THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
Graduating from a Paralegal to an Associate in a Law Firm: Myth vs. Reality Actually legal staff in law firms have two different mindsets regardless of what label is given to their jobs, and regardless of their degrees and certificates: The first mindset is of an administrative assistant or legal secretary, and the second is that of one who likes learning and solving legal cases and matters. If you enjoy doing the job of a legal secretary, this article is not for you, but if you are a legal staff working in a law firm who wants greater control over solving legal work and challenges, this article is for you. Before jumping to make investments of time, effort, and money, it is good to know about what is myth and what is reality, when comparing between the positions of a paralegal and an associate attorney in a law firm.
It is no myth, but reality, of course, that if you are
attorney work, by all means go for it, because how you
a ‘competent’ associate attorney you can count on
live is more important than how long you live.
gaining everything that lawyers are known to earn including reputation, prestige, independence, and
If you like intellectual challenges, earning a law degree
money. However, it is a myth that just becoming an
and becoming an associate attorney in a law firm would
“associate” attorney in a law firm would improve your
provide you with the following opportunities:
lots over that of a paralegal. It is better to remain a competent paralegal than becoming an incompetent
•
You’d be able to earn more money.
associate.
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You’d have complete knowledge of the matter you are working on and would not be kept out of
To even beginning to think of joining law school,
most things
earning a JD, and becoming an associate attorney,
•
there are many things to consider:
You’d have the opportunity to implement your own ideas and work on a case from the ground up
1.
2. 3. 4.
Are you ready to spend the time? Given that there are law schools which offer earning JD for working students, still do you have the time? Are you ready to spend the money and get saddled with the proverbial law school student loan? Are you ready to go for a full-time law school course? Is your earning career really going to improve when you balance what you lose in terms of time, loss of earning and accumulation of debts, against opportunities to have greater control over work, earn by the billable hour and gain direct access to legal and intellectual challenges?
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You’d be happily spending much longer hours at work than an average paralegal is required to spend
•
You’d now be open to malpractice issues and cases
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You’d have much more stress at work
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You’d take work home almost every day
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You’d need to have more accountability
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You’d have many, many more career options than working as a paralegal
Something that you’d find is not a myth but a reality You need to do a very patient and serious strengths
is that as a trained paralegal, you’d have chances to
and weaknesses analysis before you decide on the
outshine novice students at law school, because you
course to graduate from a paralegal to a law firm
have a chance to be more organized and experienced.
associate. If you like the work, and feel cut out for
In fact, you have a chance to do better at law school
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THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
exams, simply due to your documentation and
for working people. Talking it out with the employer
organizing skills that you learned as a paralegal. But,
while doing the J.D. so that when you become an
when you become an associate attorney you just gain
associate in a law firm, you can continue to handle
a different level of existence, there’s more pain, and
legal work of your employer. Usually, at this point,
more of almost everything except time for your family.
the employer offers an opportunity, or would like that you join the law firm which handles legal work of the
As a word of personal advice, if you are really bent
company. Finish your JD and start your career. This
upon graduating to an associate attorney from a
strategy helps enormously to gain a foothold as a new
paralegal, a track that suited some of my friends
associate, because you are referred by a big client and
is first, taking a job of a paralegal in an in-house
would be deputed on work of that client. Your past as a
corporate business. Using the scheduled hours of an
paralegal would have no negative impact on your future
in-house position and the lesser stress to cope with
as an attorney.
earning the JD either online or through other programs
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