Apr 27, 2021
The pandemic has significantly inflated the role of paralegals. In this episode, Jaclyn Foster is with us to discuss how that is impacting law firms across the country.
Jaclyn Foster started her business during the middle of the pandemic when paralegals and legal staff alike were getting furloughed, laid off, or started working from home.
She specializes in finding 1099 senior-level paralegals nationwide, in all practice areas, to support growth in transition phase firms.
The paralegal staffing world is night and day compared to what it was pre-pandemic. Firms need to understand this to maintain their staffing growth.
Jaclyn’s clients have seen significant benefits and cost savings from going the contract route. Retention, turnover rates, payroll costs, and unproductive hours have decreased.
The paralegal job description and the view of the paralegal are changing because they've demanded attention from the American Bar Association to differentiate them from your legal assistant. Paralegals are heightened professionals in the legal industry. They're doing attorney-level work, and they're demanding that type of respect and pay compensation.
Jaclyn is teaching her paralegals that they're no longer employees. They have to keep customer service at the forefront, so they show up with a heightened level of professionalism.
Could a contract paralegal be the right fit for your firm?
What You Will Learn in this Episode
- How the pandemic has impacted the paralegal market
- The mindset difference between a contract paralegal and an employee
- The benefits that are important to employees
- How to not get your paralegal poached
- Why you need to keep your people in their "Zone of Genius."
Links and Resources
https://www.jf-paralegalservices.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-foster-60b457196/