Struggling with poor admin/paralegal support for years....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[b]Hire a SAHM who is returning to the workforce. We will work our asses off to get back in the door. We are used to dealing with conflict. We appreciate getting out of the f'n house and having a job to go to everyday. We are at an age where we want to support other strong women and see them succeed. We will have your back and make you shine!

I am available immediately. I have excellent writing and research skills, and will treat you with the respect that you deserve.

+1

[/b]


Love this. I (woman) practice decades ago and was always assigned the secretaries no one else wanted and had great difficulty getting the help I needed. we just weren't taken seriously. Good luck OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a legal secretary. I have no problem working for someone younger than I am. I try to do the absolute best job I can for everyone I work for. In all honesty, I DO sometimes bump associate work when a partner needs something, but at the same time, generally every time I'm given a task by either associate or partner, I ask when they need it turned around, so nobody's work falls through the cracks.

I appreciate the hell out of "please" and "thank you." I appreciate not being given work at 4:58pm (or give it to me but say you don't need it until tomorrow morning).

You know what frustrates me with some associates? Either, their instructions are not clear (send this to the client HOW? email? fax? mail? messenger?), or they don't give me enough information to do a good job. I am also highly insulted when an attorney says "You don't need to know that." I've been doing my job a long time. If I'm asking a question, it's because it'll help me to do a better job for YOU, the client and ultimately the firm. If you want to tell me I don't need to know things, then that causes me to mentally check out. It means I won't think about next steps, I won't anticipate your needs, etc. That phrase is kind of the kiss of death for me. If you need to say "Let's talk tomorrow and I'll give you a three minute overview of the case then," that's cool. I know it's not always a good time.

Make sure your instructions are complete. Say please and thank you. Give deadlines. That's all I need.

It takes time for associates to learn to think through all of these things. As they get more experienced they will learn to give this type of direction. Until then, try not to give attitude and be patient as they learn their jobs. You are much more experienced in your job than they are in theirs. I am a senior associate, and I find it frustrating when admins expect me to give them direction on EVERY SINGLE DETAIL, especially with filings. I need an admin who can think independently and can look up filing requirements on their own, and not require me to spell out every little thing. I practice in an area where we handle many complicated state filings that all vary by state. If I have to spell out every little filing requirement, I'm pretty much doing your job and mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hire a SAHM who is returning to the workforce. We will work our asses off to get back in the door. We are used to dealing with conflict. We appreciate getting out of the f'n house and having a job to go to everyday. We are at an age where we want to support other strong women and see them succeed. We will have your back and make you shine!

I am available immediately. I have excellent writing and research skills, and will treat you with the respect that you deserve.

+1