A good representative entry-level paralegal job could be in the office of a sole practitioner who deals with bankruptcy law and domestic law. Fifty to ninety percent of such a practice could be in bankruptcy. Many advertise in the Yellow Pages and take in mostly Chapter 7's (debtor). In this position, a paralegal in such an office will do virtually everything that a support person can do. In larger firms that do a greater volume of business, the job will be more narrowly described, but in both cases, there will be some constants.
- You will participate in client interviews.
- You will meet with clients to complete petitions and schedules.
- You will be assigned the drafting of routine motions, filing and organizing of case files, and preparing of a "tickler system" and/or docketing schedule.
- You will be on the phone quite a bit with creditors and you will take trips to the court to attend hearings and file petitions.
There is a personal component that should not be overlooked. Strong emotions surround this experience for your clients, so you must be a calm force in the middle of a hurricane of tension, questions, and a deep desire to just "get all this done and finished." Master the filing deadlines and U.S. Bankruptcy Rules. It also does not hurt to befriend the court clerks at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in your area. Your attorney will rely upon you to be on top of the cases with which you are entrusted. You should be able to give a quick report to the attorney asking about the status of a case.
Working for the creditor
Paralegals who work for creditors are working for clients who are business concerns, banks, or other such entities. Larger firms often have such clients, and thus the bankruptcy work sometimes naturally falls to them. This work usually involves Chapter ll's more than Chapter 7's. There is a greater emphasis therefore on cases with hundreds and even thousands of documents involving the potential demise of a business or corporation. Document control, computer and word processing skills, and big-case management come into play. In fact, the work differs vastly for a creditor- and a debtor-orientation, yet you are dealing with the same court and rules.
With creditor bankruptcy law, you will:
1. file documents and prepare motions
2. review case files and motions and be the "fact expert" on those cases (There are lots of numbers and calculations in this area; be ready for numbers.)
3. do docketing, attend hearings
4. review court files
Working for the Chapter 7 trustee
A woman who works for a Chapter 7 trustee exclaims that she enjoys the work because she "meets all the players" and gets to know lots of people. She works on a database for the bankruptcy system. She feels as if she is in the very middle of the process and enjoys bringing things to a resolution. This paralegal job requires staying on top of other people's business. "There is a relief," she says, "in not worrying about whether everything is correct before filing, and there is a sense of control in working for the trustee."
