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Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

: Practical Paralegalism

Paralegal Profile: Charlene M. Healy, RP, Paralegals (Yahoo!) Listserv Moderator

By Lynne DeVenny

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Job Title: PACE Registered Paralegal

Employer: Sattin & Ronca LLC, Blue Bell, PA

Years of Paralegal Experience: 21

Specialty Areas: Family law currently but spent 16 years in litigation and personal injury

Career Highlight: I am the co-founder of the Montgomery County Paralegal Association. It started with 15 members and is now over 200. I was also the Primary Representative for NFPA for the Association. After a few years, I became the NFPA Armed Forces Coordinator and worked with military paralegals around the world and helped many join the NFPA. As a Veteran, it is very important to me to help service members anyway possible.

Paralegal Practice Tip: When doing PI work, never overlook the medical bills. On more than one occasion, I have found proof of an injury that was not mentioned in Emergency Room Records but the invoice showed that a brace was applied or crutches given etc.

You are an owner and moderator of the national Paralegals (Yahoo!) listserv, which you started in 1998 and which currently has over 1400 members. What inspired you to start this group?

Actually, the group was founded by Tamara Johnson. She is a fabulous paralegal and has worked some very interesting (and high profile) cases. I joined the group as soon as it was started and Tamara soon asked if I would be a co-moderator and owner since it took off so quickly. I am always interested in networking and listservs are an invaluable tool for paralegals! Our list has close to 1500 paralegals to answer your questions in a matter of minutes. And it?s free!!

Do you have a favorite discussion thread at the Paralegals group?

My favorite thread is hearing how paralegals found their first position in the field. I personally found mine by applying for a secretarial position (which I would have been horrible at) I saw in the newspaper. I was a restaurant manager and about to finish my paralegal program at Penn State when I saw the ad. I?d never worked in an office so I thought I?d try to get the law office experience before graduating. When I called to apply for the position, they asked about experience. I told them I was graduating from my paralegal program in two months and they said they were also looking for a paralegal intern. I interviewed for the intern position that was to last 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, I had my own workload and spent the next 17 years at that firm.

Favorite Internet Resource: Paralegal Gateway, http://paralegalgateway.com/

Favorite Legal Software: I don?t use any other than Outlook. I could not live without my calendar!!!

Fun Fact: I recently celebrated my 50th birthday by skydiving for the first time. (I?m attaching a picture for you)

Do you Twitter? No.

Favorite Quote: ?While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.? ~~ Stephen R. Covey

Professional Link: I mainly use listservs, so I?d have to say paralegals@yahoogroups.com!

_____________________

Charlene is one of the first paralegals I met virtually via the Paralegals (Yahoo!) listserv. I'm so glad to share her profile with Practical Paralegalism's readers - and to thank her for all she does for paralegals across the country. But now she's got me racking my brain trying to think of something half as awesome as sky-diving to celebrate my 50th birthday...

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on July 07, 2010 (boomark / email).