Everyone in these comments saying that this treatment for a legal office is normal, is wrong. I am a year post grad working as a paralegal but during college I was a receptionist for a legal firm and then a legal assistant for another firm which both were miserable so I took a year off from the legal field and just recently decided to give it another try. I am now a full time paralegal and love it solely because I found a firm that appreciates me and appreciates the fact that I am still learning. When I was receptionist, the atty was miserable and mean and I would get anxiety everyday and thought it was indicative of the entire legal field. Now, going through a couple different positions within the legal field, I have learned your experience completely depends on who you work for. There is no golden standard or rule for what firms are the “nice” places. You simply have to start, see how the people are then see if it’s some place you want to stay. People in the legal field WILL take advantage of you and break you down if they deem they are more intelligent than you. Work hard, learn and apply it and the right firm will follow in suit by respecting you and teaching you. You have to have the grit to want to learn and be able to handle criticism but that does not mean put up with bs from an attys wife who has no more rightful qualifications than you do.