SeeShelle

I read this in 3 days (with small children at home). I was almost sad that I read it so fast, knowing that there is only one more book to read. I had liked GOF the best so far - but now I’m not sure which I like the best - both HBP and GOF are tied with me. I’m going back and re-reading OoP because I think I skimmed a bit. It was a hard read for me.
Enjoy everyone.

I worked as a paralegal for 8 years before I got married and had our first child. I went to college, received my 2-year degree in legal studies and then slowly worked up to my paralegal position (even though for years I had been actually doing paralegal tasks). It’s a wonderful job – alot of satisfaction - as long as you don’t take the attorneys’ too seriously. Some attorneys can be horrible to work with - but out of the office are just wonderful people. Do a GREAT job and then leave it at work. Find your niche also – medical malpractice, insurance defense, probate (big $$), intellectual property and real estate – just to name a few. Good luck and enjoy – don’t give up because you may get that office with a window before you know it.

Also, don’t be afraid or too inflexible to doing ‘secretarial’ work at first. Just because you know how to do legal research and cite case law doesn’t mean that you can’t also pitch in and answer phones or type a couple letters. You want to earn your attorneys’ trust—not enlighten him on paralegal duties vs. secretarial duties. He doesn’t much care.

I can’t imagine what my children would be like if I had went back to work and put them in daycare. I feel so blessed to have been able to see their ‘firsts’ and had those years before school started. It has changed my own life in ways I could never have imagined.