You use a term ‘LA” which I did not and don’t use. Paralegals and Legal Secretaries are specific job titles. An ‘LA” which I assume you mean Legal Assistant, could be anyone who works in the office, makes copies, gets coffee, distributes mail.
As the principal of a law firm, I’ll not pay attorneys $200,000 per year(or more) to type contracts and do closing papers, and file motions that a Paralegal or legal secretary can do. We don’t have junior associates like the big firms, our full-time attorneys generally are family members or promoted from within the firm. In fact our non-Jewish senior attorneys started as paralegals and or investigators. Until I retire, there will be no partners in CTL firm, then the partners will be my children and in-laws. I am willing to hire non-family members, but they know from the interview that they will never be a partner. This is just not our model and I have no reason to change. I prefer to limit the size and scope of the firm…it’s my name and my reputation.
I also won’t bill clients the $300-750 per hour that our attorneys bill for work that should be done and be billed at paralegal or legal secretary rates. Firms that do so are taking advantage of their clients.,