I don't think this article accurately conveys the importance of paralegals (and it completely ignores secretaries). I'm pretty sure that it's always a bad move as a first-year to assume you know more than the support staff. They know more than you do about the actual practice of law, they can do it better, and are smarter (if for the simple reason they're not stupid enough to work crazy hours).

And whatever you do, don't piss off the people in the typing pool.