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The new company I’m at now sent me an email from an email address that was HR@companyName.careers saying I was accepted for the position. They gave me paperwork to fill out and sign to accept the position
I fill out the paperwork and send it back to them and it goes through… then a few days later I go back to the email to say something else and I get this…?
Then today I got a check from the company In the mail to setup my home office, and it’s signed by someone I’ve never met before or heard of…?
What…..
Fears of a recession are reasonably causing people to take a second look at their job security. Seeing as many lawyers are working in specialty tax within PA how many of you are worried about a potential slowdown/layoffs within specialty tax? If not why do you feel you won’t be as affected? Deloitte EY PwC KPMG BDO Grant Thornton RSM Baker Tilly Crowe Andersen CliftonLarsonAllen
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Can someone kindly connect me with Investment Banking HR/Recruiter/anyone willing to help? My friend interviewed for Goldman Sachs NY. Cleared the HireVue but didn’t get any communication further. It’s been 4 weeks now. Although the referral came from a VO but the division is different. My friend is looking for Investment Banking division. Need to get in touch with someone from investment banking to push the resume. The rolling process is hurting the chances.Thank you Goldman Sachs
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As long as there are older Partners and Shareholders that need to see everything on paper we will always have a position. You think attorneys are going to input deadlines? Even if it’s computerized? It’s drudge work and tedious so not gonna happen in big firms. I could see that for a solo partitioner, it’s cost cutting and they keep all the money but not for big firm attorneys who’ve always had someone to do it for them.
Sure, just keep telling yourself that. 😂
There’s an issue with that logic: “older” partners and shareholders retire or die off eventually. In Big Law, there’s usually a set retirement age. Also, Big Law firms are bureaucracies—even shareholders don’t always get what they want. If anything, the Legal Secretary position as we once knew it will continue to exist longer in Mid, Small, and Boutique firms. I’ve worked at two different AmLaw 100 firms over the past 10 years; both went paperless at least a decade ago, there are no partners or shareholders over the age of 65, and both have gone more centralized as it pertains to secretarial assistance. As for “inputting deadlines” … well there’s a whole other firmwide department dedicated to doing just that — that’s now a centralized task. We’ve gone from having one heavy-hitting partner and maybe two associates in 2013 to having two to three busy partners and as many as six to eight associates in 2023. If you’re not ready or willing to hone your technical skills and become another cog in the “Firmwide” wheel, don’t go Big Law. If your firm is hinting that they are trending in this direction, don’t assume you will still have a position just because you have an “old” partner who likes to look at paper. Big Law firms cut the dead weight first, and secretaries who feel entitled to only work for their “old” partners and are “too busy” to take the offered trainings are usually the first ones to go. Experience and industry knowledge are definitely still preferable, but they can hire someone who is super-green for half your salary and put them through all of the trainings. Usually, they’ll do just fine. No one is indispensable.
I really can't imagine a law firm without any of these roles. There are already several softwares to handle the automation or streamlining of calculations, calendaring, forms etc. I don't see doing away with assistants without expecting the attorneys to take on more unbillable responsibilities.
On a different note, I'm genuinely curious how a LAA differs from a Legal Secretary or Practice Assistant. Can you please describe typical duties as a LAA?
Legal Secretary, Legal Assistant, Legal Administrative Assistant, Practice Assistant, etc. —- they’re all just titles for basically the same job. It just depends on what title and ditties your particular firm assigns to the legal administrative role.
Many Big Law firms are going more centralized and “Firmwide” with administrative support. They may not have secretarial pools in the traditional sense, but that’s essentially where it’s going. My advice is to take as many technical trainings as you possibly can whenever offered or available (no matter how inane some may seem), and don’t be the one who complains when things change. First Legal Admin cuts will be of those who claim to be “too busy” and/or “too important “ to take the offered skills trainings, etc.
We definitely are cutting the jobs out for LAAs. Just laid off 7 here and expect more cuts next year. The job will be taken over by less expensive staff called project clerks. Is the job needed? Absolutely. Does that matter? Nope. Business Staff are considered unnecessary and expensive at Firms now. Meanwhile...I'm drowning in work.
What is considered "Big Law" ? Are these huge international firms?
Believe it is the norm. Also believe AI is moving in on alot of legal positions. If I were young-ish, I would be checking other occupations pronto. (like... oh say...plumber...)