Happy Paralegal Week!!!!!

Alright everyone...this year Paralegal Week is Oct 1-7 Don't believe me, well check it out...
http://data.memberclicks.com/site/ncapa/Paralegal%20Week%20Proclamations%202007.pdf

That's right folks, it's official...well it has been for about 3 years…that’s neither here nor there, the simple plain truth of the matter is we paralegals rock-it!

Quit your eye rolling and heavy sighing. We totally do. Sure most sit there and think, "legal assistant???" and kinda smirk. It's as if they're thinking, "you're nothing but a glorified secretary". Well you know what I have to say to that? "Good". I could be (and have been) called worse things so call me a secretary, see if I care. I'm not going to be upset over it, and I'm not thinking of the comment as disparaging either.

But let me tell you just this...I don't know many secretaries who hang out at the office till 12 am finishing up on a clients case because they feel the 'responsibility' laying heavy on their shoulders. Nor do I see a billable requirement for a secretary and neither do I see secretaries looking as glassy eyed and hallow-cheeked as most of us (of course there are exceptions).

What saddens me most though is not the lack of general appreciation that comes from our work partners in the profession, but it's from the paralegals directly. You sort of come to accept the fact that attorneys often look past you as if you're not there until they need something and then they can't get enough of you and that the best most wonderful thing since sliced bread is you, this you accept after a lot of bitter pill swallowing. However what's up with our fellow professionals? Why do other paralegals scoff at the concept of Paralegal Week? What’s wrong with a bit of appreciation? For us life-timers, it’s good to know that we’re being recognized for the countless hours of time and pride, we put into our work, not to mention the birthdays, dinners, bedtimes, happy hours, holidays that are skipped over become some stupid west coast client decides he/she/it just absolutely positively is dying for something to be done by THEIR COB!!!

Come on people…wake up, take pride in your work…no job is too insignificant (even if we do spent every single day of our lives bates labeling and copy checking!), just ask your work partners when you’re NOT around how they feel about you and they have something to get out the door. *grin*

So….go find your paralegal, smile at her/him and say with a goodly amount of appreciation in your voice, “Happy Paralegal Week”.