SHOW ME THE MONEY! A Look at High Paying Paralegal Positions Contributed by Chere B. Estrin At the Washington DC Paralegal SuperConference last week, I had an interesting conversation with one of the Paralegal Administrators who teaches at the event. She told me that she was trying to hire a corporate paralegal for the firm and had just lost the candidate to another major firm who outbid her... Read more   THE SHOW MUST GO ON Evaluating the bright lights of a new job while gracefully closing the curtain on an old one. By Brad Baber It has been said that the average American worker spends a third of his or her life at work, a third sleeping and another third doing everything else. Knowing this, my advice is to invest in a comfortable mattress and get a good job. And by good job, I mean one that is personally fulfilling and financially rewarding... Read more  TEN HELPFUL JOB HUNTING TIPS FROM TWO EXPERIENCED RECRUITERS: Henry Macchiaroli & Lori Marks 1. NETWORKING: If you are not a member of the New York City Paralegal Association, Inc., www.nyc-pa.org, JOIN TODAY. If you are a member, get your money’s worth. Use the Job Board, Mentors, Education, Newsletter, etc. Read more   Ten Reasons to Belong to a Paralegal Professional Organization   1) •  Receive updates about changing conditions in the legal profession, both locally and nationally. 2) •  Get informed about new developments in the paralegal profession (changes in job requirements, current status of “issues” within the paralegal profession, new resources for legal research, etc. 3) •  Network with your peers. Meet nice people who share a common interest with you, who offer an opportunity to interact socially with people who can relate to what you do, and who might just know of a job opportunity or two (if and when you might happen to be looking). Read more

In such a dynamic and business driven city like New York, the paralegal profession is one that has been growing rapidly, becoming increasingly progressive and challenging as well more competitive in the area of compensation and benefits. The founding members of the New York City Paralegal Association believed that this was an opportune time to create a professional association that would represent and promote the interests of paralegal professionals for this region. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you the New York City Paralegal Association (NYCPA) newly incorporated on May 25, 2007. We have expanded the former Manhattan Paralegal Association and in so doing have created a viable medium for the progress and professional advancement of all paralegals working within the five Boroughs, Westchester and Rockland! Our vision is to develop a strong professional association that encourages meaningful interaction amongst entry level and experienced paralegals, as well as paralegal students. We envision that our members will engage in the exchange of insightful information and advice that will help to guide and build successful careers. To that end, our Association will be providing numerous opportunities for our members to participate in various conferences, networking events, seminars and study groups that will both aid and supplement members' legal education and be a source of information on topics affecting the paralegal profession in general and New York City paralegals in particular. We have also created an online forum through which paralegals and paralegal students can connect and network – discussing topics of interests, exchanging questions as well as providing first hand information about potential job openings. This forum is currently being hosted through yahoo groups, and is available to all paid up members. Currently, NYCPA is partnered with a number of legal employment agencies and we are working to establish a viable job bank for our members. Membership in the New York City Paralegal Association provides benefits beyond those associated with our local professional organization. Your membership dues will help us to ensure that NYCPA is represented at two key paralegal organization forums: at state level with the Empire State Alliance of Paralegal Associations (ESAPA) and at national level with the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). Among advancing our interests at those regional and national forums, the NYCPA representatives will act as a conduit for channeling information to our association on trends, policy changes, and events that may impact us professionally. Both representatives sit on the NYCPA Board of Directors. In addition, as a member of NFPA, the New York City Paralegal Association can offer its members the benefits of corporate discounts, from companies such as DHL, Hertz Car Rentals, 1-800 Flowers, as well as hotel discounts in certain cities, and enrollment into Aetna Dental Access to name a few. For those members pursuing Continuing Legal Education courses, there are also numerous discount packages available from various institutions. We at the New York City Paralegal Association hope that as serious professionals and as students currently pursuing programs that will gain you entry into this paralegal industry, you will recognize the value and advantages that are inherent in being a part of a professional organization such as ours. To help you make your decision, here is a list that summarizes our association’s goals and objectives; To promote the professional development of our paralegal members. To establish and maintain high standards of ethical conduct by members of the Association. To encourage members to donate their time services to local legal and social service agencies. To keep members current with all new developments in case law which have the potential to affect the paralegal profession. To maintain mutually beneficial working relationships with local, state and national bar associations and other paralegal associations. To offer opportunities for networking among paralegals in the New York region. To organize and conduct conferences, seminars and study groups to aid and supplement members' legal education. To provide a forum for the exchange of viewpoints on matters of professional interest. APPLICATIONS Applications can be obtained by contacting letitiamsmith@excite.com or ogierke@yahoo.com or by writing to the following address: New York City Paralegal Association, Inc. P.O. Box 4484 Grand Central Station New York, New York 10163-4484 There is a reasonable annual membership fee of $65.00 (Voting Member); $50.00 (Associate Member) or $40.00 (Student Member). Please enclose a copy of your check/money order with your completed application and return to the address above. We look forward to welcoming you into our professional association.