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...

40 New Women Paralegals in Israel Work on $8 Billion U.S. Deal: Similarities to U.S. Paralegals Uncanny

An article today in The Jerusalem Post revealed that 40 new Israeli women paralegals worked long hours on an $8 billion U.S. real estate deal.  The training sponsored by the Development Center for the Employment of Haredim, (an Orthodox sect of Judiasm that bypasses modern secular beliefs), a branch of the ministry, and the Joint-Israel, is a result of an increased effort by the Israeli...

Outsourcing to India? Lawyers from India don’t like it anymore than lawyers from the U.S.

Apparently, not all lawyers in India are crazy about the outsourcing trend heating up in India and other lower-cost developing nations.  According to Merinews, written from India, Legal Process Outsourcing is the latest and hottest trend. Big corporations are reaping the benefits. New job opportunities are being created. LPOs (Legal Process Outsourcing) seem to have a bright future in India...

Paralegals Leading the Boomer Pack?

The Maine Biz Daily reported today that Maine will soon be among those states with a shortage in workers as seemingly an overwhelming number of its residents are running with the Baby Boomer pack. Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, director of the Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College cites data from a U.S. Census Bureau study that will be released later this year that found a...

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. ...

Fashion Sense? Major Firms Capture Boutique Biz – New Opportunities for Paralegals?

Here's a great example of new opportunities opening for paralegals:  The Daily Report (Atlanta) ran a story today that talks about Loeb & Loeb (my old alma mater) and other major Los Angeles firms that have opened a new fashion and luxury items practice group.  Daily Report  While fashion law in Los Angeles isn’t an original, the new groups hail from midsized firms rather...

No billables for 1st Year Associates – Why Not Paralegals?

The billable hour is now dead for Harrison & Ford's 190-attorney firm, according to law.com's blog, Newswire.  The full-article from The National Law Journal, states that Harrison & Ford does not expect first-year associates to bill time. Wow.  This innovative idea should filter on down to brand-new paralegals.  Think about it:  Paralegal schools cannot teach...

Best Law Firms for Working Mothers

Working mothers still struggle with promotion and partnership issues according to a new survey conducted by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers.  While the survey was intended to show how many large law firms are "tolerant" of working mothers, the fact that a survey needed needed to be conducted in the first place seems to indicate that being a working mother is still and may...

“Pzizz Offers Help for Power Nappers”

Helpful "be more productive at work" find from the folks at Web Worker Daily. Yeah, actually napping at your firm during the day might not be a good career move. But what about all-night document productions? "We’ve written before about the benefits of an afternoon “power nap” in helping you get through the day and attack problems with renewed energy. But some folks have...