It’s a Jungle Out There – More Layoffs for Paralegals

Gloomy news!  Brown Rudnick,Mayer Brown, Squire Sanders today all announced layoffs of staff including paralegals in San Francisco, Chicago and cities other than financially devastated New York. On the "good" side of things, Bryan Cave says no layoffs expected but no raises or bonuses either. Yikes! Mayer Brown lays off 55 staff, 33 attorneys; Squire Sanders asks 20...

Death of the Impromptu Phone Call

Most definitely, e-mail is killing the art of the phone call. But there is a new trend now that simply amuses me - and that is the sending of an e-mail to book an appointment to make a phone call.  It used to be that if you needed to call someone, you would simply pick up the phone and call.  If Mr. or Ms. SoandSo were in, they took the call (or not). You leave a voicemail and at some...

How a Paralegal Almost Screwed Up A Very High Profile Trial

Oh, I'm almost ashamed to print this.  But then again, it's not like it was my fault.  However, when someone from the profession screws up so badly that it hits MSNBC, well, that's not good. It seems that a juror who vanished during Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens' corruption trial told the judge Monday she lied about her father dying and flew to California to see horse...

No Santa This Year Means Someone Gets to Eat

The National Law Journal published an article this morning stating that due to the economic crisis, some law firms are deciding to forgo their annual holiday celebrations and donate money instead. When I was with the law firm, I hated those parties.  Contrary to what people think is an outgoing personality, I'm really a wallflower.  I don't dance too well, would never drink in...

Read My Lips……It’s In the Technology

Ok, so I admit it. I'm old enough to recall actually seeing the presidential candidate who years ago made history with his sound bite: "read my lips" on the 6:00 news. (No, it wasn't in black and white.)  He was obviously trying to make a point abeit a bit, well, sarcastically. But the doom and gloom of the economic crisis these days has us all wondering...

Paralegal A Hero In Worst Train Crash in 50 Years

You've probably already heard about the Metrolink train crash in Chatsworth (Los Angeles County), CA that occurred on Friday killing 25 people and injuring well over 135 others in the worst train crash in So. California in 50 years. One of the injured victims was Jeremy Schneider, a 36-year old litigation paralegal who resides in Simi Valley.  Schneider was riding in the back...

The Legal Field’s Dirty Little Secret: Female Paralegals Are Paid Less

The Cenus Bureau issued a report in August with astounding, shocking and disappointing Women lawyers made a median of $93,600, a salary that was 77.8 percent of male lawyers’ median salary of $120,400. The fact that women lawyers make less is really not news. We all know or at least suspect that female lawyers lag behind males in the parity department as much as law firms deny...

ABA Gives OK for Outsourcing -What Does That Mean for Jobs in the U.S.?

For those of you who thought that the fax machine would never dramatically affect messenger and delivery services; that the Internet was a trend and could not affect old-line traditions such as encyclopedias; and that no one in their right mind would want to carry a portable phone with them so they can be reached every minute of every day; here's another one for you: the ABA has given a thumbs-up...

All In the Name of Justice – Layoffs in NY But Good News for Michigan

It's getting crazy out there.  Legal Week, (the British top rag) reports that Fried Frank announced yesterday that it's cutting 73 staffers including paralegals in its New York office and DC offices. That's 10% of its 730 staffer headcount in New York and Washington, D.C. including paralegals, librarians and part-time assistants. A spokesperson told Legal Week that the lay-offs have not come...

Now the U.K. Outsources Paralegal Work to India. Who Is Next?

Outsourcing paralegal work to India is a big, big business in the U.S.  Primarily the choice of BigFirms in Legal Land, the idea is to have lower end work performed by competent paralegals for a lot less money and still receive the same quality as you would if a U.S. paralegal completed the task. Now, the U.K. is on the bandwagon.  With over 500,000 paralegals (twice the number in the...