The Estrin Report

Salaries for Sr. Paralegals Expected to Increase 6.1%

Declining law school enrollments have had a positive effect on the paralegal field.  A new salary survey issued by Robert Half Legal predicts that the demand for non-lawyers with competent skill levels is in higher demand, forcing salaries to increase in 2008.

Executive Director Charles Volkert said some law firms are building up practice areas, while corporate legal departments are addressing growing workloads and regulatory issues.

“The need for professionals with specialized expertise, coupled with a declining supply of law school graduates, has created a competitive hiring environment,” Volkert said. “As a result, many law offices are willing to pay higher salaries for in-demand skill sets.”

He said legal job seekers will see the greatest compensation gains at large firms.

The salary guide forecasts that nationally, paralegals can expect starting salaries to increase an average of 3.4 percent next year. For those with between four and six years’ experience, the report predicts an increase of 4.4 percent and, for paralegals with 12 years or more of experience, 6.1 percent.

Information for the salary guide is obtained from job orders and placements handled nationwide by Robert Half Legal account executives.The salary guide does not report on continuing or ongoing salaries, which may be affected by factors such as seniority, performance, work ethic, training, and other factors.

As a side note, we have frequently read where law firm enrollments often run parallel to the number of popular TV series about lawyers.  Lately, besides the long-running Boston series and the original Law & Order franchise, it seems these are far and few between. Perhaps that's a good thing for paralegals.......

Possible layoffs for corporate paralegals in the near future?

An article this week by the Legal Intelligencer citing possible associate layoffs in the corporate, mergers & acquisitions and securities arena failed to mention the trickle down effect on paralegals.  Surely, anyone with just a few years of experience recalls the nasty era of 2001-2004 or so of deep purges and scourages affecting thousands of corporate transactional paralegals. 

With this dip in the economy and a potential credit crunch, some law firm leaders are predicting layoffs in what have been the most lucrative practice groups over the past four or so years -- structured finance, real estate and corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Others say an economic downturn is an opportunity for bankruptcy and litigation practices and corporate attorneys will just adapt.

So could the effects of this economic downturn -- including the thousands of layoffs in the subprime lending market -- mean future layoffs of law firm associates? Well, it's a touchy topic.  The article, posted on law.com failed to mention future layoffs for associates also means future layoffs for paralegals.  While the Pollyannists who in the last downturn predicted an opportunity for bankruptcy and litigation practices predicted the same opportunity for this upcoming downturn, no one seems to realize that those corporate paralegals trained in M&A are most likely NOT trained in bankruptcy or litigation.

It would seem that what we preach at Estrin LegalEd ad nauseum - Get thyself cross-trained and save thyself some heartache - needs to be screeched from the mountain top yet one more time.  No one wants a repeat of the past recent downturn.  If you are a corporate paralegal resting on the laurels of the gold rush of the past 4 years, it's time to get yourself cross-trained in a recession proof practice specialty.  Trust me.  Waiting for the other shoe to fall could mean months and months with no shoes at all.  Start reviving those skills outside of corporate and start now!

"Elevator Rides at Law Firms Call for Delicacy, Tact"

Good advice from The Snark, of Fulton County Daily Report fame...reprinted in Large Law Firm [note: links added to excerpt]:

"The random assortment of people joined together in a small box moving at rapid speed puts you in the close personal space of your co-workers in ways that would otherwise be unacceptable. The unique nature of elevator interaction requires the observation of certain 'good elevator practices.' After all, the elevator ride up to the office may be the only time you ever brush elbows with the firm's Legendary Litigator, Merger Master or Terrifying Tax Partner.

"With that in mind, I offer a few tips for surviving this delicate social experiment without leaving the impression that you are a Completely Clueless Cog.

"Some common elevator faux pas that require immediate discussion follow."

Not only funny, this is a must-read article for everyone who works in a law firm, large OR small. Well, if your office building has no elevators, never mind....

"Job satisfaction is high in the paralegal field"

Another gem of an article from LawCrossing which reports very good news for paralegals:

"Many paralegals entering the workforce these days have high expectations. Steady salary increases, expanded workplace challenges, and broad benefits packages all contribute to robust paralegal employment opportunities and job satisfaction.

"The paralegal profession is hailed as being one of the fastest-growing industries of the 2000s, and according to an NFPA compensation and benefits survey, paralegals seem to enjoy their work. Nearly half of those surveyed rated their job satisfaction as high or very high. Only a small number (10%) of paralegals rated their job satisfaction as being low, and an even smaller number (3%) deemed it very low. There are fewer experienced paralegals switching jobs, supporting the notion that most seem to be happy with their current employment situations."

Be sure to check out the hepful links at the end of this article...

"How to Avoid a Bad Reputation at Work"

Very good career advice from LawCrossing, in a series of questions & answers:

"Little things that you do every day without thinking could be driving your coworkers crazy. Your bad business habits can give you a bad reputation and make you the topic of water-cooler gossip. Take a deep breath—and a good hard look at yourself—and then ask yourself if you are guilty of committing any of the following reputation killers.

"Are you nosy? People eventually get irritated with the person who has to know every little thing that goes on. If staying abreast of workplace happenings is part of your job, schedule brief meetings for people to bring you up to date. Otherwise, try to mind your own business.

"Are you unprepared?

"Are you a kiss-up?

"Do you share too much information?

"Do you have sticky fingers?

"Do you talk too loudly?

"Are you confident?

"Are you too wordy and repetitive?"

Definitely recommend reading the entire article & investigating the helpful links, if only to find out the answers to these questions!

Former paralegal now director of law firm recruiting

Do you have good staff recruiting skills? Ever thought about a job in legal recruiting? This NJ Courier News article might provide inspiration:

"Norris McLaughlin & Marcus P.A. has announced that Victoria A. Martignetti has joined the firm as director of recruiting.

"A resident of Warren, Martignetti has more than 10 years experience working in large New Jersey law firms, most recently as recruitment coordinator at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP. She has extensive experience directing summer associate programs, conducting interviews and managing lateral hiring processes. Before serving as recruitment coordinator, she was a litigation paralegal for a New Jersey law firm."

I like this upward career path!

"I was fired because I was the fall guy. What do I say in interviews?"

Very intriguing job interviewing question posed to Salon's Cary Tennis:

"I was recently fired from my job. Not to go too into depth, but I was blamed for the failure of a succession of projects.

"In my opinion, the causes for these failures lay in the planning stages, which I was largely excluded from. When I was present at planning meetings, I was the most junior person present, and my suggestions were mostly ignored, including ones that would have mitigated later problems. In any case, I would be sent out to do things I often wasn't trained for, in places that no one had checked the conditions.

[snip]

"I have had several weeks to consider the problem, and I still cannot forget the anger and humiliation I feel over losing my job. And this all comes back when I have to explain it to yet another person. What can I do?"

Cary's thoughful reply is definitely worth reading in full. As is the longer question asked by "Fired."

"These women can buy or sell you"

Hmm, sounds like it might be a good time for women to explore new careers beyond legal in the corporate world. See this Small Business Times article:

"In recent years, many women have successfully climbed corporate ladders to become chief financial officers, commercial lenders, accountants and senior managers of financial companies.

"For the most part, however, the world of investment banking and mergers and acquisitions has remained a man’s game.

"That may finally be changing.

"In southeastern Wisconsin, a small circle of women who help buy and sell companies in Wisconsin, around the country and internationally is stepping to the forefront."

The "Meet the players" list at the end of the piece includes very interesting bios.

"Preparing to Survive a Dead-End Job"

This LawJobs.com career advancement article is directed to associate attorneys, but I think the advice applies equally well to paralegals:

"The harsh reality is that sometimes a job just doesn't work out. This can happen to anyone -- it often does. Recognizing the signs early on and being prepared for change are key elements necessary for a rapid recovery.

"There are two entities that can determine whether one has landed in a dead-end job. The first is the firm that will not promote an associate -- for whatever reason. The second is the associate who is unhappy -- also for whatever reason.

[snip]

"People who maintain a responsible approach to managing their own careers are quick to establish guidelines that they can use to evaluate their current situations and to assess whether they are on the right course to meeting their short- and long-term goals. The same guidelines can be used to assess the potential of new positions offered. The following are some of the factors to consider...."

Reading the complete article is highly recommended, even if you're happy with your current position.

Author Carrie Printz, an attorney, is the founder and managing director of David Carrie LLC, a full-service legal search firm specializing in career counseling and the placement of attorneys in the United States and throughout the world.

"How to Treat the Touchy Colleague"

Ah, I'm sure every reader has run across such situations. Good news -- this Business Week article offers helpful advice:

"Sometimes, even casual exchanges can set co-workers off. When you hit a nerve, learn from the experience instead of snapping back

"It's pleasant to walk into the office on a sunny morning and hear 'Good morning!' from your cheerful co-workers. It's something else entirely to say 'Good morning' to a colleague and be met with 'Keep your good morning to yourself!' But that's what happened to a friend of mine at work not long ago. Talk about a hostile work environment!

[snip]

"As we all know, there are people who are always in a sour mood and never fail to let people know it. Fair enough—if you know that John is evil on Mondays or that Janice gets cranky after lunchtime, you can avoid those people as much as possible at those times. What can take you by surprise is people's hidden sensitivities."

The complete article offers several useful tips.

Author "Liz Ryan is an expert on the new-millennium workplace, a former Fortune 500 HR executive and the author of Happy About Online Networking: the Virtual-ly Simple Way to Build Professional Relationships. "