Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Professional Profile: Virginia M. Burrows, CLAS, NCCP & NCBA PD's 2010 Distinguished Paralegal

By Lynne DeVenny

Employer: K&L Gates LLP, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Years of Paralegal Experience: Since 1982 ? 28 years this summer

Specialty Areas: Commercial Real Estate

Career Highlight: Receiving the 2010 Distinguished Paralegal Award from the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division

Paralegal Practice Tips:

1. Find and USE a mentor who is a consummate professional with wonderful leadership qualities. Try hard to emulate that person. Even better ? find several mentors.
2. Never stop learning. Attend Continuing Paralegal Education events but also learn on your own by reading magazines, newspapers, books, etc., whatever is available to you.

Favorite Internet Resource: This is a hard question as I use so many web sites for different reasons. I guess I would have to say NETR Public Records Online Directory (http://publicrecords.netronline.com/).

Favorite Legal Software: Net Deed Plotter ? a map drawing software for real estate professionals (http://www.deedplot.com/)

Do you use social media resources, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or blogs, for career and/or case development? I use LinkedIn for career contact information and to find people with whom I have lost track. I also use the North Carolina Bar Association Real Property Section list-serv. I?m not sure if the latter is considered ?social media?, but it is most certainly a wonderful resource.

Fun Fact: I entered a typing contest in high school ? took first place at my school, first place at the county level, and third place at the state level ? 125 words per minute with 1 error ? on a manual typewriter no less! Wish I could consistently do that now.

Favorite Quotes: It varies from time to time and subject to subject, but at the moment they would be:

1. "Take that first step in faith . . . you may not see the whole staircase, but take that first step." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap . . . but by the seeds you plant!" - Robert Louis Stevenson

Professional Link: http://www.linkedin.com/in/virginiaburrows

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I've had the pleasure of getting to know Virginia while serving with her on the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division Council. I'm in awe of her intellect and her generous service to the paralegal profession over many years. (I'm pretty sure she's forgotten more than I'll ever know.) Therefore, I was thrilled to be sitting right beside her at the reception when she was given the 2010 Distinguished Paralegal Award by NCBA PD. If you're looking for a paralegal to emulate, Virginia is an outstanding choice.

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on June 29, 2010 (boomark / email).