Are Legal Secretaries Being Stretched (and Stressed) to the Max?

As the role of the legal secretary evolves, it seems that more and more assistants are being asked to do things that used to be the responsibility of other departments within the firm.

Because most/many/all of the younger associates do their own typing (when is the last time an attorney dictated a brief for you to type?) and often don't know all the ways to utilize their assistant's skill sets, we're moving farther away from secretarial "duties" into the realm of accounting, billing, paralegal work, you name it.

Not that I'm complaining.  I am very grateful to be gainfully employed and I'm willing to do whatever is asked of me.  But, often I feel that I'm not able to give as much attention to tasks as I have in previous times, because I'm constantly swapping hats.  

Preparing binders used to be "billable."  But as clients became more and more legal savvy and hired teams of in-house attorneys to check and double check everything the law firms bill for, there are fewer tasks that fall into the "billable" category.  And those things get passed down to - you guessed it.

And there is no such thing as one or two or even three attorneys per secretary - the average these days seems to be one secretary for every five attorneys and that has been extended, at some firms, to ten to one or a "pool" of secretaries with no assigned attorney at all.

To be honest, I don't see things changing any time soon.  I also see a whole new crop of younger men and women, and increasingly men, who are recent college graduates with ambitions of a legal career stepping into legal secretarial roles at a lower salary than a "seasoned" secretary.

So, what happens to the seasoned secretary?  She/he either continues to take their multivitamins, sharpen their skills set, learn new ways to work and get with the program or. . .let's not think about that.

All Day And A Night by Alafair Burke

If you didn't get a chance to read this book over the summer when it was released, put it on your fall list of "things to read."  Alafair Burke's most recent novel doesn't disappoint.  You will want to read it, "All Day and A Night."  Another winner.  Got secrets?

"The latest story dominating New York tabloids—the murder of Park Slope psychotherapist Helen Brunswick—couldn’t be further from Carrie Blank’s world handling federal appeals at one of Manhattan’s most elite law firms. But then a hardcharging celebrity trial lawyer calls Carrie with a case she can’t refuse. Anthony Amaro, a serial killer convicted twenty years earlier, has received an anonymous letter containing a chilling detail about Brunswick’s murder: the victim’s bones were broken after she was killed, the same signature used in the murders attributed to Amaro. Now Amaro is asking to be released from prison.

Carrie has a reason to be interested. Her older sister, Donna, was one of Amaro’s victims. Determined to force the government to catch Donna’s real killer, Carrie joins Amaro’s wrongful conviction team with her own agenda.  On the other side of Amaro’s case is NYPD
Detective Ellie Hatcher, who, along with her partner, J. J. Rogan, is tapped as the “fresh look”
team to reassess the investigation that led to Amaro’s conviction. The case is personal for
them, too: Ellie wonders whether they got the assignment because of her relationship with the lead prosecutor, and Rogan has his own reasons to distrust Amaro’s defense team.

As the NYPD and Amaro’s lawyers search for certainty among conflicting evidence, their investigations take them back to Carrie’s hometown, where secrets buried long ago lead to a brutal attack—one that makes it terrifyingly clear that someone has gotten too close to the truth.  ("All Day and a Night" )"

Falling Into A New Work Pattern - Change Your Mood With the Season

Everybody loves summer, right?  

Sun, longer days, warmer weather, eating lunch outdoors, taking walks and getting more outdoor exercise all contribute to a better mood.  Or so some experts say.

But the change in seasons, i.e. moving from summer to fall,  can also be a great time to implement new habits at home and at work.  

Since you can't get out, perhaps you might consider joining an indoor gym or yoga class near the office.  

Remember all that "spring cleaning" you did?  

Well, somewhere between vacations and getting kids back to school, your "to do" list at work may have gotten a little longer.  Why not purge some of those files that have piled up?   I mean, is anybody really at the "paperless" law office completely?  Highly doubtful.

It's also a good time to take some lunchtime seminars and webinars.  Indoor activities that will increase your skills and allow for some networking time.

Add a few new fall pieces to your work wardrobe.  (That's for another day and another blog post.)

And last, but not least, the pumpkin spice latte is back!!

Are Male Secretaries Treated Differently?

There are quite a few male legal secretaries in the workforce.  I don't know the exact numbers.  And, in large cities, like San Francisco, the numbers are increasing.  It's a new day and there is no longer the expectation that every secretary will be a woman.

With that said, I still find there's often disparity in treatment in the expectations of male secretaries versus the expectations of work product and behavior for female secretaries.

It has been my experience that attorneys, male attorneys in particular, relate to male secretaries in a more, how can I say it, "respectful" manner.  They're not as quick to resort to a loud tone of voice and they're less likely to expect them to do tasks such as getting lunch or coffee.  (By the way, I have no problem with getting lunch or coffee, or whatever it is that my attorneys need.)  Their time is billable and mine is not.

However, I do become increasingly frustrated when I see male secretaries surfing the internet for endless amounts of time (never bothering to hide that they're not busy) and attorneys who turn a "blind eye."  And, in fact, stop to "chat" with my male colleagues while they're surfing.

It's as if the male attorneys see the male secretaries more as "peers" than "staff."

I don't think it's my imagination.  I think the "good old boys" network is alive and well and still lurking in law firms.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

"Tammy" with Melissa McCarthy - Harmless, Weekend Fun

"Tammy" with Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon

What better way to wind down from the work-week with a movie.

And it doesn't always have to be a blockbuster, or an indie with a serious underlying story or a thriller with a complex plot.

This weekend I went for pure fun!  Don't believe the critics.  Everything isn't for critique - sometimes you just want to laugh.

Melissa McCarthy plays "Tammy," a woman who loses her job and her husband in the same week.  That's not funny.  But the adventure that she embarks on with her grandmother (played by Susan Sarandon) -- I know, Susan Sarandon playing Melissa McCarthy's grandmother -- I still think of Susan Sarandon as 'sexy.'  

Anyway, it's entertaining and a great way to unwind with a bag of popcorn, a soda and a box of Raisinets.  

You can't take everything seriously.  

Perks at Work - Do They Matter?

With all the hype surrounding the World Cup, many offices are showing the games in conference rooms and lobby areas for employees to watch.

Naturally, the intent is not for you to spend the entire day sitting in front of the TV watching the action, but it's nice that some firms actually think that there's more to work than work.  There's that thing called "employee satisfaction."

My office, for example, provided breakfast on yesterday while streaming the USA match.  No one took advantage of it, and most people noshed and watched for about 10 to 15 minutes and then went back to their offices and work stations.

Which brings me to the topic of "Perks at Work."  Do they matter?  I say, "Yes."  Some people say that instead of "Bagel Fridays" or "Happy Hours," and "Free Lunches," they'd rather have more money.  I say that money isn't everything.  I like at least having the perception that my employer sees me as something more than a "worker bee," but a human being who appreciates a "lifestyle firm."  Now those words "lifestyle firm" are almost an oxymoron when it comes to the legal field, but there can be at least the notion of a balance.

So, hat's off to all the partners who think that a happy worker is a productive worker.  Even if they enjoy the "perks" as much or more than the folks in the trenches do.  Perception is reality, right?

After the Interview - Now What?

I recently had a long discussion with a friend about proper etiquette in the digital age.

She told me about an interview she had gone on and how she really wanted the job.

The discussion turned to the topic of how or whether or not to say "Thank You," after the interview.

We all know that lawyers are busy people, right?  As are the people that work in law firms and do the hiring.  That said, is it no longer appropriate to send "thank you" notes to the interviewers?

These people have taken time from their busy day to, at the very least, pull your resume out of the flood of those received, or in most cases, select it from the email collection (or however it is that they manage to get your applications these days, since you almost never apply directly to a person).  So, is it a good idea to drop a line or email to say "I appreciate your time.  I hope to hear from you soon," or is that old-fashioned and annoying?

Personally, I would tend to err on the side of old-fashioned.  You can gauge the climate of the office when you're there.  If they appear to be more "formal," then a written "thank you" is appropriate (in my opinion).  A more relaxed and collegial office might lend itself to an email "thank you."

Bottom line.  Like your mother always said, "Remember, to say "please" and "thank you."

And for those of you on the job hunt - Good Luck!