Law school undoubtedly teaches you a lot and provides a strong educational foundation on which new attorneys practice. Having not attended law school myself, it is difficult to know the specifics of what is taught and how it is taught, but I think it is safe to assume that law school does not touch on—at least not in great detail—the relationship between the attorney and their paralegal. This is a foundational relationship in the practice of law, and the strength of the relationship can have a direct correlation to case success and job satisfaction. This article is a personal testimonial of my own working relationships with attorneys, and it will discuss how new attorneys might consider practicing in order to establish a strong relationship with their paralegals leading to case success and job satisfaction.
I have been a paralegal for about four years, working under attorneys with varying levels of experience. I began my paralegal career under a senior associate who had a strong grasp on every one of their 100+ active cases. This attorney gave me clear and concise direction on nearly all of my tasks. This attorney also frequently provided me with the “why” we are doing something so that I would better understand the area of practice. As a new paralegal, I appreciated the specific instructions and educational tidbits. In fact, the deep knowledge of the law that I gathered from my past attorney is something that I use at work every day; I am grateful for their teachings.