Why the Traditional Paralegal Doesn't Stand a Chance August 2014 | Page 22

Learn to know your job. Your firm may have a very limited budget for continuing legal education. The firm is not realizing paralegal return on investment. Many times, there is very little in the budget for paralegal continuing legal education. Most likely, the bulk of the budget is spent on new associates. After all, they’re going to be partner some day. In some firms, paralegals are included in attorney training. However, paralegals do not perform the same assignments as attorneys – for that matter, neither do attorneys perform the same assignments as paralegals. What you glean from an attorney seminar may be helpful in seeing the overall picture but you cannot practice law. Usually, very little in-house attorney training sessions apply directly to you. Training specific to paralegal assignments is critical to get ahead and stay ahead. How can you get the training you need? If your firm will not pay for additional training, don’t give up. By demonstrating the numbers, you can convince the firm how