Law firms change from lay-offs to compensation and training

Today's market: protect yourself - get the training you need to keep your job and get top salary At least people have stopped crouching behind their desks in an effort to hide from the Pink Slip Lady. That's according to a recent survey from ALM Intelligence, "Turf Wars: Defining New Roles and Competing for New Territories." The recent report provides an overview of current...

“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...

“Male Paralegals: Is There Really a Glass Elevator?”

Very interesting question raised on LawCrossing. Diversity in the workplace is good, right?"It is not uncommon these days to see more men doing traditionally female jobs such as teaching preschool and kindergarten and working as librarians, legal assistants or paralegals, bank tellers, speech pathologists, secretaries, data-entry workers, nurses, or even maids. According to the Bureau of...

“Firms Predict More Work, Less Equity”

What does this news mean for paralegals? I'm guessing higher required billable hours & maybe higher salaries too: "Although law firm leaders at a recent conference publicly pooh-poohed predictions that industry profitability would stumble, in a new survey they say increasing expenses will cut into their bottom line this year. "Lawyers can expect to be pushed for more billable hours...

“Too Many Laws, Not Enough Lawyers”

I'm thinking this article means it might be a good time for SOX paralegals to seek raises: "With business booming at the nation's law firms, the fees they charge will climb steadily. Expect the cost of corporate legal services to continue to increase an average of one and a half times the rate of inflation in coming years. The trend will vary widely by region, with the largest jumps...

“Top Law Firms May Face Rough Future”

It's certainly smart to face this possibility now, right? Even if the law biz doesn't cool: "Will the good times cease to roll for leading law firms? "With some gloom -- though not so much doom -- industry observers forecasted a cooling of the legal market over the next five years at the Law Firm Leaders Forum, held Thursday and continuing today in San Francisco. Ever-increasing...

“Classify paralegals as professionals, not administrative staff”

So, is this a welcome statement from Altman Weil & the Law Department Management blog? I think so! "Classify paralegals as professionals, not administrative staff, so you can pay for appropriate quality "A good point made by a consultant, James Wilber of Altman Weil, appears in InsideCounsel, Feb. 2007 at 54. Wilber has observed that 'often corporations classify paralegals as...

“What do you put in that ‘Salary Desired’ box?”

Excellent question! And this blog post has good answers in the form of many helpful reader comments : "A friend of mine is looking for a new job. She has years of experience in the industry, great technical skills, wonderful contacts, and plenty to brag about. But like most of us, she's stymied when a job ad asks for a cover letter, 'complete with salary history and requirements.' A...

“Increase Your Salary in 2007”

Here are "10 Expert Tips" on getting a higher salary from PayScale, provider of "global online compensation information": "Determined to increase your salary in 2007? Follow these tips from Reesa Staten, vice president of communications and director of research at recruiting firm Robert Half International and Anna Ivey, a Boston-based career and admissions counselor, to...

Paralegals miss out on 15% Christmas bonus

Not expecting much holiday cheer at this firm's year-end parties! "Paralegals and professional support lawyers at Slaughter and May will receive a bonus this year of just 3%, despite the rest of the lawyers at the firm pocketing a 15% boost under the firm’s recently introduced scheme."Slaughters’ new system will see a flat-rate bonus of 15% of salary paid to all fee-earners;...