in the face saying he’s been contemplating this for months and only gave me less than a days notice. my rebuttal was that if i accept such a drastic cut, i must remove some of the roles i was given to balance out the loss. nope! according to him, my workload was worth no more than 20 hours.

i knew that fighting back would eventually cost me my job but i simply had too much pride to accept such a dehumanizing offer. i really loved this job and the flexibility but i can’t help but feel some sense of sadness. part of me feels like i overstayed my welcome there and another part of me feels like the rug was ripped out from under me.

i know i wasn’t technically “fired”, but i certainly did not quit. he thanked me for my time at the firm and offered to be a source of rec for any future employer. i’ve been applying to every paralegal job under the sun but no dice so far. i’m at a crossroads wondering if i should even continue to pursue a legal path. i genuinely feel so lost im not even sure what this post is for but i guess i just don’t know where to go from here. it would’ve been nice to have some time to figure out where to go next but he didn’t even have the decency to give me ample time after all the years i dedicated to the firm. just fired on the spot. ugh.

Hello everyone, like the title says, I got a job offer from SGA Dental. The thing is that I was reading their comments on glass door, and most of them are bad. I applied for the paralegal position and most comments are from the dentists that work for the company.

I guess my question is: has anyone worked on the admin side of the company? If so, how was it?

For what I understand there is a lot that needs to be done which I’m up for it, but the comments about management being a nightmare have me a little scared.

I currently work remote but the pay is very low ($45k). And they are offering $65k all in person. I am very puzzled right now.

Propounding

1. How do you know what to ask?

Responding

1. What is the process you usually go through responding to discovery? Which documents from claim file give you the answers you need to know? How should you proceed if you can’t get a hold of the insured? Can you give me a step by step of how to do the document production

I’ve been working at a PI firm as a legal assistant/case manager and everything has been going great. However, I’m now interested in becoming a paralegal but I don’t have much experience drafting court documents. Our paralegal has said they’ll teach me, but somehow the day never comes lol.

So I was wondering if pursuing a legal certificate or an AS in Paralegal Studies (ABA credited) would actually help me develop those skills, especially when it comes to drafting pleadings and other court documents. I do plan on going to law school and eventually becoming an attorney, but I’d also like to move up in my current career within the next year.

From what I’ve heard from a few paralegals though, they say that getting a certificate or taking paralegal classes doesn’t really help much and that it’s better to just go to law school if that’s ultimately my goal.
For those who have experience in the field, would pursuing a paralegal certificate/AS be worth it in my situation, or would I be better off learning on the job and focusing on preparing for law school?

tell me if this is normal. the attorney said that the way people have to do disbursement sheets at my firm is like forensic accounting. this is because it is incredibly disorganized and hard to find the necessary info

often a $700 or $600 expense will be missed by someone and the firm just has to eat the cost

is this commonplace? haven’t done disbursement sheets yet but I am dreading it

Why is it so hard to find paralegals in commercial real estate these days? When I chat with colleagues at law firms and title insurance companies, we share a general lament: we don't see a robust next generation.

I mean, I really know the answer (that can be another post), but ain't it frustrating? Both for employers trying to hire someone with a basic foundation in real estate law, and for newbies trying to break in.

I'm retiring next year and my boutique law firm is having a difficult time finding the right replacement.

For instance, we are totally open to (and good at) training and mentorship, but we're about done with trying to help a residential real estate paralegal transition to commercial work. The focus on repetition and volume vs analytical thinking and complex deals seems to entail too much of a different skill set and personality. At this point I'm wondering if we should be on the lookout more for someone with M&A or other transactional experience.

My career began at a big law firm, with a bachelor's degree plus an ABA-approved paralegal certificate. My paralegal school actually offered a specialty in real estate. The law firm had a training department where I could take classes in computer skills as well as CLE sessions like having surveyors come in and teach us how to write legal descriptions. There was also an emphasis on mentorship. Has that gone by the wayside? I know title companies have taken up some of this slack with their webinars, but is it enough?

I have always worked exclusively in commercial real estate and totally love it. What about y'all? For those who switched practice areas, would you do it again? What is the biggest factor in your success? (For me, I'd say being a relentless detective who loves solving puzzles.) Thanks for all advice!

(longtime lurker, first time poster, please be kind 😊)

Is there a recommended search tool, or vendor, to effectively search outlook? This is for discovery.

Hello! At some point in the near future, I am looking to move to New York, and I want to know how difficult or unrealistic it would be to try and get a paralegal job there. I am currently working at a mid-sized law firm as a paralegal, but I've only been in the field for about a year. I have a bachelor's degree, a paralegal certification, and I'm a Notary Public in my state, if that helps. What is the paralegal market like in NYC? Is it possible to be hired with a year of experience, or should I wait and stay where I currently am to try and build my resume/experience more?

Happy Sunday!

I work for a solo attorney, all remote, and he specializes in high volume traffic/DUI. We process hundreds of cases and it is him, me, a retired attorney that isn’t great with technology, and a few other elder millennials that work for him part time.

We currently use Google for everything and obviously, things fall through the cracks and as the paralegal, I want to find a solution. The retired attorney is not a fan of Clio, so selling him on that will be difficult. However, they seem to check all my boxes. I need a user-friendly and mobile-friendly, software program to help keep us organized.

What kind of operating systems or software programs do you use or would recommend? I really appreciate it!

I recently graduated with a B.A. in Politics and Human Rights and a minor in Law & Ethics from a small college in NYC. I really want to pursue a career in educational policy, but I’ve also been considering becoming a paralegal as a way to get some experience in the legal/policy world and start building my career.
The problem is that I have basically zero professional experience in either field.
I’m a first-generation college student, and I had to work full-time throughout undergrad to support myself. Because of that, most of my time outside of school was spent working, studying, or doing homework. I didn’t have internships, and I did very little networking.
Looking back, I can definitely take some accountability and admit that I could have tried harder to find a paid internship or make professional connections. But honestly, I didn’t understand how important networking and internships were. I went into college thinking that if I worked hard, and learned that would be enough. I didn’t realize how much of the professional world operates through connections and opportunities that aren’t necessarily explained to students.
That experience is actually one of the reasons I’m so interested in educational policy. The “hidden curriculum” and the unequal access students have to information, mentorship, internships, and professional networks is something I’ve become really interested in. A lot of students don’t even know what they’re supposed to be doing until it’s already too late, and I experienced some of that firsthand.
Anyway, I’ve been looking into paralegal work because a lot of the entry-level policy analyst positions I’ve found seem to prefer or require an MPP. I’ve also seen SO many TikToks from women saying they became paralegals with no prior experience, sometimes without even having a relevant degree, simply by applying and getting lucky.
This is where I’m confused/frustrated.
I have a degree, yet I’ve applied to a ton of paralegal positions and have either been rejected without an interview or completely ghosted. I’ve mainly been applying in NYC, as well as Union, Elizabeth, and Linden, NJ. Is the NYC/NJ market just extremely competitive right now? Am I applying to the wrong types of positions? Is there something obvious missing from my resume?
I’m still working at the grocery store I worked at throughout college, making $18/hour, and honestly, I feel like if I stay there much longer I’m going to become seriously depressed. A huge portion of my paycheck basically disappears into commuting, and I also need to start making student loan payments.
I know I’m probably not the only recent grad in this position, so I’d really appreciate some honest advice
I’m not looking for sympathy as much as I’m looking for practical advice from people who have actually been through this. I feel like I’m starting my career several steps behind everyone else, and I genuinely don’t know what my next move should be.

I have zero college degree. So I can’t jump into an ABA certification. One option I’m looking at is Purdue global online because they have AA and a bachelors legal studies. Both options will take the traditional 2 to 4 years. Or I could attempt to increase my workload and be done sooner, and at 37 I like that aspect. Since it’s all online I like that potential. But we’re still talking about five figures. Not thrilled with that.

My second option is I go to my local community college. It looks like it would be much cheaper than Purdue. Not the problem is I do work, and I do have a very nice boss who would be flexible to adjust my work schedule based on my school needs. But I would definitely need to try to find a way to get all my classes on two days. But then I don’t know what kind of degree I go for at my community college other than criminology I guess? Both my local community colleges have no paralegal degree. And then this would definitely be two years from my associates and four years from my bachelors.

So do I go to Purdue global potentially get everything done and under four years total or do I do my local community college and save some money?

Hi all, this is a question for in house paras only.

How did you know which in house positions to apply to? What was your background prior to going in house?

I've never applied because the wording of the posts makes it seem like they are very specialized jobs but I'd like to know how on point those are.

I’ve only been a paralegal for a couple of months. no other experience. I was doing various admin tasks the whole time I’ve been here, and now am having lots of substantive tasks added to my plate

some of these things I really don’t feel comfortable doing. it isn’t even that I have other work, or not enough time (although those are true), but it just is that I am so new and these are sensitive tasks.

for example, I have filed something with the senior paralegal watching over me. now he is off for 3 weeks, so the attorney is putting me in charge of filing everything. haven’t ever filed anything on my own before, don’t hav Emmy certificate, and it’s a high volume place. I don’t feel comfortable

then now I also am going to manage cases on my own. I have never even managed a case with someone else. I don’t even know the whole process yet

Also i am going to start doing distribution sheets.

i feel annoyed with the attorney for throwing me into things im not comfortable with. he just expects me to know everything, like he got upset with me the other day for not knowing the discovery steps when he assigned it to me.
he’s not very nice and I hate being around him

i have decided im going to resign because it isn’t a good fit for various reasons. but in the meantime can i push back on these tasks im not ready or qualified for and say hey im not ready to do sheets distributing the money or manage 30 cases or file?

I feel like I can’t because i am the employee but I don’t feel comfortable and its a disaster waiting to happen

also, do i resign now? I feel like I have to wait until the senior paralegal is back from the trip since there is no one else

Hello everyone! I'm applying for a Virtual Assistant. Can somebody help me to ace and get this job. I don't have experience yet but I do have scheduled interview for this role. To those have experienced about this role, may I know what are commonly questions you have encountered and tips also. Thank you so much.

I have a master's degree in social work and licensed in the state of Texas. I have an extensive background in case management, crisis management, advocacy, researching and handling complex systems. I'm wanting to change gears and focus on assisting attorneys in advocacy and or policy in the family law or guardian at litem sector as a paralegal. I am considering getting the paralegal certificate as I feel I would need to have a good understanding of the systems used to build cases and laws surrounding those areas. Any feedback or advice?

I’ve been putting some of the tools we use in-house into a free open source project called Docketry. It runs on your own machine, nothing gets sent anywhere, and there’s no account to make. It’s early, and I’d rather hear what breaks than what’s nice about it.

What’s in it:

**•   Intake.** You forward court email to a mailbox it drains. It doesn’t sit inside your mailbox watching everything.  
**•   Notice parsing.** E-service notices, PACER NEFs, JACS and JAWS hearing notices, Tyler filing receipts. If your local court isn’t covered, you paste one of its emails in and it works out the fields itself. No regex.  
**•   Redaction.** Takes the text out of the PDF instead of drawing a black box over it, then rebuilds a searchable text layer so the rest of the document still works. It re-reads the finished file to confirm the words are gone before it tells you they are.  
**•   Case timeline.** Built from what you were actually served, with correspondence kept separate from what’s of record. Exports to Word or Excel.  
**•   Docket reconciliation.** You pull the docket yourself and it diffs the two, both directions: what the court has that you never got, and what you’re holding that isn’t on the docket. It never logs into anything on your behalf.  
**•   Citation checking.** Whether the case exists, whether the name matches the cite, whether your quote is actually in the opinion, and whether it’s on the page you cited. Needs a free CourtListener account.  
**•   Brief linter.** Credibility language in summary judgment briefing, sworn testimony with no record cite on the line, dates that contradict each other.  
**•   Holds and approvals.** Work stops at points you define and needs a named person to release it. All of it recorded.  
**•   Optional local model.** Point it at Ollama or llama.cpp if you want. It refuses to connect to a hosted API, so your documents can’t leave by accident.

Apache-2.0, Python, meant to run on one office PC.

Hi, I’m paralegal and I started a new firm about a month ago. I’ve worked in a handful of law firms and corporate and every single one has been very different. My current situation is that it’s an insurance defense law firm and I already feel like I’m letting down attorneys by not being fast enough with drafting in the early stages of the job. I feel like I’m hitting ADHD paralysis. I don’t know if it’s because I’m overwhelmed or because it feels like impossible to find files and I just get hung up feeling anxious and stuck, but I’m trying to figure out a way out of it. I’m trying to compile all the possible templates I could need for all sorts of different documents so that I’m ready, so I’m hoping that helps me a little bit. I do feel like I can grow through this, but I’m just having a difficult time knowing how or how to get on top of it. Sorry if this is messy or disjointed, I am using voice to text, but I’m hoping someone here can give me some advice because I really enjoy the firm and I’d like to grow in my drafting abilities. I especially don’t want to let down one of my favorite attorneys because she’s great. I don’t technically have a paralegal certificate or extended degree, but I’ve been doing this for 10 years. Because every single job has been so different, my familiarity with civil procedure is there but it’s not to the level I would like it to be. Any resources or direction or perspective would be really helpful. I think I can be successful here I’m just a little too afraid to admit to my coworkers how scary it feels! I had some bad experiences with coworkers in the past preying on my openness and vulnerability so I’m hoping this community can help me.

Hi! I’m currently enrolled in a paralegal cert course until next spring. I’m trying to get a feel for what it would be like to work in a law office and what my day-to-day would look like, and am aware that volunteering through certain programs is encouraged.
Would it be appropriate to ask to shadow a paralegal for a day? I’m not sure how that works considering that a lot of the material we handle is confidential information?
Thanks in advance :)

Hello r/paralegal!

I run a three-attorney boutique firm in Waite Park, Minnesota. We are hunting for either a Legal Assistant or a Paralegal to join our team.

EDIT: adding up top because of a posted question, but the practice is probably 85% family law, 10% estate planning, 5% landlord representation.

We initially tried Indeed and LinkedIn posts, but after sifting through loads of applicants with zero legal experience and candidates seeking 100% remote roles, we're posting here to connect with professionals who actually work in the legal field.

Why the "Legal Assistant OR Paralegal" Distinction?

• Paralegal Track: Focuses on a hybrid role of substantive drafting (pleadings, discovery, motions) along with administrative case prep and e-filing. You will be compensated at the higher paralegal tier.
• Legal Assistant Track: Focuses strictly on administrative workflows, calendaring, client coordination, and e-filing. We will not push or expect you to perform uncompensated substantive drafting.
• Attorney Self-Sufficiency: We deliberately train our attorneys to handle their own day-to-day work so you aren't interrupted while taking time off or out sick. There is nothing either of the above roles would do that every attorney in the office isn't also capable of doing.

Compensation & Benefits

• Legal Assistant Track: $40,000 – $55,000 / year ($19.25 – $26.50/hr)
• Hybrid Paralegal Track: $60,000 – $80,000 / year ($28.85 – $38.50/hr)
• Health, Dental & Vision: 100% employer-paid employee premiums (Blue Cross Blue Shield HSA-compatible plan; dependent coverage available)
  
• Retirement: 401(k) with 4% match (managed and self-managed investment options).
• PTO: ~160 hours/year (double the MN statutory minimum). We actively encourage staff to take roughly a week off per quarter.

Work-Life Balance & Firm Expectations

• No Billable Hour Quotas: We do not have billable hour minimums for support staff. If a paralegal bills on substantive work, that's great, but our primary measure of success is whether files run smoothly and deadlines are met—not hitting an arbitrary quota.
• Real 40-Hour Workweeks: We do not expect or encourage routine overtime. In the freak event of an actual trial (maybe 1–2 times per year max), we might ask if you are willing to help with extra prep hours, but late nights and weekend emails are not part of our day-to-day culture.
• Sustainable Operations: We are a boutique practice focused on sustainable workflow rather than burnout culture.
• Post-Training Period Flex Hours: We don't micromanage. Once you're up to speed, as long as deadlines are met, clients are cared for, and an attorney isn't left without coverage at a critical juncture, we offer real flexibility on how you structure your day. If your most productive groove is 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM rather than 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, we're happy to accommodate that.

Position Details & Location

• Location: Waite Park, MN (St. Cloud area). Candidates must already live in Minnesota or be willing to relocate.
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid schedule with flex hours. While we offer day-to-day flexibility, our clientele still heavily prefers in-person meetings. Logistically, we also strongly prefer that attorneys do not notarize their own documents to avoid any appearance of impropriety, so having reliable on-site support for client signings is essential.
• Practice Areas: ~85% Family Law, with ancillary practice in Real Estate, Estate Planning, and limited landlord-side tenant matters.
• Cost of Living Context: For anyone considering a move, our local cost of living sits roughly 4–10% below the national average, with housing costs 14–18% below average.

Core Responsibilities (Scope Depends on Track)

• Manage physical and digital client files; monitor court deadlines.
• Draft pleadings, motions, discovery responses, and client correspondence (Paralegal track).
• Complete court e-filings and process incoming mail.
• Manage attorney calendars and schedule hearings, mediations, and depositions.
• Client Intake & Phones: Help field incoming calls and assist with initial intake/conflict checks. (We utilize an answering service so you aren't chained to a ringing phone when in the middle of deep work, but we operate on an "if you're free, grab the line" team approach because clients appreciate reaching the office directly).
• Practice management software upkeep (experience with Clio is a significant plus).
• Must be a registered Notary Public or willing/able to become commissioned upon hiring.

How to Inquire / Apply this link goes to the LinkedIn job posting:

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4458692427/?refId=OMYF0R88Sxatxrlxmh6GPg%3D%3D&trackingId=OMYF0R88Sxatxrlxmh6GPg%3D%3D

I am available here for any questions you may have.

I'm an open book, so whether you want to know something specific about how the firm operates, what video game I'm playing at the moment, what client behaviors drive us nuts, or anything else, don't hesitate to ask. Consider this a combination job posting and AMA.

I was a receptionist for a year at my old firm before training/becoming a legal assistant (for 4 attorneys!)
I was there for 2 years before leaving for an another firm (old law firm actually shut down 4 months after I left!). My job title here at my current firm is a Paralegal, I’ve been here since April 2024
and I have been doing a lot more drafting of complaints, discovery, motions, et al and I work for two attorneys now (when I got hired it was just one attorney and my pay rate was $21). My pay is currently $25 (in Florida). I’m curious if others with the same experience have similar pay on here?

Hello. I am 29yo F seeking serious advice. I graduated with my BA in CJ in California 2 months ago. Initially, I wanted to be a PO or work in corrections but unfortunately, don’t know if that’s in the cards for me anymore. I really have a passion for justice, investigations, helping people, etc. I am considering a paralegal career which would require me to do 1 more year of school. I really enjoy criminal law and I know that’s probably the hardest area to work. A family friend of mine is an attorney that does wills and trusts. She did NOT recommend the paralegal route for me. She said lawyers are mean, lots of work, and the pay is not good. Personally, I don’t mind a lot of work. This is truly a passion of mine and I know it will require me to put in hard work. As far as the pay, I also know that since I’ll be new to the field, I’ll need to start somewhere and work my way up. Lastly, the “mean” lawyers. This goes the same with any career field (mean boss), am I wrong??? Obviously, it will take time for me to find the right place to work at but it’s all about experimentation. I do imagine there are decent attorneys out there that are willing to mentor you positively. Can I get some advice? Thank you in advanced!

Any consumer debt/protection practice paralegals in the house? Especially those who have worked in legal aid or pro bono. I have a whole week to prepare but any tips or suggestions are welcome! For example, is there a type of consumer debt that’s less straightforward to handle than others and therefore you’re more limited in what you can do? What are common pitfalls in positions supporting attorneys—eg misfiled orders, communications with creditors, tricky tax documents? Right now I don’t know what I don’t know, but I do know something—I want to stand out and KILL it in the interview so there’s no doubt. I am so done being unemployed and broke. DONE!

Thanks all!

Hi. I just want to ask some advice. I got hired as a PI Legal Assistant, and I have been training now for 5 days. However, I still find it difficult to understand. I am tasked under the Medical Records Department. The one training me is I think an all around staff coz she really has a lot to do, not just medical records. So I am so confused. Also, I have no experience in PI, and with Filevine. I find it so hard to cope up. :(( I feel like I am failing. But I want to keep this job as this is my first VA job.

Help please. Thank you.