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And they’ll blame the Orange Line
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Additional Posts in Paralegals
Mentor
Do small law firms have paralegal managers?
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In addition to the suggestions by the others, I would also ask the following if they haven't already been discussed in the course of the interview.
-How big is the team? Both attorneys and paralegals
-Who would I be supporting specifically?
-How’s the workload handled? Do paralegals stick to their own assignments or is it a team effort?
-Who would I report to? Is there a senior paralegal or paralegal manager, or would I report directly to an attorney? (Having a paralegal manager can be great, they can advocate for you and act as a buffer when needed.)
-What’s the reason for the opening? Is it a new position, or did someone leave? (This can say a lot about the work environment.)
-What does onboarding look like? Do they have a structured process or more of a “sink or swim” approach?
-How do they define success in this role?
Remember, you're interviewing them just as much as they're interviewing you! Good luck!
Ask about the case load and specific job duties (discovery,scheduling, billing, administrative, etc). Also, like the first comment stated, ask about expected billable hours!!!
And good luck!!
and for context. I am a paralegal with a large law
firm. My billable requirement is 1600 which is about 33 hours a week. It's not hard to hit that target. Ask about overtime policy ... you should be paid for every hour you work. In my firm most successful paralegals bill about 1900 to 2100 per year. Good luck!
Ask whether there are minimum billable requirements. If there are not, ask what hours the most successful paralegals bill. This is a helpful insight into the firm culture and management’s expectations, whether spoken or unspoken. It is also essential to know by what metrics your performance will be evaluated. I’ve also found it helpful to ask what the paralegals’ main friction point or complaint, even though the interviewer may not be direct on that answer
Mentor
How did the interview go?
Thanks for asking! The second interview went well, and I was invited back for a third interview the following day. I'm now waiting on the firm's final decision. While I hope they pick me, I realize my background is different from that of many paralegals. No matter what, I truly enjoyed getting acquainted with the firm, and know that I would refer potential clients to them even if I do not get hired.