Market Analysis Digest: r/paralegal

🎯 Executive Summary

The Reddit data from r/paralegal reveals a community grappling with issues of low pay, high stress, and the looming threat of AI. Many users are seeking advice on career advancement, work-life balance, and navigating challenging work environments.

1. Fair Compensation: Users consistently express concerns about being underpaid and seek strategies for negotiating higher salaries.
2. Work-Life Balance: The demanding nature of paralegal work, including overtime and high workloads, is a significant pain point, driving users to seek remote opportunities and better boundaries.
3. Career Advancement & Skill Development: Paralegals are actively looking for ways to enhance their skills, explore new areas of law, and advance their careers, particularly in the face of technological advancements.

😫 Top 5 User-Stated Pain Points

1. Low Pay & Lack of Raises. Many paralegals express dissatisfaction with their current salaries, especially in HCOL areas, and struggle to receive adequate raises. This often leads to taking on additional jobs or considering career changes.

   I'm currently a "Legal Assistant" for a solo practitioner mainly doing employment litigation in NJ, and have been for three months now. [...] the true tragedy of this situation is that because I'm severely underpaid I'm stuck living with my parents in the suburbs.

2. High Workload & Burnout. Paralegals often face overwhelming workloads, long hours, and pressure to meet billable targets, leading to burnout and difficulty maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

   I work for a small firm, two partners and one associate. i’m the only full time paralegal, and our office manager just gave her notice. They want me to do some of the office manager work while they look for someone... I am freaking out, y’all. I’m 23, a full time college student on top of my job, and I am 1000% sure I do not want to be the office manager.

3. Lack of Appreciation & Recognition. Some paralegals feel undervalued and unappreciated by their employers, particularly when their contributions are not adequately recognized or compensated.

   This profession is a bit of a thankless job as we do a lot of work, a lot is demanded from us, and where the effort we put in is only appreciated at a surface level at best unless you strike gold and have an amazing boss.

4. Toxic Work Environments. Many users describe experiencing toxic work environments characterized by micromanagement, lack of support, and inappropriate behavior from attorneys or coworkers.

   For instance, my boss is growing increasingly erratic. A few weeks ago, he insisted we clean the entire office and then fired my coworker (over text) for refusing. My workload has now doubled, and I don't think I'm above being next on the chopping block.

5. Fear of Job Displacement by AI. The increasing prevalence of AI in the legal field is causing anxiety among paralegals, who worry about the potential for job displacement and the need to adapt to new technologies.

   Someone just posted on here that their firm lost a major client to AI. Keep that in mind when you think about the future of this field. I'm in a paralegal-adjacent field, and I was considering getting the paralegal certificate but have all but ruled that out because I believe AI will destroy the field.

💡 Validated Product & Service Opportunities

• AI-Enhanced Paralegal Training Programs

  • ❓ The Problem: Paralegals are concerned about AI taking over their jobs but lack the skills to leverage AI effectively.
  • ✅ The Opportunity: Develop training programs that teach paralegals how to use AI tools to enhance their productivity and efficiency, focusing on prompt engineering, data validation, and ethical considerations.
  • 🛠️ Key Features / Deliverables:
    • ✅ Hands-on training with popular AI tools used in the legal field (e.g., LexisNexis AI, Westlaw CoCounsel).
    • ✅ Case studies and real-world examples of how AI can be used to improve paralegal workflows.
    • ✅ Certification upon completion to demonstrate proficiency in AI-enhanced paralegal skills.
  • 📊 Evidence from Data: Many users express interest in learning about AI and how it will impact their jobs. Some users also report that their firms are already using AI tools, but they are not always effective.

• Salary Negotiation & Career Coaching Services

  • ❓ The Problem: Paralegals often feel underpaid and lack the confidence or knowledge to negotiate for higher salaries.
  • ✅ The Opportunity: Offer salary negotiation and career coaching services tailored to paralegals, providing them with the tools and strategies they need to advocate for themselves and achieve their financial goals.
  • 🛠️ Key Features / Deliverables:
    • ✅ Personalized salary research and benchmarking data for specific roles and locations.
    • ✅ Negotiation scripts and techniques for addressing common employer objections.
    • ✅ Resume and cover letter review services to highlight skills and experience.
  • 📊 Evidence from Data: Many users express dissatisfaction with their current salaries and seek advice on how to negotiate for higher pay.

• Remote Paralegal Job Board & Placement Services

  • ❓ The Problem: Many paralegals are seeking remote job opportunities to improve their work-life balance and reduce commute times.
  • ✅ The Opportunity: Create a job board and placement service specifically for remote paralegal positions, connecting qualified candidates with law firms and companies that offer flexible work arrangements.
  • 🛠️ Key Features / Deliverables:
    • ✅ A curated list of remote paralegal jobs from reputable employers.
    • ✅ Candidate screening and matching services to ensure a good fit.
    • ✅ Resources and support for paralegals transitioning to remote work.
  • 📊 Evidence from Data: Many users express interest in remote work and the benefits it offers.

👤 Target Audience Profile

The target audience for these opportunities is paralegals and legal assistants who are seeking to improve their careers, increase their earning potential, and achieve a better work-life balance.

• Job Roles: Paralegal, Legal Assistant, Litigation Paralegal, Corporate Paralegal, Estate Planning Paralegal, Legal Secretary, Legal Administrator
• Tools They Currently Use: Adobe Acrobat, Westlaw, LexisNexis, Clio, TimeMatters, Microsoft Office Suite, eCourts, NYSCEF, OneLegal, Kofax, Foxit, PDF-Exchange, PDFgear, NitroPro
• Primary Goals:
  • Increase salary and benefits.
  • Improve work-life balance.
  • Gain new skills and advance their careers.
  • Find a more supportive and appreciative work environment.
  • Adapt to the changing legal landscape, including the rise of AI.

💰 Potential Monetization Models

1. AI-Enhanced Paralegal Training Programs
   • Subscription fees for access to online courses and resources.
   • One-time fees for certification exams.
   • Partnerships with law firms and legal organizations to provide training to their employees.
2. Salary Negotiation & Career Coaching Services
   • Fees for individual coaching sessions.
   • Subscription fees for access to online resources and templates.
   • Commission-based fees for successful salary negotiations.
3. Remote Paralegal Job Board & Placement Services
   • Job posting fees for employers.
   • Placement fees for successful hires.
   • Premium features for job seekers (e.g., resume review, priority application).

🗣️ Voice of the Customer & Market Signals

• Keywords & Jargon: AI, billables, burnout, career advice, certification, crazy boss, e-filing, experience, family law, legal assistant, legal paraprofessional, low pay, office manager, overtime, paralegal, remote job, salary, stress, toxic environment, underpaid, work-life balance.
• Existing Tools & Workarounds:
  • PDF Management:
    • Alternative PDF readers (Foxit, Nitro Pro, KOFAX, PDF-Exchange, PDFgear, Tungsten).
    • Printing to PDF to remove password protection.
  • Time Tracking:
    • Clio's timer function.
    • Excel spreadsheets.
    • Handwritten notes.
    • Third-party timer apps.
  • Legal Research:
    • Westlaw and LexisNexis.
    • Google.
    • AI tools (ChatGPT, Lexis AI).
  • E-filing:
    • First Legal.
    • Nationwide.
    • AAA efiling.
    • First Legal.
• Quantified Demand Signals:
  • Several users report difficulty finding jobs without experience and/or a paralegal certificate, indicating a competitive job market.
  • Multiple users share stories of being underpaid, overworked, and experiencing toxic work environments, highlighting the need for better employment conditions.
  • "Better ask for that raise. A good paralegal should be earning 75-90k."
  • "Easy 110k right?.. right?!?"
  • "I'm an indie Paralegal in Canada and I'm now making $150k a year. You need to go indie!"
  • "I'm at 50k... 🥲"
  • "I'm also 23 years old working in a small firm like yours with 3 attorneys. I promise you that you’ll be able to handle this. Let yourself shine and prove everyone wrong."
  • "NYC para here. It took me months to switch firms with 3+ years of experience under my belt."
  • "Better ask for that raise. A good paralegal should be earning 75-90k."
  • "The pay is pitiful. Many of our assistants worked a 5pm-9pm shift AFTER the firm to make ends meet."
  • "The $30 an hour you’re requesting is $62,000 a year. Firms won’t pay you that."
  • "Florida median for legal assistant pay is $18-$20 an hour while the average sits at $17.32 an hour."
  • "A good paralegal should be earning 75-90k."
  • "I’m starting think there might be something to this lol"
  • "If I get the courage, I'll bring this up at my year end review. Thanks for letting me know!"
  • "This is the second time someone has told me to sue my current employers. I'm starting think there might be something to this lol"
  • "The best thing to do is bring this to an attorney’s attention as soon as possible."
  • "I don't understand why you are freaking out."
  • "That’s insulting AND illegal. I wouldn’t want to work at a firm that so blatantly distrusts its people. Fuck them."
  • "Coffee is 8$ bc inflation compounds through the years."
  • "You're getting abused."
  • "I think you should document it and sue them!!"
  • "I'm at 50k... 🥲"
  • "You have the freedom, you choose not to."
  • "Coffee is 8$ bc inflation compounds through the years."
  • "Wow, they sure like to spoil!"
  • "or if you don't stick around, narc on your employer to the DOL."
  • "If you bring it up you’ll probably end up getting let go bc they know exactly what theyre doing to you. Proceed with; document everything; and sue them when they decide to fuck around."
  • "This is the second time someone has told me to sue my current employers. I'm starting think there might be something to this lol"
  • "I’m so confused. Paralegals are not secretaries"
  • "You’d be surprised. I got written up for a 1 letter type of an attorneys name in an email."
  • "Wow, thank you so much. I know that we are Humans but sometimes I feel like why am I still making these mistakes after A year. Sometimes all I can do at the moment is freak out because of how my work environment is."
  • "No, I am not a paralegal. The reason why i referred to them as a " paralegal/secretary" is because everything that I prepare, I need to pass it to them so that they can review, even though they do not have any paralegal certifications."
  • "That is ridiculous, although I have worked with attorneys that have been unreasonable before."
  • "What is your title? I’m confused"
  • "Legal secretary..."
  • "Ok. What are you asking for though? This is a paralegal sub. I guess I’m confused because the post flair says career advices but you don’t seem to be asking for advice."
  • "Well, since this is the only place I know of that I can post stuff relating to my current work experience, I figured why not post it, maybe some one can read it and offer me advice. Sorry for confusion."
  • "Don't worry about them you're in the right spot"
  • "Right but there’s a post flair for ranting,lol. This definitely isn’t asking for career advice."
  • "Thank you😭. My mind is racing at the moment and they're killing me with these questions."
  • "I’m not saying they can’t post here. The flair for the post is “career advice”, so I was confused what they are asking."
  • "I know, I have ranted here. I just did not know where else to post this."
  • "Also there is nothing in your post asking for advice.."
  • "You don’t have to answer the questions… I never said you were unwelcome here. I was simply confused by the wording of your post and the flair it used. I didn’t mean to come off as harsh, if I did, I apologize."
  • "I just added a question, asking what should I do."
  • "Well, as a legal secretary, it’s not on you."
  • "I am freaking out, y’all. I’m 23, a full time college student on top of my job, and I am 1000% sure I do not want to be the office manager."
  • "Just do it the best you can but put that experience in your resume because that's valuable."
  • "You are allowed to say No."
  • "Hey do not worry! I have only worked in boutique firms aka wearing multiple hats is my MO!"
  • "Tell them to look for an outsourced office manager for the meantime. If you decided to do it, my recommendation would be to ask them in an email how long you would be in this role and you need an end date."
  • "DO NOT DO IT!!!!"
  • "I'm surprised there's not a single suggestion that if you do this they need to bring in someone to handle a good chunk of the paralegal work to free up your time to take on new duties."
  • "Same thing happened to me. I asked for a big bump in pay to do it (and it was still less than he was paying both of us). It helped me get my income up for when I moved on to the next place."
  • "They should contact an employment service and hire a temp. This is not the kind of stuff they should be dumping on you."
  • "Well, at least do the pay roll so you and they can get paid lol other than that, 🤷🏻‍♀️"
  • "I was JUST in a similar situation, but slightly larger firm (medium). However, I already support 4 attorneys and the office manager is easily also a full time job, so despite a 20K raise I said No Thank You."
  • "Leave yourself. If you get stuff done. They won't hire someone else. Ask for a raise. If they so no. Bounce."
  • "Only of they pay you for the work of two people. Which they won't. So say no."
  • "Honestly, tell them you appreciate their confidence in your capacity for the role, but you are focusing on your studies."
  • "Refuse without a pay update."
  • "Manage expectations. Sit down with your boss and ask what tasks are a high priority. Can even result in delaying paralegal work. A good senior partner will listen, delegate, or pause certain tasks."
  • "Let yourself shine and prove everyone wrong."
  • "This is so important, OP. Don’t even think about doing someone else’s job without fair compensation."
  • "Miami paralegals, how did you find your job? I am struggling and I have 8 years experience and an impressive resume!!!"
  • "Also, as a side note, no one move here, this place sucks."
  • "We’re definitely entering a mango tinted recession. Just look at the latest job numbers."
  • "Tbh I didn’t like it much on vacation either. Good for a second, then I got COVID and stayed in my air bnb for the rest of the trip. Good key lime pie and cuban food though."
  • "Florida doesnt require a paralrgal cettificate. Biglaw accepts my bachelors because my resume speaks for itself"
  • "Denver is a nice and polite city. Being nice and polite is the expected. Miami is not. You need to be more cutthroat, aggressive, and assertive to get what you need in Miami."
  • "I started my first paralegal job this summer in collections law. I like the job but I'm really not wild about the field but I'm honestly so grateful for it now, feels like an innately recession proof field, at least I'll have something to gain experience and ride out however long this national nightmare goes on for"
  • "They are definitely not truthful about these job numbers. The job numbers feel a little worse than what they are posting. My job started laying off people a few months ago."
  • "Couldn’t agree more, I came back because I didn’t have a choice. Had to use my family connections due to the economy. I need to just get back on my feet and run away. Im being somewhat negative, I’ve been here for 4 days, maybe I’ll find a job and be okay but god even just the atmosphere and vibe here. It immediately reminded me why I ran away to the military."
  • "What type of work are you looking for?"
  • "Do you speak Spanish? Because it’s damn near impossible to find a job in the legal field down there without being bilingual"
  • "Insurance defense is always hiring. Depending on practice area, you'll likely top off at like mid $70k, but you need to be a shark in Miami. I also lived in Denver and Denver behavior doesn't get you anywhere in Miami."
  • "Like for what?? 😭 Just call my references, I’m not lying!!!!"
  • "Oh I have had to spit that at my parents because they don’t believe it, 806,000 and counting have been laid off in 2025."
  • "What practice areas are experiencing growth in Chicago?"
  • "Family law and personal injury are hiring furiously"
  • "I am born and raised in Miami, left to the Air Force, became a paralegal, left the USAF, was a paralegal in Denver, CO for years and now I moved back to Miami and I'm looking for work."
  • "Anyone looking for remote intern?"
  • "I totally understand it is a necessary evil, but I am so sick and tired of every attorney I have worked with going apeshit about billables but ALSO not understanding that there are certain things that we simply cannot bill for!"
  • "One, the more efficient I am, the worse I look on paper."
  • "Are you able to zero out the dollar amount when you enter billing? I am able to in our system, so I "no charge" a lot of administrative work."
  • "There should really be a business or leadership component to law school, or start shoving them that way for their graduates."
  • "My firm has a fake client profile in bill4time that we named non billable and use it for all of our admin work and potential clients just to keep track of our days! Total game changer"
  • "Reasonably speaking, nobody can bill 8 hours a day."
  • "Listen I know it's not for everybody but I semi-accidentally got into government work a few years ago and I am never looking back. Freedom from billables isn't the only reason I plan on staying in the public sector but it's definitely up there."
  • "Over the years, I’ve developed a document with billing language for all the tasks I handle on a regular basis and I tailor them as necessary."
  • "I’m definitely don’t miss that. 😄"
  • "I hate billing too, but having a daily billable hour requirement is wild."
  • "I am a new paralegal, but I have worked for this firm for many years prior as their receptionist before they inspired me to go to college."
  • "I start my day by racking up 0.1s!"
  • "But I’m still not on track to make my hours, so I feel you"
  • "I rage quit during the pandemic because my boss became so fixated on billables that I felt dehumanized and like he just saw me as a giant dollar sign on my forehead."
  • "My former attorney once told me to bill 8 hours a day. If it's not billable, don't do it. BUT also don't give any admin work to my legal assistant because she's overworked. So I had to work an extra 20-30 hours a week off the clock doing my admin work, cause, ya know, we also weren't allowed overtime..."
  • "They want you to work a 10 hour day and bill 8. I hated billing. A real pain in the ass."
  • "It sucks when the pressure of billing compromises work product!!"
  • "Performance should be measured by work product NOT billables."
  • "This is why the second I went to private practice, my goal was only 6. 6.5. That was a good day."
  • "Billable is important. Would go into detail but it's 12 am where I am."
  • "I'm so glad I've never had to deal with billable."
  • "I am curious about something, and please no offense inteded. I work in insurance defense, I am assuming that others that work in this area of law may not have an issue meeting the daily requirment for billing, is this correct?"
  • "You need time to eat lunch, go to the bathroom, get new orders from your boss etc. It's genuinely ethically impossible."
  • "I am curious about something, and please no offense inteded. I work in insurance defense, I am assuming that others that work in this area of law may not have an issue meeting the daily requirment for billing, is this correct?"
  • "You need time to eat lunch, go to the bathroom, get new orders from your boss etc. It's genuinely ethically impossible."
  • "Why can’t you build it into other entities?"
  • "That is my issue, too. We have a combo office manager/legal assistant hybrid so when she is off and running, I end up covering the phones for her and adding in that my attorney wants me to sit in on hour long consults to take notes is even more frustrating."
  • "Time to start value billing"
  • "Story of my life. God forbid you tell an attorney no, I don’t speak non billable when they give you something they KNOW is unbillable. It’s exhausting. I hate it so much."
  • "Billables make it feel like being faster just makes you look worse, and the constant interruptions don’t help at all."
  • "I am. And I do that, but there is still other admin work that is not case specific that eats into my time as well. She honestly thinks I need to be doing 8 hours of only billable work a day. It's madness."
  • "That's what we do with our summer clerks. I have utterly no work to do all summer until they leave!"
  • "Honestly! It just gets exhausting trying to explain those sorts of things. I love my attorney, she's amazing, but sometimes I just want to scream."
  • "I hope that I at least give an appearance of knowing what I'm doing."
  • "That’s a great idea."
  • "Yep, I always account for every minute of the day. I bill it to the Admin account. It could be 500 words long of little shit I had to do, but dammit, they'll know I'm trying to keep busy."
  • "The problem is explaining that to attorneys. Especially those that have never worked admin or who worked admin over 10 years ago. They simply cannot grasp what goes in to being a paralegal."
  • "It's absolutely ethically possible if you work more than 8 hours. It's just a really shitty life if that is the expectation."
  • "Tf you mean? You act like there are only 8 hours in a day"
  • "Govt paralegal here too. The only thing I know about billables are what I read here. I have to keep track of my work in percentages and even that is annoying (e.g., 50% of last week I worked on fraud cases)."
  • "I'm so glad I've never had to deal with billable."
  • "I am curious about something, and please no offense inteded. I work in insurance defense, I am assuming that others that work in this area of law may not have an issue meeting the daily requirment for billing, is this correct?"
  • "Why can’t you build it into other entities?"
  • "That is my issue, too. We have a combo office manager/legal assistant hybrid so when she is off and running, I end up covering the phones for her and adding in that my attorney wants me to sit in on hour long consults to take notes is even more frustrating."
  • "Time to start value billing"
  • "Story of my life. God forbid you tell an attorney no, I don’t speak non billable when they give you something they KNOW is unbillable. It’s exhausting. I hate it so much."
  • "Billables make it feel like being faster just makes you look worse, and the constant interruptions don’t help at all."
  • "Absolutely. Alas, for me, my attorney is the head of the firm. But she also likes to come into my office and YAP. I since opened an "Admin-Misc" matter in our billing software and started logging the time she spends in my office yammering. Maybe this billing cycle she will get the hint."
  • "Or get on the case of firm management for providing insufficient admin support?"
  • "Yeahhhh been in legal ops / ebilling for the better part of almost 10 years now."
  • "I bill for everything lol if they don’t want me to bill for it they shouldn’t have given it to me in the first place."
  • "I rage quit during the pandemic because my boss became so fixated on billables that I felt dehumanized and like he just saw me as a giant dollar sign on my forehead."
  • "My former attorney once told me to bill 8 hours a day. If it's not billable, don't do it. BUT also don't give any admin work to my legal assistant because she's overworked. So I had to work an extra 20-30 hours a week off the clock doing my admin work, cause, ya know, we also weren't allowed overtime..."
  • "They want you to work a 10 hour day and bill 8. I hated billing. A real pain in the ass."
  • "It sucks when the pressure of billing compromises work product!!"
  • "Performance should be measured by work product NOT billables."
  • "This is why the second I went to private practice, my goal was only 6. 6.5. That was a good day."
  • "Billable is important. Would go into detail but it's 12 am where I am."
  • "I'm so glad I've never had to deal with billable."
  • "I am curious about something, and please no offense inteded. I work in insurance defense, I am assuming that others that work in this area of law may not have an issue meeting the daily requirment for billing, is this correct?"
  • "Why can’t you build it into other entities?"
  • "That is my issue, too. We have a combo office manager/legal assistant hybrid so when she is off and running, I end up covering the phones for her and adding in that my attorney wants me to sit in on hour long consults to take notes is even more frustrating."
  • "Time to start value billing"
  • "Absolutely. Alas, for me, my attorney is the head of the firm. But she also likes to come into my office and YAP. I since opened an "Admin-Misc" matter in our billing software and started logging the time she spends in my office yammering. Maybe this billing cycle she will get the hint."
  • "Or get on the case of firm management for providing insufficient admin support?"
  • "Yeahhhh been in legal ops / ebilling for the better part of almost 10 years now."
  • "I bill for everything lol if they don’t want me to bill for it they shouldn’t have given it to me in the first place."
  • "I rage quit during the pandemic because my boss became so fixated on billables that I felt dehumanized and like he just saw me as a giant dollar sign on my forehead."
  • "My former attorney once told me to bill 8 hours a day. If it's not billable, don't do it. BUT also don't give any admin work to my legal assistant because she's overworked. So I had to work an extra 20-30 hours a week off the clock doing my admin work, cause, ya know, we also weren't allowed overtime..."
  • "They want you to work a 10 hour day and bill 8. I hated billing. A real pain in the ass."
  • "It sucks when the pressure of billing compromises work product!!"
  • "Performance should be measured by work product NOT billables."
  • "This is why the second I went to private practice, my goal was only 6. 6.5. That was a good day."
  • "Billable is important. Would go into detail but it's 12 am where I am."
  • "I'm so glad I've never had to deal with billable."
  • "I am curious about something, and please no offense inteded. I work in insurance defense, I am assuming that others that work in this area of law may not have an issue meeting the daily requirment for billing, is this correct?"
  • "Why can’t you build it into other entities?"
  • "That is my issue, too. We have a combo office manager/legal assistant hybrid so when she is off and running, I end up covering the phones for her and adding in that my attorney wants me to sit in on hour long consults to take notes is even more frustrating."
  • "Time to start value billing"
  • "Absolutely. Alas, for me, my attorney is the head of the firm. But she also likes to come into my office and YAP. I since opened an "Admin-Misc" matter in our billing software and started logging the time she spends in my office yammering. Maybe this billing cycle she will get the hint."
  • "Or get on the case of firm management for providing insufficient admin support?"
  • "Yeahhhh been in legal ops / ebilling for the better part of almost 10 years now."
  • "I bill for everything lol if they don’t want me to bill for it they shouldn’t have given it to me in the first place."
  • "I rage quit during the pandemic because my boss became so fixated on billables that I felt dehumanized and like he just saw me as a giant dollar sign on my forehead."
  • "My former attorney once told me to bill 8 hours a day. If it's not billable, don't do it. BUT also don't give any admin work to my legal assistant because she's overworked. So I had to work an extra 20-30 hours a week off the clock doing my admin work, cause, ya know, we also weren't allowed overtime..."
  • "They want you to work a 10 hour day and bill 8. I hated billing. A real pain in the ass."
  • "It sucks when the pressure of billing compromises work product!!"
  • "Performance should be measured by work product NOT billables."
  • "This is why the second I went to private practice, my goal was only 6. 6.5. That was a good day."
  • "Billable is important. Would go into detail but it's 12 am where I am."
  • "I'm so glad I've never had to deal with billable."
  • "I am curious about something, and please no offense inteded. I work in insurance defense, I am assuming that others that work in this area of law may not have an issue meeting the daily requirment for billing, is this correct?"
  • "Why can’t you build it into other entities?"
  • "That is my issue, too. We have a combo office manager/legal assistant hybrid so when she is off and running, I end up covering the phones for her and adding in that my attorney wants me to sit in on hour long consults to take notes is even more frustrating."
  • "Time to start value billing"
  • "Story of my life. God forbid you tell an attorney no, I don’t speak non billable when they give you something they KNOW is unbillable. It’s exhausting. I hate it so much."
  • "Billables make it feel like being faster just makes you look worse, and the constant interruptions don’t help at all."
  • "I am. And I do that, but there is still other admin work that is not case specific that eats into my time as well. She honestly thinks I need to be doing 8 hours of only billable work a day. It's madness."
  • "That's what we do with our summer clerks. I have utterly no work to do all summer until they leave!"
  • "Honestly! It just gets exhausting trying to explain those sorts of things. I love my attorney, she's amazing, but sometimes I just want to scream."
  • "I hope that I at least give an appearance of knowing what I'm doing."
  • "That’s a great idea."
  • "Yep, I always account for every minute of the day. I bill it to the Admin account. It could be 500 words long of little shit I had to do, but dammit, they'll know I'm trying to keep busy."
  • "The problem is explaining that to attorneys. Especially those that have never worked admin or who worked admin over 10 years ago. They simply cannot grasp what goes in to being a paralegal."
  • "It's absolutely ethically possible if you work more than 8 hours. It's just a really shitty life if that is the expectation."
  • "Tf you mean? You act like there are only 8 hours in a day"
  • "Govt paralegal here too. The only thing I know about bill