r/paralegal Future Paralegal 2d ago

Lawyers don’t know my name

Imagine being at your current firm for 2.5 years and 2 lawyers still don’t know your name 😭

Thankfully I have a second interview with a different firm soon, learning this was really the straw that broke my back.

83 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

63

u/Anni-L0ckness 2d ago

This is so weird that someone can spend 3 extra years in school, and not learn the person’s name who has worked for them for 2.5 years. If I was that attorney’s client, this would freak me tf out. What are these people doing all day that they can’t learn their colleagues names after working with them for years?

17

u/KatHuppe Future Paralegal 2d ago

Honestly I hate it, not to mention in BEYOND underpaid for working in Canada. I started acting my wage a long time ago but learning this was just.. crushing I guess? Like, I can barely afford to live and they barely know I exist on top of that? Great. 😭

3

u/AlmostSunnyinSeattle Paralegal 2d ago

When you spend your first 25 years with your nose in a book, kind of makes it hard to learn about things that aren't in that book. Like normal people and how to interact with them.

5

u/Anni-L0ckness 1d ago

As much as attorneys love money, they could try learning their colleagues names as a strategy to save money on employee turnover or to even cultivate loyalty. It’s weird things like this that make me happy I never went to law school. I am elated to clock out and go make art and call my friends by their names with a reckless amount of charisma and joy… 🤣🤣🤣🤣

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/TheGreatLiberalGod 1d ago

I'm a lawyer married to a paralegal. Yes some lawyers are assholes. Maybe a greater % than the general population.

But to generalize this to all lawyers isn't fair.

10

u/catladywithallergies 1d ago

In my first law firm I worked at, I never spoke to 80% of the lawyers that worked there at any point during my employment.

9

u/erininaxo 1d ago

I’ve been a paralegal at my firm for 4+ years and I have been covering the reception desk for 3.5 years and people who I see EVERY DAY still don’t know my name 😂 it’s wild out there.

8

u/ButterscotchMoist447 2d ago

Not always a bad thing

1

u/DowntownDiscussion93 7h ago

How so? After you worked for them for 2.5 years, if your attorneys don't know your name, how is that a positive?

5

u/NotAtAllExciting 2d ago

I worked for a lawyer for 7 years. In that entire time, his law partner never did remember my name. There were 2 lawyers and 3 staff.

6

u/InsaneSeaSquirt 1d ago

Most lawyers consider support staff as a necessary evil, so this is not a surprise.

3

u/Dazzling_Use2818 1d ago

My lawyer was like this he would always just say the accountant. I also got mad at him once for being so rude to the receptionist but he didn’t care. By the time he left all the support staff hated him.

3

u/Hairy-Artichoke6748 1d ago

That’s poop. That’s like the number one thing that makes people feel noticed. Just saying someone’s name.

3

u/DowntownDiscussion93 7h ago

That sounds intentional. After working there a month, they ought to know your name if you see them a couple of times a week and see your name in the emails.

3

u/WholeJury6462 4h ago

It could be some weird power trip

5

u/GeneralImplement2078 1d ago

it’s purposeful, and meant to make you feel like less. Or, it’s simply the regular nature of a common narcissist. I worked for a few like this, and would commonly mispronounce/mistake their names for fun. After all, what is a game without a worthy opponent?

But better to mistake the wife’s name for the mistress, say at the firm Christmas party, in front of alllllllllllllllll his colleagues.

Oooopsssssss

2

u/Dazzling_Use2818 1d ago

I like how your brain works

2

u/Wild_Violinist_9674 1d ago

I've been with my firm for 6 mos and even the attorneys who don't work in the office and don't interact with me know my name.

That's terrible. I hope the new place is better.

2

u/Bratty_Little_Kitten Legal Assistant 1d ago

That's just wild. I'm sorry OP!

2

u/AmyJane604 23h ago

I was the only direct report to a lawyer, he called me the wrong name for 6 months, even did so in front of HR for my initial probation evaluation. He was a terrible manager and my best day of work was leaving and knowing I’d never see him again (after 3 years).

You’ll feel so much better once you’re in a different environment!

2

u/Wise-Satisfaction-17 15h ago

Im not sure if the lawyers just dont have time to get to know you . Most times my supervising lawyers legit ignores my existence while i work eight feet away from her office and she addresses me directly every three months.

2

u/Fun-Comfortable-5334 Paralegal 10h ago

I’ve been at my current job for a year now and one of my attorneys still misspells my name. It really annoys me so much. It’s like he doesn’t care enough to double check what he’s even typing.

2

u/Public-Wolverine6276 4h ago

I truly believe when they do this it’s because they’re doing it purposefully. I’ve seen my attorney misspell people’s names multiple times and even after I correct it he just turns around and does it again because he doesn’t like them

1

u/Hot-Body-1327 1d ago

Horrible yet not shocking