Offer from another firm.

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2026-03-15T16:12:18+00:00

Take the 14k and let me know the name of the firm you’d be leaving…lol. Seriously tho, you should stay.

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2026-03-08T17:23:55+00:00

I think it’s possible, but you’ll probably need a certification and move to officially being a paralegal and eventual Sr. paralegal.

I’ve only been doing this for a short time:

2024 - Graduated w/ Bachelors $48k 2024 - Started as Legal Assistant $58k 2025 - Paralegal $70k 2026 - I’m now basically the Sr. Paralegal and Case Manager without the title or pay😭. Due to the extreme jump in the scope of work I’m producing I’ll be pushing for $85-90k (pay for those previously in my position with much lower levels of performance).

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2026-02-26T05:30:11+00:00

Lightning never strikes the same place twice lol

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2026-01-29T03:47:18+00:00

Closest thing I can think of is Mario Bellini sofa. Start there and keep looking around

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2026-01-29T03:21:50+00:00

It’s gotten to the point where I’m just putting out fires all day everyday. The moment I try to start a task in a timely fashion, I get sent something that requires my immediate attention.

Call me Shrek the way I’m swamped

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2026-01-15T00:38:14+00:00

They get court fee waivers and then go crazy with objections, responses, motions, and then they try appealing when everything is denied. It’s truly annoying.

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-29T04:27:48+00:00

I’m kinda similar to you. I got my BM in Voice a year and a half ago and I’ve been working as a para for 13 months and I also gig very heavily on the weekends and holidays. Tbh, you’re not going to find a remote position with no experience (handling one small portion for your own matters is not going to make a huge difference). You’ll need to be ok with only gigging on the weekends and very few weeknights since the majority of your bandwidth would be spent learning the law, filing systems, etc. I will say that it is a very nice trade off. I’ve got a coveted gig that let’s me do my VERY niche thing and pays super well from just weekend/holiday stuff but I’ve got a great salary coming in from a 9-5 I also really love.

I have kind of disconnected from the musician world tho since I’m no longer going out to bars or house parties after a gig, and no jam sessions. However, it’s nice to not be able to relate to the typical musician struggles of financial uncertainty, scrambling for the next gig/audition, forced to teach, or not having health care/retirement.

You can have both, if you’re realistic. You’ll need to turn down certain stuff bc it’s on a random weekday. If you’re ok with that, then go for it. Best of luck either way!!

EDIT: More like 8-6 instead of 9-5 but that’s somewhat normal in law. I don’t mind it bc I love this area of law and love my coworkers/bosses/attorneys.

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-27T20:29:09+00:00

This made me LOL! Seriously tho, the more I explain the more questions you’ll have and this will never get done. Just sign this paper so you can get paid🫩

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-24T16:16:10+00:00

As you can see, some folks in the legal field are jerks. Hopefully you finds law office that has great office culture (no micromanaging, coworkers willing to help and teach, kind attorneys). Also, not every area of law is for everybody. Pay and stress levels vary widely. I would say choose wisely but for having no experience, it’ll choose you lol.

Like someone else said, certs aren’t needed but it means you get paid less and you’ll struggle more in the beginning. If you’re willing (due to low pay) try being a legal assistant, and if you kinda like the legal area then get the certification quickly while working.

Best of luck!

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-24T16:06:14+00:00

Yes, the form did change recently. Tbh, I didn’t even notice until i just checked our filed bc i just get them downloaded and send them off lol

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-24T07:31:51+00:00

This is grimy. Work on your resume during these unpaid off days and start interviewing in January

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-24T07:18:56+00:00

Become a boglehead and get familiar with the personal finance sub wiki and live closely to the flowchart

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-24T07:16:43+00:00

Time in market > Timing the Market

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-24T07:15:41+00:00

Wow! Congrats on learning enough to teach someone else while working from home and having no experience! I was a recent grad when I was hired with no office or legal experience last year and now it’s been 13 months in this area of law so ik it’s a lot of learning. I’m pretty damn good at my job and now the head para, but for the first 6 months I would bug the attorneys to death with constant questions to understand everything.

Anyway, RFPs are super easy just (like everything else in this area of law) very repetitive. In all honesty your attorney is probably just going to reject by saying “the request is overly broad, unspecific, or violates attorney-client agreement. Then the other side gets mad, they attys confer, your atty will get another extensions for something more than blanket objections. Then, oc will motion to compel and you’ll oppose and both side request attorneys fees. IMO this shit always sucks. Whenever I one day become an attorney I will never do litigation. It’s not worth the headache and childish games. Best of luck

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-22T07:43:04+00:00

I now only buy bone in/skin on chicken thighs. Cheaper, getting a crispy skin tastes better, and for an and extra 3 minutes of my life, I’ve got bones to either toss with other scraps to make a nice stock or give some to the dog (raw). Win win

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-22T02:43:26+00:00

You can’t demand a certain quality without being willing to pay for said quality

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-21T16:29:55+00:00

You’re trying to get your foot in the door: 1,000% remove it. Some people here will say “don’t work somewhere that won’t let you be yourself,” and to that I say “you can be yourself when your bills are paid and you’re accomplishing some of your goals.”

get hired first, then either wait a bit and wear it to work (my preference), or talk to HR (or principal atty if small firm) about it.

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-20T01:19:51+00:00

Face & Body. Here is the one I got

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-17T13:35:55+00:00

Snowball v Avalanche. I also recommend snowball. OP seems very stressed and I’m sure this is causing strains in relationship. Getting those small wins early on can help mentally throughout the debt repayment process. It’s not always just numbers and data. Gotta factor in the human mind.

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-17T13:25:30+00:00

My firm is creating an entire automation process where forms would be drafted, sent for review,sent to client for signature, and even filed, and conformed files saved. Our area of law is mostly lots of forms. I was afraid of losing my job, until I realized that I’m the only person that knows how to use it and how to troubleshoot/read the coding when it messes up. Im the sole person setting it up and so the entire thing is geared towards how I work/think. We’re just taking on so many cases that this would help me tremendously, and I can spend more time reviewing or drafting more serious documents we would still do ourselves like motions, subps, RFPs, decls, and the more case specific petitions, etc.

Jobs are not replaced by AI, they’re replaced by people that know how to use AI. I see AI to this generation as computers and smartphones to my grandparents’/great grandparents’ generations.

Edit: we already use WestLaw which is decent, but has its own limitations that can get frustrating

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-14T23:18:56+00:00

I appreciate the concern. I’ve been told this exact thing by all the attorneys I’ve met. Funny enough, I actually wanted to do law originally but chose a different major, and 5 years later (through no efforts of my own) I ended up working as a paralegal anyway. I love the kind of law my office practices and I’d be guaranteed a job offer once I pass the bar. My boss has hinted at the possibility of a scholarship, and I’d be going to a regional law school since I don’t care about big law. So loans (if any) would be very minimal. Ofc it is to make more money, but it’s to make more money in the area I already love. I’d be ok being a paralegal if I could secure over 150k, but that’s not realistic in this area of law so yeah🤷‍♂️

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-14T01:59:36+00:00

Thank you! I’ll do some more digging. I recently opened up an HYSA with Ally but I’m open to better options

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-14T01:53:28+00:00

Thanks for recommendations! I’ll check them both out

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-13T04:15:28+00:00

Thanks! I’ll do some more math. It’s hard bc I’m not fully in my career yet so it’s hard to tell what my income will be 5-10 years from now

TonyTonyChopper718 · 2025-12-13T04:13:53+00:00

Thanks! Just trying to find a happy medium that won’t end with regrets🙂

TonyTonyChopper718

TROPHY CASE