Entire Issue - National Association of Legal Assistants

An American Paralegal in Paris
continued from page 27
the flocks of tourists from one place to another. Shopping and
running errands are a little less convenient. Most shops and department
stores are open Monday–Saturday, and close at 7 p.m. Some
food shops are open Sunday mornings. Most everything else relating
to commerce is closed on Sundays, which gives this day a special
feeling that I really like, despite the inconvenience.
Grocery shopping at one of the many open-air markets is
one of my favorite pastimes. In each neighborhood, you can
still find “your” traditional butcher, baker, cheese shop, etc.
Great theater, opera, concerts, and exhibitions are abundant
and frequent. And the French are cinephiles. Although
fewer than when I was a student here, there are still many
small, independent movie theaters. The selection of films
showing from different countries and from different eras on
any given day is astounding. The French are not averse to subtitles,
so all non-French language films are shown in the original
language version. I was pleased when my French was finally
good enough to see an Italian movie with French subtitles.
pas à pas on va loin
Another advantage of being based in Paris is the ease with
which one can visit the rest of Europe. Rome is only an hourand-a-half
away by airplane. With the high-speed train via the
Chunnel, the journey to London is less than four hours. In
early May I spent a long weekend in Amsterdam, which was
about a four-hour car trip. Because the ambiance and cultures
are so different, I felt as if I had traveled much farther.
Being an American Paralegal in Paris can be somewhat lonely
in terms of professional camaraderie. I am always alert for the
possibility of meeting and networking with other legal assistants
on this side of the Atlantic. I recently tried to contact JoAnna
Riedy-Emery, the one NALA member we have in London who
was profiled in the March 2003 edition of the NALA Newsletter.
I plan to further research the existence or current state of
our profession in other European countries. To date I have
learned that in England, non-lawyers that are referred to as
“legal executives” seem to play an important role in delivering
certain legal services. The term “paralegal” is used in Scotland,
and the profession seems well established according to information
in the Web site of the Scottish Paralegal Association
(www.scottish-paralegal.org.uk).
A search on www.monster.co.uk for “paralegal” and “legal
assistant” within Europe provided many listings for positions
in the U.K. and a few in the Netherlands and Belgium. Many
international corporations are based in these latter two countries
because of the incentives offered by the governments to
encourage foreign investment.
As I gather more information, I would be happy to share it.
Perhaps some day we will be an International Association of Legal
Assistants—well, it could happen. May I submit an early suggestion
that Paris serve as the location of the first annual convention?
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FACTS & FINDINGS / AUGUST 2003