A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Anyone transitioned from MT to paralegal? - nat

Posted: Aug 28, 2014

Hi:

I will be layed off at the end of the year and needed to find a new career field. Has anyone transitioned to a paralegal job or know of someone who does this for a living?

Looking for some tips on the job and an accredited school.

Thanks in advance for your help.

You do NOT transition - nn

[ In Reply To ..]
Going from MT to paralegal is comparing apples to oranges. Do you have any legal background? It's not just watching television. Paralegals do basically the "grunt work." Researching etc, having to make sure documents are PERFECT before they are presented on the docket etc. Again because of confidentiality, not really a job that can "be done from home."

Stop and REALLY think about the fact that law is "specialized." Different areas of the law require different language. As a paralegal, you have to be available -- OOPS just got testimony that needs to be added to a deposition and we are presenting the case in 12 minutes - want pressure - -have fun -- that and keeping up on statutes etc and of course, with EVERYTHING, it varies from state to state so, "client" could be in one state and attorney in another -- have fun!

A little information that - I hope may help

[ In Reply To ..]
I actually worked as a paralegal/legal assistant/legal secretary BEFORE MT and transitioned from legal to MT. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and in fact, it was because my son was still in elementary school and it allowed me the flexibility to participate in his activities and events.

Unfortunately, getting back into legal, even for me who actually got a degree in legal secretarial science, is almost impossible. A lot has changed in the 20 years that I have been doing MT. At the time I left the legal field for what at the time were greener pastures, I could still get grandfathered into paralegal certification by the state. Needless to say that door closed a long time ago, and at the time I did not have the money to pay the necessary state fee for the certification (I was a penniless paralegal for a plaintiff personal injury firm working for 4-5 attorneys who each had 150 active cases). When I left the field, filings were still being done with runners at the courthouse. A lot has changed, including the institution of electronic filing with the mere strike of a key. I can't even get anyone to give me the time of day, and I was very good at what I did. So, just know that it may be an uphill battle, but definitely one worth fighting. The pay could be very good if you are fortunately enough to work for an insurance defense firm (mainly because their clientele pay retainers, while by contrast a lot of plaintiff work is contingency and requires no money to be paid until the case settles). Look to your local colleges and universities for information on their paralegal programs. I know locally where I live the university had a paralegal program that was done like a weekend marathon for 6 weekends.

Being a paralegal can be very different depending on the type of work done and who you work for. When I said stay away from the plaintiff firms that do personal injury, it is because they don't pay as well and they will work you to death. But... you can often learn a lot more in that environment if you have the constitution. If you are up to it, what you learn you can take with you to the next job and your skills developed may put you well above any of your future competitors for the available paralegal jobs. Additionally, a paralegal with a good medical background can often garner a better position and much better compensation because you would still cost a firm less than an RN hired to review medical records.

If it is possible to go through your local university or community college to get the training and certification, that is what I would recommend. I would only resort to the online diploma mills as a last resort, and check your state laws regarding certifications and degrees.

I apologize for the length of this, but truly hope that helps in some way. At this point, I would myself jump at the opportunity to get back into legal, if only I could get the chance.

You might also want to look into what benefits for educational reimbursement you may have that you could exercise now, or what community resources you may be eligible for, i.e., job retraining. Definitely let them lay you off so that you can get every benefit for which you are eligible.

I guess this was a lot more than a little information!!

This is good info. My SIL is a paralegal for - almost 20 years and it is no bed of roses

[ In Reply To ..]
My SIL went through the paralegal program at our community college and it took 2 years. Because she put in the time in school, she was able to find a decent job with a pretty good law firm right off the bat. If you go for a shorter training course, it might not have as much information or as much weight with the hiring personnel.

She'll be the first to tell you that attorney's generally are jerks. She works for an insurance defense firm and has spent her whole career in that type of work. It's a lot of work and a lot of hours and after 20 years, she's now making $50k plus a year, but in the first days, it's like any industry - you have to prove yourself and start at the bottom and you'll be making start at the bottom wages.

If you like legalese and reading contracts, forms, etc., it could be a good fit for you. That kind of thing makes my eyes cross, quite frankly. As with MT you have to be very good with detail but not so much like MT you have to be VERY good at multi-tasking and working for several different attorneys at once with a lot of different deadlines.

Let's not forget about office politics. Wow, let's not forget about office politics. Did I mention the part where lawyers can be jerks?

You also have to typically have a much better wardrobe as a paralegal that you do as an MT working at home. It sounds shallow, but it's something to consider.

Like the poster above said, if this is something that really interests you, go for it, but do you research into the training programs and what their rate of placement is for the people who graduate the program.

Wardrobe - Do not worry

[ In Reply To ..]
Oh my, I might have to get some new clothes for the office; think I'll skip trying to learn anything new. Yes it sounds shallow and about #999 on a list of 1000 things to consider. Don't know if you have ever given it any thought, but there are jerks in every office and in every profession, there are certainly no shortage of them in the medical world. Also, I could write a book on office politics in medical offices, particularly on site medical transcription departments. To the OP, I say go for it and good luck, find a good program and learn all you can. Maybe you can do an internship at an attorney's office while you are in school. My cousin is a paralegal but I don't know very much about what she does. She didn't like medical transcription. I don't think her job is any bed of roses, but very few jobs are.

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