Inside Look: Jordan Moore’s Journey As A Paralegal At MFL

Jordan: I used to want to be a lawyer when I was younger and all throughout college. When it was time to graduate, I decided I was going to take a gap year between graduation and law school, just to test the waters a bit. I had some experience in the legal field, as I was a Court Appointed Special Advocate during my last two years of school and had previously interned at the City Attorney’s Office in Mesa County, but I was still feeling a little unsure. I decided to work at a family law firm right out school doing very basic work for them for a few months, but it didn’t seem to give me much direction.

After that, I decided to take a job at a much larger law firm. I decided that being a lawyer was probably not the path I wanted to go down anymore. That was a hard pill to swallow, considering I had been planning on going to law school for many years. When I was deciding what I should do next, I realized being a paralegal would give me the best of both! I could be involved in the field with real responsibilities, while not having all the pressures of being a lawyer.

Jordan: Well, for one, I think a lot of law firms are still in the dark ages when it comes to how they treat paralegals. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be looked at as someone’s assistant, or if I would be doing real and meaningful work. At MFL, I get to do real and meaningful work and I am very grateful for that. MFL treats its paralegals properly and respectfully, and I will forever have high standards as a paralegal because of that.

Aside from that, I really didn’t know what to expect in a paralegal role. I went from a smaller family law firm with not much guidance, to a very large corporate law firm. Both paralegal roles were very different, so I really did not know what I was signing up for. I thought I’d have more administrative tasks, but my role is much more focused on the legal side, which is preferred.

Jordan: There are a lot of key skills that are essential for a paralegal role. Paralegals need to have strong reading/writing skills, time management, organizational skills, strong attention to detail, communication, etc.  All the classic skills you’d assume anyone needs working in the legal field.

However, more specifically to family law, I think the most important skills are client management and the ability to build good relationships with your clients. Family law is tough because a lot of your clients are going through extremely difficult times and a lot of frustrations can be taken out on us. It’s important to understand that this is rarely personal, and you need to continue to show up for your clients every day. This is something I have been working on for some time and will continue to work on.

Jordan: Honestly, from my own personal experience, no. It’s a great job to learn while actually doing the job because every law firm has different expectations. From a general perspective though, I think anyone stepping into a paralegal role should already have some of the above-mentioned skills down.

Jordan: I think the biggest challenge is learning how to successfully “manage” clients. I can struggle with setting boundaries, so that can be hard for me. Thankfully, the firm and my peers have been great at helping me with that. Another common challenge in my day to day is dealing with stressful cases. We can have some intense/sad cases come through, and that can be difficult to deal with some days.

Jordan: Client interactions can be really difficult sometimes. You need to have clear communication with your clients throughout the duration of their case. Along with communication, you also need to be able to show empathy and support to your clients. Your relationship with your client can go a lot further if you are able to show them understanding and compassion, as most family law matters are extremely emotionally charged. A huge part of my job is just listening and trying to understand what they are going through.

Jordan: At the time, it was not a huge factor, but I was really happy to hear the firm was exclusively using Apple products. However, the technology is super helpful, and I like the direction we are going. I am definitely still learning all the technology aspects of my job!

Jordan: I would say it’s important to decide what kind of firm you want to end up at. I don’t think I would do well at a super rigid corporate law firm, but a lot of people would thrive in that atmosphere. I love the atmosphere of Modern Family Law because it’s overall fun, and supportive, and takes some of the stress of dealing with family law away.

Jordan: I have not looked to many resources outside of the firm, but I know there are plenty of great resources out there. There are some paralegal courses out there and that could really benefit a lot of new paralegals!

Jordan: I have a very healthy work-life balance, and I attribute a lot of that to the firm. The firm is very supportive of maintaining a healthy balance and that is rare to see in the legal field. I like to shut my mind off from work when I am done for the day. I also make sure to make time for personal activities/trips to avoid any burnout when I see fit.  

Every paralegal will figure out what works best for them, but I have very clear to-do lists daily, which helps me focus during the day and make sure I am completing what needs to be done on time. I am also constantly reviewing deadlines to make sure I am ahead of them. If your workload becomes too high, you should communicate with your attorney/manager and figure out a better solution.  

Jordan: Being a paralegal can be a really great career option if you want to be involved in the legal field. I also think it is a great role to do for a few years before becoming an attorney if that is something you are interested in, because it will lay a solid foundation and give you exposure to what the attorney role looks like. Just make sure to take the time to figure out where exactly you want to be, because the wrong firm could really impact your happiness!