e-Discovery Paralegal? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hi all,

I am a recent college graduate, and I was interested in getting some work experience prior to attending law school and applied to local paralegal gigs and landed an interview for an e-discovery paralegal position. I was wondering how this position differs from a regular paralegal position, and whether assisting attorneys with discovery develops any substantive skills that can be transferable to law school etc.

I have read all over the forum that discovery is basically document review, but I want to know what I am signing up for. Is this good work experience prior to law school, or would It be better to do something else (an alternative job I have lined up is being an administrative assistant for a university).

[QContinuum]

whether assisting attorneys with discovery develops any substantive skills that can be transferable to law school etc.

No. Law school is quite divorced from the actual practice of law. The main advantage of gaining WE before law school is to gain maturity and perspective, and perhaps also an inside look into what it's like in BigLaw or PI. No job is going to give anyone a head start on law school.

would It be better to do something else (an alternative job I have lined up is being an administrative assistant for a university).

Unless you're interested in becoming an e-discovery staff attorney/doc review contractor after law school, I'd lean in favor of the administrative assistant gig. That gig will almost certainly be LOADS easier than the e-discovery paralegal gig. Academic admin positions are generally pretty cushy. The e-discovery gig might very well work you to the bone.

[Anonymous User]

No. Law school is quite divorced from the actual practice of law. The main advantage of gaining WE before law school is to gain maturity and perspective, and perhaps also an inside look into what it's like in BigLaw or PI. No job is going to give anyone a head start on law school.

Unless you're interested in becoming an e-discovery staff attorney/doc review contractor after law school, I'd lean in favor of the administrative assistant gig. That gig will almost certainly be LOADS easier than the e-discovery paralegal gig. Academic admin positions are generally pretty cushy. The e-discovery gig might very well work you to the bone.

Wow, was not expecting those answers. I graduated a little older than most people, and have some work experience, so maturity levels should not be a problem. The paralegal position is 9-5 and no OT. Doesn't seem that bad of a deal unless the employer is hiding something from me. Isn't discovery a major thing in trial work and civil litigation matters? I thought this would be a great opportunity to get exposed to that area (was interested in plaintiff class action work).

[Aptitude]

No. Law school is quite divorced from the actual practice of law. The main advantage of gaining WE before law school is to gain maturity and perspective, and perhaps also an inside look into what it's like in BigLaw or PI. No job is going to give anyone a head start on law school.

Unless you're interested in becoming an e-discovery staff attorney/doc review contractor after law school, I'd lean in favor of the administrative assistant gig. That gig will almost certainly be LOADS easier than the e-discovery paralegal gig. Academic admin positions are generally pretty cushy. The e-discovery gig might very well work you to the bone.

Wow, was not expecting those answers. I graduated a little older than most people, and have some work experience, so maturity levels should not be a problem. The paralegal position is 9-5 and no OT. Doesn't seem that bad of a deal unless the employer is hiding something from me. Isn't discovery a major thing in trial work and civil litigation matters? I thought this would be a great opportunity to get exposed to that area (was interested in plaintiff class action work).

Paralegal positions vary greatly depending on the practice area and firm. There are practices like estate law planning, or personal injury that is very dependent on non-Attorney labor. There are also practices like criminal law for the government where there is a very clear divide and difference in work. Some paralegals do menial, repetitive work. While others do some pretty complex work and know there practice areas better than some attorneys, the equivalent of non-commissioned officers in the army.

The E-Discovery position will likely be very boring (menial, repetitive). You're better off seeing if you can get a legal assistant or paralegal position at a small firm in a practice area you're interested in getting a feel for the practice of law. I had a couple classmates do a couple years as a paralegal in top firms, that gave them some perspective of the work too.

You're likely not going to get much in an E-Discovery position, aside from reviewing documents on a low level. Any work more interesting than that in the department will go to a JD holder. I'd guess you'll mainly determine whether something might be relevant, and you'll scan documents. The university position will probably be way more interesting and fun.

[QContinuum]

Wow, was not expecting those answers. I graduated a little older than most people, and have some work experience, so maturity levels should not be a problem. The paralegal position is 9-5 and no OT. Doesn't seem that bad of a deal unless the employer is hiding something from me. Isn't discovery a major thing in trial work and civil litigation matters? I thought this would be a great opportunity to get exposed to that area (was interested in plaintiff class action work).

Well, if you want to do it, you should go for it. I just think it's more likely you'll have downtime during the workday at your 9-5 university gig than at your 9-5 paralegal gig. The university administrators I've known have always seemed to have pretty cushy lives.

[Anonymous User]

Paralegal positions vary greatly depending on the practice area and firm. There are practices like estate law planning, or personal injury that is very dependent on non-Attorney labor. There are also practices like criminal law for the government where there is a very clear divide and difference in work. Some paralegals do menial, repetitive work. While others do some pretty complex work and know there practice areas better than some attorneys, the equivalent of non-commissioned officers in the army.

The E-Discovery position will likely be very boring (menial, repetitive). You're better off seeing if you can get a legal assistant or paralegal position at a small firm in a practice area you're interested in getting a feel for the practice of law. I had a couple classmates do a couple years as a paralegal in top firms, that gave them some perspective of the work too.

You're likely not going to get much in an E-Discovery position, aside from reviewing documents on a low level. Any work more interesting than that in the department will go to a JD holder. I'd guess you'll mainly determine whether something might be relevant, and you'll scan documents. The university position will probably be way more interesting and fun.

Its with a local product liability defense firm (its clients are huge though), and my only problem is that there is not much work around in the state I am in and this might be the best option around. Another option was being a file clerk. The file clerk position is part time though, no benefits, nothing, and obviously low pay.

[splitinfinitives]

From personal experience, it certainly can lead to that. However, not if the role is very narrowly defined to e-discovery and not if you are unable to prove yourself on other projects. I started in a position like that, currently I:

1. Draft emails to opposing counsel from V10 firms.
2. Draft motions, mpas, rogs, rfps, subpoenas, memos, etc.
3. Interview witnesses.
4. Manage multiple expert witnesses, discovery vendors, and review teams.
5. Attend & advise at strategy meetings.

That is a highly unusual outcome and nearly everyone else in my job role does not get to do these things. The reason that I do them is a lot of hard work proving myself and a lot of useful experience gained through an in-house legal position (which I recommend doing first).

Still, I think e-discovery experience will make you more valuable in the future if you want to go for litigation. If you actually get very good at it, you can be a huge asset. Plus, most attorneys would rather have someone else talk to the discovery guys-- if you can be the person who relieves them of that task, they are going to be happy about it.

The danger is if you get stuck on the discovery attorney/doc reviewer track. That's why I think a more general position in-house at a good legal department is a much better way to begin. Particularly, one that could become a client.

[hpntq]

From personal experience, it certainly can lead to that. However, not if the role is very narrowly defined to e-discovery and not if you are unable to prove yourself on other projects. I started in a position like that, currently I:

1. Draft emails to opposing counsel from V10 firms.
2. Draft motions, mpas, rogs, rfps, subpoenas, memos, etc.
3. Interview witnesses.
4. Manage multiple expert witnesses, discovery vendors, and review teams.
5. Attend & advise at strategy meetings.

That is a highly unusual outcome and nearly everyone else in my job role does not get to do these things. The reason that I do them is a lot of hard work proving myself and a lot of useful experience gained through an in-house legal position (which I recommend doing first).

Still, I think e-discovery experience will make you more valuable in the future if you want to go for litigation. If you actually get very good at it, you can be a huge asset. Plus, most attorneys would rather have someone else talk to the discovery guys-- if you can be the person who relieves them of that task, they are going to be happy about it.

The danger is if you get stuck on the discovery attorney/doc reviewer track. That's why I think a more general position in-house at a good legal department is a much better way to begin. Particularly, one that could become a client.

Hey, sorry for the late reply. This is a great post, thanks.

This will most likely be permanent discovery position on the defense side. I hope if I do well I can ask to move and explore other paralegal work like drafting motions and all the stuff you mentioned up top. But at the end of the day this gig is meant to allow me to get some work experience and study for the LSAT. You last paragraph scares me a little bit, I really hope this experience does not pigeonhole me after law school to become a discovery attorney or something like that (not that there is anything wrong with being a discovery attorney).

[Alive97]

I really don't think it is the case that pre-law e-discovery work would pidgeonhole you into doc review work as a lawyer. If you're going for biglaw associate, grades will simply be the biggest factor to get the job, and associates don't do pure doc review. You'd be lumped in with the rest of the associates in terms of determining which practice areas you work in. You'd only become a doc review attorney if you couldn't find any other legal job, not because you had e-discovery experience prior to law school.

Also the above claim that as an e-discovery paralegal you'd only be doing low level doc review is probably wrong. It's definitely not the case that all e-discovery work that does not consist of low-level doc review goes to JD holders. The job description or interview would explain your job duties better but in all likelihood, you'll gain practical e-discovery skills apart from doc review. And that is where e-discovery experience would be valuable - going into litigation at a big firm. You would have some legitimate practical skills that others do not, and you'd probably already have done some of the same work you'll do as a junior associate.

Personally, if you intend to go to law school and your choice is paralegal or admin assistant, I would go with paralegal hands down. It's probably not going to make a difference in terms of getting into law school, but it will make a difference in your practical skills and your assessment of whether you actually want to go to law school.

If you want to PM me the job description, I could elaborate on what your role would be.

[hpntq]

I really don't think it is the case that pre-law e-discovery work would pidgeonhole you into doc review work as a lawyer. If you're going for biglaw associate, grades will simply be the biggest factor to get the job, and associates don't do pure doc review. You'd be lumped in with the rest of the associates in terms of determining which practice areas you work in. You'd only become a doc review attorney if you couldn't find any other legal job, not because you had e-discovery experience prior to law school.

Also the above claim that as an e-discovery paralegal you'd only be doing low level doc review is probably wrong. It's definitely not the case that all e-discovery work that does not consist of low-level doc review goes to JD holders. The job description or interview would explain your job duties better but in all likelihood, you'll gain practical e-discovery skills apart from doc review. And that is where e-discovery experience would be valuable - going into litigation at a big firm. You would have some legitimate practical skills that others do not, and you'd probably already have done some of the same work you'll do as a junior associate.

Personally, if you intend to go to law school and your choice is paralegal or admin assistant, I would go with paralegal hands down. It's probably not going to make a difference in terms of getting into law school, but it will make a difference in your practical skills and your assessment of whether you actually want to go to law school.

If you want to PM me the job description, I could elaborate on what your role would be.

sent pm