|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
PLS Home
> Marketing Education Today
> Over 40
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Over 40 and Ready to Roll
By Chere B. Estrin
Do you know that the average age of a paralegal in Los Angeles is 38 years old? The average age of paralegal student at the UCLA Attorney Assistant Training Program is about 36 years of age? Do you know that most people entering the paralegal field are in their second, even third career? It°s true.
While some fields such as Information Technology, advertising, entertainment and other ¿happeningî fields seem to cater to the wrinkle-free generation, the paralegal, a relatively new career, seems to attract a more seasoned candidate who arrives with eons of experience. It°s a good thing, too.
Lawyers employing legal professionals need people with prior business and life intelligence. A seasoned professional who may be new to the paralegal field brings an inestimable wealth of knowledge from previous careers that have unlimited value for lawyers. Take, for example, a paralegal reviewing documents in a complex business litigation matter. Someone with years of experience in business is more likely to identify documents relevant to the case with more speed and accuracy than someone right out of college who has never held a job. Someone with a medical background can more easily work on a malpractice, products liability or toxic tort case; a former financial expert can more readily assist in a merger or acquisition; a former title officer can adapt quickly to a real estate closing; a person with insurance background hits the ground running in insurance defense; and so on and so on and so on.
Entry-level paralegal candidates concerned about age discrimination need to be more concerned about whether their computer and word processing skills, knowledge of the court systems, legal skills and professional references are current. Concern yourself with your abilities to organize and pay attention to detail along with your openness to learning new skills. Be more worried about choosing just the right paralegal school è one with a solid reputation in the legal community and whether you can be the best possible student you can be rather than whether someone will hire you because you are over 40.
Look at Rex Barney. At this writing, he is 82 years old. Recently, he was honored by the Los Angeles Paralegal Association (LAPA), for his contribution to the field. He started LAPA in 1978 when the field was just beginning to emerge. Rex was then in his late 50s. He claims he is the oldest paralegal in the country. He may beÞ.but the truth is, we love him for his knowledge, sense of humor and contribution, none of which has anything at all to do with his age.
Does age discrimination exist? You betcha. Does it exist in the legal field? Probably. Even with lawyers or people who presumably should know better? Uh, yes. Age discrimination, unfortunately, exists in every field. How do you handle it? A few years ago, a good friend interviewed with a mid-size firm specializing in business litigation. At the time, she was 56 years old with a brilliant background as a top paralegal with excellent computerized litigation support skills. In the interview, she was asked by the managing partner, ¿How do you feel about the fact that all the partners in this firm would be younger than you?î She didn°t miss a beat. ¿If what you are asking,î she replied, ¿is do I have the energy for this job, the answer is yes.î She got the job offer. She declined the job.
There are certain laws that apply to discourage age discrimination. Prior to a job offer, a candidate cannot be asked in what year they were born. You can, however, be asked what year you graduated college. For the boomer generation, today°s resume writing trend is to leave off your college graduation date. Of course, this may tip your hat to potential employers that you are over the age of 40, but frankly, just how far over 40 is anyone°s guess. It is advisable, however, to put the year you graduated paralegal school to indicate your legal skills are current.
If you do encounter what you perceive is age discrimination, you can confront the interviewer. Most likely, they will be embarrassed by getting caught, as subtle as they think they may be. Even more likely, is that by confronting them, you won°t get the job. You may want to use the ¿if what you are askingî phrase and turn the negative question into a positive answer. You may decide later that the firm is not the place for you or you may decide that the attitude of one interviewer does not reflect the entire attitude of the firm. Whatever you decide, bear in mind that age discrimination is not acceptable under any circumstances.
Your decision to enter this exciting, intellectually stimulating and rewarding field should be based on your career hopes, wants, dreams and desires and not on whether you think you are too old. Do you believe you can do the job? That°s what°s most important. When my stepmother was 78 years old, she went river rafting because she believed she could do it. When she was 80, she was President of the local Chamber of Commerce è and she did a great job. Over 40 and seeking to enter the paralegal field? Amen to that! Let°s hear it for just one of your many future commendable accomplishments!
©Chere B. Estrin 2002
Chere Estrin earned a Ph.D. in human resources from Brighten University and has owned and operated several paralegal placement companies.
|
|
|
|
