Paralegal/Legal Secretary
(Female, Age 33) from Baton Rouge, LA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 33 who works as a Paralegal/Legal Secretary in Baton Rouge, LA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Paralegal/Legal Secretary |
|---|---|
| Salary | $40,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Baton Rouge, LA |
| Years Experience | 8 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a law firm consisting of about 13 attorneys in our Baton Rouge office and 2 more in our New Orleans office. I work for 3 of the attorneys in the Baton Rouge office doing their paralegal and legal secretary work. We are primarily an insurance defense firm.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I work for 3 busy attorneys. I handle all scheduling and coordinating of meetings and travel. I prepare pleadings and discovery for them. I open and prepare mail.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Insurance paid 100% by employer. Parking paid 75%
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Some days, I feel undercompensated because of the added things I am expected to do.
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I dislike seeing other people milk the system and get away with things I could never get away with. I work directly with 3 attorneys but work with everyone.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 7
Benefits: 2
Hours: 5
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 1
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 4
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Drive to work. Arrive |
| 8am to 9am | Open mail and e-mail. Respond to client requests and forward information requests to attorney for assistance. |
| 9am to 10am | Sort loose filing. Answer phone calls regarding upcoming hearings. Contact plaintiff’s counsel and court reporter regarding scheduling deposition. |
| 10am to 11am | Meet with attorney regarding what is needed for preparation for upcoming hearing. Gather documents for forwarding to expert. Prepare correspondence to expert. |
| 11am to 12pm | Open new mail received today. Calendar deadlines in mail. Contact clerk’s office regarding whether hearing has been set on Motion for Summary Judgment. Advise attorney of status. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Calculate and calendar deadlines from scheduling order received from court. Assist another paralegal with Excel questions. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Input mail received into database. Scan and e-mail pleading and correspondence filed with the clerk to all counsel of record in matter. Update distribution list with returned e-mails and replies. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Review calendar for tomorrow. Update loose filing for upcoming meetings and hearings this week. Print out calendar for use at hearing. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Finalize mail. Make copies of mail and attachments to mail. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Drive home |
| 6pm to 7pm | Not at work |
| 7pm to 8pm | Not at work |
| 8pm to 9pm | Not at work |
| 9pm to 10pm | Not at work |
| 10pm to 11pm | Not at work |
| 11pm to 12am | Not at work |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Newspaper ad (blind)
What was the application process?
I submitted my resume and interviewed with the office manager and paralegal supervisor.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I meet with the office manager and the paralegal supervisor on one afternoon and then met with the attorney who would be my supervisor the following day.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
It has been 8 years. I know they asked about my experience.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I think I was given a good description of what they needed and expected of me.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No training (on the job)
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
When I graduated from college, I went into the paralegal program. I took many classes there that prepared me for my current job. I was exposed to the type of work and what would be expected of me.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
I did an internship while in the paralegal program and even though it was a totally different type of office, it did give me a basis of what to expect on an every day situation.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I recommend attending either a legal secretarial program or a paralegal school to receive training on what is expected of the position.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You must be well organized in the way you work. You also have to be able to manage your time effectively to get everything done.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
I think training or experience is recommended. Unless the attorney you work for is willing to train you, you need to know something before you begin.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Enter the position with an open mind. If you enjoy the work, you may just need to find the right place. Plaintiff’s work is very different from defense work.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Even at 33, I don’t know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I don’t know that this is it but I think it is too late to change careers.
What are your current career goals?
NOt sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. Can you consider winnign the lottery a career goal? If so, I would love to do that. Then I could spend my time that I am at work now helping others and having fun.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Nothing.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Paralegal/Legal Secretary | 8 years | 37800 | Performed all paralegal and legal secretarial work for 3 attorneys at a primarily insurance defense law firm. |
| Prior Job 2 | Legal Secretary/Paralegal | 2 years | 19500 | Paralegal for a small insurance defense firm. Spent most of my time working on a large plaintiff’s case where we represented the plaintiff. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.5
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
2.9 | LSU | BS – General Studies |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
4 | LSU – Continuing Education | Paralegal Certificate |
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