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gailmoore53
Member
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Posted: Wed Aug 10th, 2005 02:38 pm |
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I need some input on what would be the proper amount of time that should be allotted for the training of a novice paralegal.
I was hired by a "solo" attorney in the family law area and fired 21 days later. During that period of time, I had appox. the equivelant amount of time of 6 hours of actual training from a "contract" paralegal. I was told to straighten out the files, but not given much guidance as to what would go where. I will admit to my mistakes and I did make filing and typing errors, however the typing errors entered in a new program were not brought to my attention until the day I was let go. I drafted and sent out several letters during that time that were "mistake" free. I was not given the opportunity to correct my mistakes. I also informed this attorney that the font on the program (installed by LexisNexis tech) was very small and quite difficult to see. She admitted she had trouble seeing it as well. I was also told I was not "sympathetic" enough to client needs. That blew my mind, because in my last job, which I had for 7 yrs., my employers were always told by clients how nice, helptful, etc. I was to them.
I learned how to do cover sheets quite quickly. I was sent to the courthouse to file complaints on my own with no guidance, which I did without 1 error. I drafted a reply to an answer and counterclaim and got no complaints about that. I got to work early and sometimes worked through my lunch.
This attorney knew when she hired me that I had no experience whatsoever in the paralegal field.
I would appreciate some opinions on this matter as I would like to know what I should expect when and IF I ever apply for another job in the paralegal field.
Thanks
Gail Moore
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JHarlanAtty
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| Joined: | Wed Mar 2nd, 2005 |
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Posted: Wed Aug 10th, 2005 03:28 pm |
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Getting fired is always a traumatic experience and you have my sympathies. However, there will be better jobs in the future, for sure. No one looking in from the outside can really say why you were let go. The reasons you were given may be just pretexts. I was in a firm once when people were fired only because the firm wasn't making money and people had to be let go to balance the budget. Of course, none of the people where were fired were told that. Instead, they were given vague reasons relating to their performance, most of which was made up on the spot. So...don't fret. Pick yourself up and find a better job! Best of luck to you.
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legalassistant08
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Posted: Fri Dec 19th, 2008 05:19 pm |
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Gailmoore53,
Don't feel bad. I think all of us get into those kind of firms starting out. I was fortunate enough to get into a firm that hasn't fired me, yet. They knew when they hired me that I had a few paralegal classes and zero experience.
There are times when one of the attorneys goes balistic about minor mistakes that I have made on new kinds of cases. He acted like I should know what I am doing. I guess he forgot that I don't know. Things got really bad when the receptionist was gone for surgery and I had to answer the phone plus do my own job. I finally had enough of the comments and told him exactly why I make mistakes. I have work coming from 4 different attorneys in 4 different fields of law, plus answering the phones, opening and closing the office, and greeting customers. It's a lot to ask of an experienced paralegal, much less a new legal assistant. After that, things got a lot better. Hopefully you find a better place to work. I have been at my current job for 8 months and still am learning. They need to give newbies that know nothing at least 6 months of intensive training with a paralegal before cutting us loose and expecting perfection.
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