2 answers
Aunnika
Student
Albuquerque, New Mexico
3
Questions
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How should i pursue legal assistance as a career?
In 12 grade, preparing to graduate
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2 answers
Matthew L. Tuck, J.D., M.B.A.
CEO/Managing Attorney, Greater Detroit Area
64
Answers
Lansing, Michigan
Updated
Matthew L.’s Answer
Hi Aunnika.
Great question! I would agree with everything Michele said about the lawyer/law school route.
However, I'm not sure from your question if that is exactly what you were getting at. The term "Legal Assistance" is a broad term and there is actually a position within many law firms called "Legal Assistant". It has various meanings depending on the firm, but it generally means a person who assists attorneys with their legal work. It can be a basic legal secretary role but oftentimes it is much more and can be an actual paralegal role.
This answer will address some of the other very interesting and rewarding non-attorney roles for people that also fall under the umbrella of legal assistance.
At my law firm, we have attorneys, associates, a senior attorney, paralegals, and a legal secretary.
So here is a typical hierarchy in a law firm so you visualize it better. This is how larger firms tend to work. Smaller firms are set up similarly but with fewer layers. Some firms use the term "Member" to designate those who own a piece of the firm (same as partner, just a different word). This is the basic structure for a larger firm, but keep in mind many governmental entities, courts, larger companies, hospitals and nonprofits have legal departments who also utilize attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants and law clerks.
CEO/Managing Attorney - This is the manager of the entire firm.
- Senior Attorney/Percentage Partner - This is generally a partner-level attorney who probably owns a piece of the firm and who will share in the profits of the firm at the end of year. This person is responsible for bringing in business ("Rain Making") and managing more junior attorneys and staff. They generally have 10 or more years of experience.
- Non-Percentage Partner - This is a mid-level attorney (maybe 5-10 years of experience) who is above the associate level but does not have ownership in the firm. These attorney will often act as project manager on legal matters in which they manage more junior attorneys, paralegals and secretaries/legal assistants.
- Associate - This is the most junior level attorney. They have a few years' experience (0-5) and are responsible for a much of the basic legal legal work that gets done in the firm (legal research, writing briefs and motions, document drafting, etc.). They may also go court covering basic motions, helping out at trial, and sometimes taking depositions.
- Paralegal - Paralegals, also sometimes called "Legal Assistants", are people who have expertise in legal matters but not as much as a lawyer. Nor can they go to court, in most states. They often have an associates or bachelor's degree and may also have a paralegal certification of some kind which involves some legal training beyond college. Only licensed attorneys can represent clients in court and other public proceeding. Paralegals often help draft discovery requests, answer interrogatories, compile and review client documents, write briefs, check legal citations, summarize depositions and perform other fairly sophisticated legal work under the supervision of attorneys. They may also supervise sectaries, law clerks and other more junior staff.
- Legal Assistant/Secretary - This is a key role in most law firms. These individuals may or may not have a degree. Many have secretarial or other training from trade school.
- Law Clerk - Law Clerks are generally students who are enrolled in law school but have not passed or taken the bar exam. Law Clerks who work at law firms as a way to learn the ropes. Law firms like them because they are generally cheap to hire, have some legal training, and can do some basic legal work, much the same as paralegals, but they often get access to much more sophisticated work. Clerks who have great grades or who have gone to prestigious law schools are in high demand at big firms, who always seek out the best people. Law Clerks at big firms are mentored by senior attorneys and may get to work on interesting, important cases.
So, that said, depending on what you like and are good at, you can participate in legal work at any of these levels. The higher up the ladder you get, generally more education you need, the more money you make, and the more hours you work. It is very much a tradeoff between income and quality of life. It is not uncommon for associates, non-percentage partners, and full partners to work 50-80 hours per week (or more) in order to move up the food chain and continue to get promoted. Honestly, if you plan on starting a family, roles like paralegal or legal assistant can provide much more flexibility than being an attorney. But at the same time, don't be discouraged if you want to have a family and be an attorney. I know many people who started their own law firms so they can better control their own hours and create that work life balance. I even know a married couple (both attorneys) who had their own firm and had a day care for their kids right in their law firm's office (they had a lot of kids). So anything is doable.
So your best bet is to research the various roles on line and find out what sounds interesting to you. Honestly, TV shows don't do a great job of portraying the how the legal profession actually works. Once you have done your research, you can try getting a job as an intern at a law firm, company legal department, or government agency even while you are still in high school (with your parents' permission of course). Your school counselors can help with this. This will give you a great idea of what everyone in a firm or corporate legal department does. Ask people there what their background is, how they came to work in the role they did, and if they like it.
If you don't have time or ability to work as an intern, you can visit law firms or legal departments. See if your parents or other family members know any attorneys or paralegals and ask if you can shadow them a work for a few days or week to see what they do every day.
You can also visit local colleges that have paralegal programs or law schools. You can generally sit in on a class or two just to get a feel for what it's like (I did this with my dad when I was in high school). Professors and admissions counselors are almost always eager to talk to prospective students about the programs.
If you like what you see, then you can decide what role(s) you like and make plans accordingly. Your school guidance counselor may be able to help with internships, work-study programs, law firm visits and with other ideas to get you some exposure to the legal field to see if it's for you. And keep in mind, you don't have to start out aiming to be a lawyer. If finances, family or time are an issue, I have known many many people who started their careers as a legal secretary or paralegal and then went to law school later.
Good luck!
1. Start reading everything you can about the legal industry. Figure out what legal roles appeal to you.
2. See about getting an internship at a law firm, court, government agency, legal department at a large company or hospital. Some schools have work-study programs.
3. If you can't get an internship, see if you can shadow an attorney or paralegal for few days. See if your friends, family, teachers or guidance counselor knows someone.
4. Find out if there are some local colleges that have paralegal programs or find a law school and sit in on a class or two.
5. Sometimes you can also participate in school activities that have a legal angle, like a mock trial team or debate and forensics. If your school does not have those clubs or programs, start one.
Great question! I would agree with everything Michele said about the lawyer/law school route.
However, I'm not sure from your question if that is exactly what you were getting at. The term "Legal Assistance" is a broad term and there is actually a position within many law firms called "Legal Assistant". It has various meanings depending on the firm, but it generally means a person who assists attorneys with their legal work. It can be a basic legal secretary role but oftentimes it is much more and can be an actual paralegal role.
This answer will address some of the other very interesting and rewarding non-attorney roles for people that also fall under the umbrella of legal assistance.
At my law firm, we have attorneys, associates, a senior attorney, paralegals, and a legal secretary.
So here is a typical hierarchy in a law firm so you visualize it better. This is how larger firms tend to work. Smaller firms are set up similarly but with fewer layers. Some firms use the term "Member" to designate those who own a piece of the firm (same as partner, just a different word). This is the basic structure for a larger firm, but keep in mind many governmental entities, courts, larger companies, hospitals and nonprofits have legal departments who also utilize attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants and law clerks.
CEO/Managing Attorney - This is the manager of the entire firm.
- Senior Attorney/Percentage Partner - This is generally a partner-level attorney who probably owns a piece of the firm and who will share in the profits of the firm at the end of year. This person is responsible for bringing in business ("Rain Making") and managing more junior attorneys and staff. They generally have 10 or more years of experience.
- Non-Percentage Partner - This is a mid-level attorney (maybe 5-10 years of experience) who is above the associate level but does not have ownership in the firm. These attorney will often act as project manager on legal matters in which they manage more junior attorneys, paralegals and secretaries/legal assistants.
- Associate - This is the most junior level attorney. They have a few years' experience (0-5) and are responsible for a much of the basic legal legal work that gets done in the firm (legal research, writing briefs and motions, document drafting, etc.). They may also go court covering basic motions, helping out at trial, and sometimes taking depositions.
- Paralegal - Paralegals, also sometimes called "Legal Assistants", are people who have expertise in legal matters but not as much as a lawyer. Nor can they go to court, in most states. They often have an associates or bachelor's degree and may also have a paralegal certification of some kind which involves some legal training beyond college. Only licensed attorneys can represent clients in court and other public proceeding. Paralegals often help draft discovery requests, answer interrogatories, compile and review client documents, write briefs, check legal citations, summarize depositions and perform other fairly sophisticated legal work under the supervision of attorneys. They may also supervise sectaries, law clerks and other more junior staff.
- Legal Assistant/Secretary - This is a key role in most law firms. These individuals may or may not have a degree. Many have secretarial or other training from trade school.
- Law Clerk - Law Clerks are generally students who are enrolled in law school but have not passed or taken the bar exam. Law Clerks who work at law firms as a way to learn the ropes. Law firms like them because they are generally cheap to hire, have some legal training, and can do some basic legal work, much the same as paralegals, but they often get access to much more sophisticated work. Clerks who have great grades or who have gone to prestigious law schools are in high demand at big firms, who always seek out the best people. Law Clerks at big firms are mentored by senior attorneys and may get to work on interesting, important cases.
So, that said, depending on what you like and are good at, you can participate in legal work at any of these levels. The higher up the ladder you get, generally more education you need, the more money you make, and the more hours you work. It is very much a tradeoff between income and quality of life. It is not uncommon for associates, non-percentage partners, and full partners to work 50-80 hours per week (or more) in order to move up the food chain and continue to get promoted. Honestly, if you plan on starting a family, roles like paralegal or legal assistant can provide much more flexibility than being an attorney. But at the same time, don't be discouraged if you want to have a family and be an attorney. I know many people who started their own law firms so they can better control their own hours and create that work life balance. I even know a married couple (both attorneys) who had their own firm and had a day care for their kids right in their law firm's office (they had a lot of kids). So anything is doable.
So your best bet is to research the various roles on line and find out what sounds interesting to you. Honestly, TV shows don't do a great job of portraying the how the legal profession actually works. Once you have done your research, you can try getting a job as an intern at a law firm, company legal department, or government agency even while you are still in high school (with your parents' permission of course). Your school counselors can help with this. This will give you a great idea of what everyone in a firm or corporate legal department does. Ask people there what their background is, how they came to work in the role they did, and if they like it.
If you don't have time or ability to work as an intern, you can visit law firms or legal departments. See if your parents or other family members know any attorneys or paralegals and ask if you can shadow them a work for a few days or week to see what they do every day.
You can also visit local colleges that have paralegal programs or law schools. You can generally sit in on a class or two just to get a feel for what it's like (I did this with my dad when I was in high school). Professors and admissions counselors are almost always eager to talk to prospective students about the programs.
If you like what you see, then you can decide what role(s) you like and make plans accordingly. Your school guidance counselor may be able to help with internships, work-study programs, law firm visits and with other ideas to get you some exposure to the legal field to see if it's for you. And keep in mind, you don't have to start out aiming to be a lawyer. If finances, family or time are an issue, I have known many many people who started their careers as a legal secretary or paralegal and then went to law school later.
Good luck!
Matthew L. recommends the following next steps:
I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question.
Aunnika
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1179
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Aunnika !
Legal assistance is done by lawyers so you would like to know what you will need to do to become a Lawyer.
You will enroll in college for a Bachelors degree and pick a major that is related to law. Forbes website says that the following are the best undergraduate majors for admission into Law School: History, Economics, English, Philosophy, Political Science, Finance, Arts and Humanities, Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Business Administration, and Criminal Justice. I think it would be good to also take courses that sharpen your reasoning and communication skills. Strive for excellent grades as an undergrad as this will carry you into being accepted into law school.
The next thing is to study for and take the law school entrance exam - the LSAT. Than go to law school and earn your Juris Doctorate Degree (JD).
You than take the Bar exam in the state you intend to practice in. Once you pass the Bar, you are an attorney and ready to start your career.
I hope that this has helped. There is also a wealth of information you can read on line about mostly every aspect of what the career is like and how law school applications are assessed.
Best wishes every step of the way !
Legal assistance is done by lawyers so you would like to know what you will need to do to become a Lawyer.
You will enroll in college for a Bachelors degree and pick a major that is related to law. Forbes website says that the following are the best undergraduate majors for admission into Law School: History, Economics, English, Philosophy, Political Science, Finance, Arts and Humanities, Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Business Administration, and Criminal Justice. I think it would be good to also take courses that sharpen your reasoning and communication skills. Strive for excellent grades as an undergrad as this will carry you into being accepted into law school.
The next thing is to study for and take the law school entrance exam - the LSAT. Than go to law school and earn your Juris Doctorate Degree (JD).
You than take the Bar exam in the state you intend to practice in. Once you pass the Bar, you are an attorney and ready to start your career.
I hope that this has helped. There is also a wealth of information you can read on line about mostly every aspect of what the career is like and how law school applications are assessed.
Best wishes every step of the way !