http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/ Full-Time Working Mom/Part-Time Evening Law Student Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:20:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-1003 ptlawmom Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:11:47 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-1003 You'd think that would work, but the supervisors that have to approve such requests will not do so. I'm at a very large firm and we don't have petty cash -- everything goes through a request system. You’d think that would work, but the supervisors that have to approve such requests will not do so. I’m at a very large firm and we don’t have petty cash — everything goes through a request system.

]]> http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-992 Lise Mon, 24 Sep 2007 03:27:44 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-992 If it's required it should be paid for out of petty cash. Use the same account as you would if you had to order your boss take-out for lunch! You can't require someody to buy you a present, that's ridiculous. If it’s required it should be paid for out of petty cash. Use the same account as you would if you had to order your boss take-out for lunch! You can’t require someody to buy you a present, that’s ridiculous.

]]> http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-966 LC Sat, 22 Sep 2007 13:51:38 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-966 WTF? You are required to buy birthday cakes without reimbursement? That is so wrong. And as an attorney, I would feel so uncomfortable knowing that my assistant had to do this. WTF? You are required to buy birthday cakes without reimbursement? That is so wrong. And as an attorney, I would feel so uncomfortable knowing that my assistant had to do this.

]]> http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-951 Proto Attorney Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:42:36 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/09/21/working-with-your-legal-secretary/#comment-951 I worked as a legal secretary/paralegal for 6 years before going to law school, I whole-heartedly agree with all of that!! Especially the part about gaining the loyalty of your secretary. The last attorneys I worked for as a secretary were incredibly good to me. My first week with the firm, I had stayed 30 minutes late one night to help my boss out with a problem. My last boss would have had a snide comment about me ONLY staying 30 minutes late (the ungrateful hag), but not only did my new boss THANK me for staying, he even bought me lunch the next day. We had a great relationship the two years I worked there, and he and my other boss wrote my letters of recommendation to law school/grad school. They even went to bat for me with management to arrange for me to leave early two days a week to go to my grad school classes the last year I was there, something the other firms I'd worked for would never have allowed (Ungrateful Hag even expected me to miss my evening classes that were after work hours). Those experiences are what made me want to go back as an associate, even though I could make more money at another firm. People really underestimate the value of employee loyalty. I worked as a legal secretary/paralegal for 6 years before going to law school, I whole-heartedly agree with all of that!! Especially the part about gaining the loyalty of your secretary. The last attorneys I worked for as a secretary were incredibly good to me. My first week with the firm, I had stayed 30 minutes late one night to help my boss out with a problem. My last boss would have had a snide comment about me ONLY staying 30 minutes late (the ungrateful hag), but not only did my new boss THANK me for staying, he even bought me lunch the next day. We had a great relationship the two years I worked there, and he and my other boss wrote my letters of recommendation to law school/grad school. They even went to bat for me with management to arrange for me to leave early two days a week to go to my grad school classes the last year I was there, something the other firms I’d worked for would never have allowed (Ungrateful Hag even expected me to miss my evening classes that were after work hours). Those experiences are what made me want to go back as an associate, even though I could make more money at another firm. People really underestimate the value of employee loyalty.

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