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I have am very interested in the law and think that the Paralegal path might be one I would like to pursue. The problem is that I have never really gotten along very well with lawyers. I am an ISFJ and am very agreeable, but when pushed have a tendency to speak my mind (in a professional way) and this rubs people the wrong way. My last job I had was in the legal field as a secretary and I was stressed almost everyday. Not because of deadlines but because of the attorney I worked for giving conflicting information or information that was downright wrong. Since I had not experience I was not very sure what was going on. I do enjoy learning about laws and if nothing else will learn something new. I only have an Associates of Arts and am considering getting a certificate in Paralegal studies, but I am not sure if this would benefit me since I have such little experience. I honestly don't mind starting out as a file clerk but am a bit nervous because I have had poor experiences with attorneys. Not just working for them, but dealing with them in child custody and other matters. (although I did win) I want to be entirely realistic about my situation because if attorneys just have certain quirks then I will just have to get used to it. I have read on this forum how some people say the attorneys mistreat them and I really don't want that type of environment, but at the same time want to learn about that law.
Paralegal in a solo or small firm setting does not sound like a good fit for you. When you work for a small employer they are the boss and many are not going to be interested in your opinions or how things should be handled.
Attorneys spend a long time going to school. You need a strong personality to be a good attorney. Additionally. the legal profession tends to attract a very high percentage of narcissists and sociopaths. Many attorneys have difficult personalities...lol
Some attorneys treat their staff like family, others treat their staff terribly.
You might check to see if there are any positions available with a governmental agency (state, county), etc and what the qualifications are before investing time and money on a paralegal program. That would probably be a better work environment.
Paralegal can be a difficult field to break into without experience, even if you have a degree and starting pay can be quite low with limited benefits. This is especially true for solo practioners or small firms.
If you are interested in the law, why not just become an attorney?
Being an attorney in private practice is a stressful career. Some of that stress will undoubtedly be passed down to those under them. I agree with the poster above that researching a position in government might be another option. Generally less stress but also lower pay. I'm an accountant not an attorney but I've worked at small firms where I just didn't fit in due to personality conflicts and it was a nightmare. Coming home stressed and physically exhausted every day is no way to live. If you've had nothing but bad experiences with attorneys in the past, I would not pursue a career in law.
I have am very interested in the law and think that the Paralegal path might be one I would like to pursue. The problem is that I have never really gotten along very well with lawyers. I am an ISFJ and am very agreeable, but when pushed have a tendency to speak my mind (in a professional way) and this rubs people the wrong way. My last job I had was in the legal field as a secretary and I was stressed almost everyday. Not because of deadlines but because of the attorney I worked for giving conflicting information or information that was downright wrong. Since I had not experience I was not very sure what was going on. I do enjoy learning about laws and if nothing else will learn something new. I only have an Associates of Arts and am considering getting a certificate in Paralegal studies, but I am not sure if this would benefit me since I have such little experience. I honestly don't mind starting out as a file clerk but am a bit nervous because I have had poor experiences with attorneys. Not just working for them, but dealing with them in child custody and other matters. (although I did win) I want to be entirely realistic about my situation because if attorneys just have certain quirks then I will just have to get used to it. I have read on this forum how some people say the attorneys mistreat them and I really don't want that type of environment, but at the same time want to learn about that law.
TBH, doesn't sound like a good fit. Maybe you need to clarify what it is about law that intrigues you...someone could maybe provide you a list of professions that work in the legal realm, but don't require working directly with practicing attorneys? Maybe writing, researching, or providing citations about specific laws instead?
I am an attorney and know a lot of other attorneys. Some of them are absolutely great people and some are absolutely great managers; some are not. There is as much variety in the personalities and managerial capabilities of attorneys as any other field, at least as far as I can tell. It sounds like the attorney you worked for was a bad manager. I don't know the situation, but is there a reason you attribute that to s/he being an attorney? I don't know how much experience you had as a client - you mentioned child custody, which is a very contentious process.
Maybe you should try to meet some other attorneys to see if it really is attorneys generally you don't like. A lot of people don't like attorneys as a general matter but report liking many of the individual ones they actually know. The profession is one that has a bad reputation earned by some poor examples of it. We aren't all that way.
As previous posters have indicated being an attorney is high-stress. However, all attorney positions are not equally stressful, and I assume the same would be for the paralegals supporting those roles. For example , attorneys specializing in estate planning may be a better fit than a litigator. Also, one element of working at a firm can be billable hours. When I was in private practice paralegals got billed out to clients as well as attorneys. That can be a source of stress depending on a billing attorney. You may want to consider working for a company's legal department where you would likely be salary or possibly hourly, but not subject to billable hours.
I have am very interested in the law and think that the Paralegal path might be one I would like to pursue. The problem is that I have never really gotten along very well with lawyers. I am an ISFJ and am very agreeable, but when pushed have a tendency to speak my mind (in a professional way) and this rubs people the wrong way. My last job I had was in the legal field as a secretary and I was stressed almost everyday. Not because of deadlines but because of the attorney I worked for giving conflicting information or information that was downright wrong. Since I had not experience I was not very sure what was going on. I do enjoy learning about laws and if nothing else will learn something new. I only have an Associates of Arts and am considering getting a certificate in Paralegal studies, but I am not sure if this would benefit me since I have such little experience. I honestly don't mind starting out as a file clerk but am a bit nervous because I have had poor experiences with attorneys. Not just working for them, but dealing with them in child custody and other matters. (although I did win) I want to be entirely realistic about my situation because if attorneys just have certain quirks then I will just have to get used to it. I have read on this forum how some people say the attorneys mistreat them and I really don't want that type of environment, but at the same time want to learn about that law.
It sounds like you live at home so you have a back up plan if you lose a job. Swallow your pride and learn that you are a subordinate and by being a subordinate, you don't run the show. Don't make enemies with the attorneys because you are their subordinate.
This is should apply to whatever career that you choose.
If you are living at home, there may be state schools that have modest tuition. Forget the BA. Go straight for the BBA. Math counts for a lot in our society.
I have am very interested in the law and think that the Paralegal path might be one I would like to pursue. The problem is that I have never really gotten along very well with lawyers. I am an ISFJ and am very agreeable, but when pushed have a tendency to speak my mind (in a professional way) and this rubs people the wrong way. My last job I had was in the legal field as a secretary and I was stressed almost everyday. Not because of deadlines but because of the attorney I worked for giving conflicting information or information that was downright wrong. Since I had not experience I was not very sure what was going on. I do enjoy learning about laws and if nothing else will learn something new. I only have an Associates of Arts and am considering getting a certificate in Paralegal studies, but I am not sure if this would benefit me since I have such little experience. I honestly don't mind starting out as a file clerk but am a bit nervous because I have had poor experiences with attorneys. Not just working for them, but dealing with them in child custody and other matters. (although I did win) I want to be entirely realistic about my situation because if attorneys just have certain quirks then I will just have to get used to it. I have read on this forum how some people say the attorneys mistreat them and I really don't want that type of environment, but at the same time want to learn about that law.
Here's an idea. How about instead of a paralegal you become a lawyer?
I think you are better to it.
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