One key aspect to being a Paralegal is mobility. Never get tied down to one physical location for your workspace. I've moved from one desk to another more times than I care to remember, frequently because new associates arrived and needed office space. Throughout these experiences, there have been some painful lessons learned...
Don't have any more personal effects at work than you can carry in a single box. Not only does this make moving to another desk simpler and faster, it also comes in handy if you get terminated or quit with no warning.
Always keep backups of important non-case-related documents either on a personal e-mail account that you can access through the internet, or a thumb drive. Networks crash, and the first thing a law firm does after your employment ends is to change your password.
NEVER store anything on your work PC's hard drive. I once had a PC upgraded with no warning and lost a lot of important forms. When a law firm takes a computer out of service, the IT folks typically drill holes through the hard drive to make it unreadable. That usually happens within 24 hours.
IT folks love to wipe old data on the network that isn't part of a specific case file (usually anything over 180 days). It helps them put off expensive and time-consuming server and storage upgrades. (Anyone who has tried to explain a litigation hold to computer geeks knows that special level of hell.) This will likely include your personal storage folder on the firm's network.
NEVER tell anyone that you like your particular location. EVER. Because someone will suddenly "need" your space for something and move you into a storage closet or sub-basement. (Think Milton, the Red Stapler guy in Office Space. I've been there, but without the arson.) That rule is #3 after Death and Taxes.
1 comment:
Duly noted, my good man, duly noted!!
Signing off,
Peril P. Eagle
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