Paralegals – Make Your Career Recession-Proof

Want to know the best way to get ahead in tough economic times? Become irreplaceable.
“Latham Cuts 190 Lawyers, 250 Staff.” This Wall Street Journal headline from February 27, 2009 is one in a line of announcements of prominent law firms making significant layoffs due to an increasingly ramshackle economy – an economy with which none of us is experienced. While scattered job openings for paralegals offer a reminder that all is not lost, it is imperative that you understand that the best way to continue to build your career and maintain security is to do everything in your power to maintain current employment.

The Golden Rule of surviving layoffs is to ensure that when your manager is tasked with cutting staff, she knows throughout the process that there is just no way she can write your name on that line. How do you make this happen? Work toward giving her one less thing to worry about every day. Do more than what is expected. Ask for advice on how you can get better. Show a willingness to improve on your own and you will most certainly be rewarded with every opportunity to survive the layoff. 

Amy Williams, a Paralegal Manager from a prominent international firm, insists, “I strive to keep the paralegals, specialists, project assistants and paralegal assistants fully engaged. We reach out directly to the attorneys to offer our assistance. Don’t call or e-mail; show up at their door and ask, ‘What can I do to help you today?’”

Williams also stresses, “We work across practice groups on a regular basis. If one practice group is overloaded with a project or has a tight deadline and another is in need of work, then everyone comes together to work as a team to accomplish the task. Both of these methods have added benefits – increasing face time with the attorneys and creating a cohesive department.” 

Maintaining employment through a recession improves your candidacy dramatically when the market rebounds. Very good employees are laid off every day in a recession. Out-standing workers stay employed because of The Golden Rule: whoever was cutting staff at your firm made the decision that, for the good of the firm, there was no way they could include you in that layoff. Hiring managers know this as well as anyone. If you succeed in staying employed as a paralegal in this dark hour, it will be a talking point in interviews for years to come. Because looking back, it will indeed be impressive. Reminding yourself of this reality each time you enter through the doors of your firm will serve you well.

And finally, rise above those that advise you to “Hang in there.” I implore you to do more than “hang.” Defeatists everywhere are letting their work suffer as they languish in fear of the looming hangman. Those that are irreplaceable will prevail. The legal industry will be around for quite a long time. Do the necessary things each day to be sure that you stick around as well, and it will be a differentiator for the rest of your career. 

More importantly, when your firm recovers from this mess, you will have been a vital cog in that process, and just as the firm will emerge stronger, so too will you as a professional.