Paralegals & Legal Secretaries
A Paralegal's Blog 
Paralegal news, views, and information, compiled and written by a PACE-Registered Paralegal.
Post Frequency: 1.6/day Last Entry: July 14, 2009 at 06:00:00 Recent Entries: 371
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Paralegal Time Part of Attorney's Fees, Not Reimbursable Cost
Posted on July 14, 2009Because paralegal time falls within the ambit of attorney time, the attorney's fees paid as part of a lump-sum settlement include paralegal time. Case name: Demedrano v. Labor Finders of the Treasure Coast, No. 1DO6-6122 (Fla. 1st Dist. Ct. App. 05/13/09)...
Yes, the Blog Is Back
Posted on July 13, 2009Layoffs have left many paralegals struggling to find work and meaning in their lives. Paralegals who had worked for the same firm for years suddenly found themselves out on the street with a cardboard box full of the contents of their desks and a pamphlet on collecting unemployment benefits...
Lewis University Opens Paralegal Program
Posted on July 13, 2009Lewis University in Romeoville is enrolling students in its new paralegal studies program. The four-year bachelor of arts degree program is available to traditional students, as well as in an accelerated format for working adults.Informational sessions about the accelerated programs are from 5-7 p...
Kern County Paralegal Association Honors Local Professionals
Posted on July 12, 2009The Kern County Paralegal Association recently honored several professionals in the field locally.BARBARA OLDFIELD was named the group?s Paralegal of the Year. She works as a paralegal with Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb and Kimball LLP, in Bakersfield...
Paralegal Careers Touted in Military, Lottery
Posted on July 10, 2009Could being a paralegal be like winning your own personal lottery? I've been saying that for years, but if you work for the Arkansas Lottery Commission, you will cash in. A lottery paralegal makes $53,109 per year, while a paralegal for the Judicial Disability and Discipline Commission will make $34,324...
Registration for the NFPA Annual Meeting Is Now Open!
Posted on July 09, 2009Registration for the National Federation of Paralegal Association?s 2009 Annual convention is now live on the NFPA website. The Oregon Paralegal Association invites you to Come to Oregon and Be a Paralegal Pioneer at the 2009 Annual Convention being held at the Red Lion Hotel on the River at Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon from October 29th through November 1st, 2009...
Paralegal Hired to XL Insurance Aviation Division
Posted on July 08, 2009XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Capital Ltd., yesterday announced the expansion of its US Aviation operations with four new appointments to its New York-based underwriting team, including a former paralegal, Eileen Mitchell, as a Class Underwriter...
New Overtime Case Encourages Settlement
Posted on July 06, 2009A Florida paralegal left her employer, only to turn around and sue for back overtime wages. Neither she nor her attorney told her old firm that a lawsuit was coming, which resulted in annoyed appellate judges. The moral of the story? Make sure that, if you're suing for back overtime wages (or for anything else, really) that your lawyer contacts the defendant/defendant's attorney to see if settlement is a possibility...
Florida Registered Paralegal Program Is 3,000 Strong
Posted on March 24, 2009On the anniversary of the Florida Registered Paralegal program, it had over 3,000 who had registered with the state bar. In order to qualify for the FRP applicants must meet one of the following requirements: work experience or education, certification or grandfathering...
Layoffs May Be Result of Herd Mentality
Posted on March 23, 2009Snowballing layoffs may be evidence more of a herd mentality than a careful evaluation of costs and benefits, according to a business school professor.The article goes on to note that, regardless of the firm's circumstances, the similar approach to cost-cutting may have nothing to do with the realities of each firm's situation...
March Massacres Continue: More Casualties in the Legal Field
Posted on March 19, 2009In what seems to be a trend lately, firms are waiting until Thursday and Friday to make their layoffs. Today's casualties:Katten Muchin Rosenman will lay off 23 attorneys and 46 staff members.Jenner & Block has laid off 34 staff members in its Chicago headquarters and Washington, D...
In a Recession, Keep Paralegals
Posted on March 18, 2009It seems like such a good idea: in hard times, keep the lawyers and cut the paralegals. But clients think otherwise. Thanks to the economy, many clients are demanding lower hourly rates -- and taking their business elsewhere when the rates don't budge...
Smith Hired as Paralegal at Assets International
Posted on March 18, 2009Southfield, Michigan-based Assets International LLC has hired Demetrius Smith as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.A graduate of Eastern Michigan University?s paralegal program with prior probate experience, Smith?s primary concentration will be to assist attorneys Michael J...
Some Good News
Posted on March 17, 2009So far today, zero law firm layoffs have been reported. Let's all keep our fingers crossed. I just heard from one of my friends that everyone at her firm had to take paycuts. A Paralegal's Blog
Assets International Hires Huby as Paralegal
Posted on March 12, 2009More good news on the employment front: Southfield, Michigan-based Assets International LLC has hired La Tonya Huby as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant. Huby has 16 years of experience as an executive level administrator, and she also served six years in the United States Air Force...
Morris, Haynes and Hornsby Hires Paralegal
Posted on March 12, 2009A silver lining in the stormcloud of the economy: the Birmingham, Alabama office of Morris, Haynes, and Hornsby has hired Candace Nichols as a paralegal. Congratulations, Candace.(Source: The Birmingham News) A Paralegal's Blog
Paralegal Job Death-Watch
Posted on March 10, 2009I almost feel like I should rename this blog the death-watch blog, since so many legal jobs are being eliminated. Yesterday alone, starting off yet another bleak week, 731 attorneys and staff were cut across three firms: K&L Gates (36 associates, 79 staff), White & Case (200 lawyers, 200 staff), and Morgan Lewis & Bockius (55 lawyers, 161 staff...
More Layoffs, Not News Anymore
Posted on March 10, 2009Today's casualties: Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker: 44 associates, 87 staff membersChadbourne & Parke: 25 lawyersVenable: 16 lawyers, 48 staff membersIt's almost not worth blogging about anymore because the layoffs have become so commonplace...
Brutal, Bloody Week; 1,500 Casualties
Posted on March 09, 2009Last week was the bloodiest yet in the legal industry. Here's the rundown:Orrick (international, layoffs affect U.S., Asia, and Europe offices): 100 associates, 200 staffersAkin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld (Dallas): 47 associates, 57 paralegals and staff (in addition to 65 staff layoffs in January)King & Spaulding (Atlanta): 37 associates and counsel, 85 staffClifford Chance (London): 115 staffO'Melveny & Myers (international, layoffs mainly affect U...
Latham & Watkins Lays Off 190 Associates, 250 Staffers | ABA Journal - Law News Now
Posted on February 27, 2009Paralegal Profile: Nita Serrano, RP
Posted on February 26, 2009Being a paralegal is a second career for many in the field, and the transition is often jarring as the new paralegal works to apply skills from her previous career to her budding legal career. For Nita Serrano, RP, a paralegal at Morgenstern & Herd, P...
Paralegal Virtual Interview from Monster Career Advice
Posted on February 24, 2009If you're looking for a new paralegal position, or just wondering if your interviewing skills are up to speed (not a bad thing to test in this economy), check out this virtual interview from Monster.com. It presents you with several different scenarios and potential answers for some tough interview questions...
Radical Employment Law Changes Will Create Lots of Work for Attorneys, Paralegals
Posted on February 19, 2009Here's another great specialty that may be booming soon: employment law. With the plethora of proposed legislation, including the employee free choice act (EFCA), a new, pro-union president, and the economy, new employment litigation is bound to increase...
Layoffs Hit Connecticut Law Firms
Posted on February 19, 2009The bloodshed hit close to (my) home Thursday, as two of Connecticut's largest firm announced layoffs. Day Pitney laid off 66 staff members, 31 of whom are in Connecticut. Hartford-based Updike, Kelly & Spellacy has laid off three secretaries and two first-year associates in the Hartford office...
Union Bank Promotes Former Paralegal to Chief Compliance Officer
Posted on February 18, 2009UnionBanCal Corporation and its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., announced that Lynn A. Sullivan has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer. Sullivan joined Union Bank in 2003 as vice president managing deposit operations and was quickly transferred within Compliance to oversee all Bank Secrecy Act, Anti-Money Laundering and Office of Foreign Assets Control (BSA/AML/OFAC) initiatives...
Kramer Levin Lays Off 18 Lawyers, 21 Staff | JD Journal
Posted on February 18, 2009As expected, more layoffs today, this time from New York-based Kramer Levin. The casualties amount to 18 lawyers and 21 staff members.(Source: JD Journal) A Paralegal's Blog
Employers Not Hiring Laid-Off Lawyers as Paralegals
Posted on February 18, 2009With all the law-firm layoffs, attorneys are finding themselves looking for new jobs -- any new job, even if it's a paralegal position. Ellie Trope of Mid-City in Los Angeles, near La Brea, is an attorney who was laid off in February 2008. After a five-month stint filling in for a maternity leave, Trope found herself growing desperate: "she reluctantly decided to lower her expectations and began applying for jobs as a contract administrator, an office administrator and a paralegal...
Former Paralegal Is New Mall GM
Posted on February 17, 2009The Independence Mall in Kingston, Massachusetts has a new General Manager, one with 20 years of property management experience. Doreen Lang, a doctoral candidate and former paralegal, has been in charge since last month and is seeking new ideas to keep the mall competitive in the midst of a recession...
Easy Soft Launches Easy HUD 3.0
Posted on February 17, 2009Easy Soft has launched their real estate closing software product, Easy HUD 3.0. The product has been updated to meet all RESPA Final Rule requirements that took effect January 16, 2009 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.The process for buying a home has been the same since 1974...
Looking for a New Specialty? Think Foreclosure
Posted on February 16, 2009Foreclosure rates are increasing in the wake of the recession, and 5.9 million foreclosures are expected for the next four years, according to BusinessWeek. Brunswick County in North Carolina has seen an 85% increase in foreclosures since 2007.(Source: WWAY News Channel 3 A Paralegal's Blog
Former Paralegal Runs for Re-Election as Town Clerk and Treasurer
Posted on February 16, 2009In her own words, why she should be re-elected:Experience countsEditor of the Reformer:Dear Westminster Residents,We will be voting March 3 for our town officials, board and committee members. Two of those votes will be to elect our town clerk and treasurer, positions I have held since my appointment by the Selectboard in April 2005, and subsequent elections in July 2005 and March 2006...
ABA Midyear Meeting: CLEs Abound, Judiciary Discussed
Posted on February 16, 2009Attendees at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Boston last week had their pick of CLEs to choose from, as sessions ranged from Student Rights to Health Care for Immigration Detainees. Also included was a panel entitled "The New Administration, the New Congress and the Federal Judiciary: Judicial Appointments, Compensation, and Judicial Retention," featuring Dean Kenneth W...
CBS Writers Missed Ethics Course Regarding Paralegals
Posted on February 15, 2009With the addition of a character played by Lennie James on a yet-untitled pilot set at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, writers seemed to have missed a basic ethics course. James's character is a disbarred ADA working as a paralegal.Any self-respecting U...
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Posted on February 13, 2009Dean Kenneth W. Starr, Pepperdine University School of Law (yes, THAT Ken Starr, at the ABA Midyear Meeting sits on a panel discussing the possibities for the judiciary in the new administration. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T A Paralegal's Blog
Holland & Knight Lays Off 243
Posted on February 13, 2009Yesterday, Holland & Knight was part of the fray, laying off 70 lawyers and 173 staff members across their 21 offices. Managing partner Steve Sonberg announced the cuts in an email Thursday evening.THE AM LAW 100: Revenue Down at Holland & Knight; Firm Lays Off 70 Lawyers A Paralegal's Blog
800 Law Firm Jobs Lost Yesterday
Posted on February 13, 2009Yesterday, 800 people returned home jobless from eight different law firms across the United States. The one firm not previously reported is Cozen O'Connor, axing 61 staff members and no lawyers.Predictions are dire for law firms, and layoffs are likely to continue...
Ken Starr Speaks on Panel at ABA Midyear Meeting
Posted on February 13, 2009Dean Kenneth W. Starr, Pepperdine University School of Law (yes, THAT Ken Starr) at the ABA Midyear Meeting sits on a panel discussing the possibities for the judiciary in the new administration. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T A Paralegal's Blog
More Bloodshed: Bryan Cave Lays Off 134
Posted on February 12, 2009Adding to today's carnage is Bryan Cave LLP, laying off 58 attorneys and 76 staff today. There will be no salary increases in 2009.In addition, Epstein Becker & Green PC let go 23 attorneys and 30 staff members firmwide today.(Source: JD Journal) A Paralegal's Blog
Bloody Thursday: 4 Major Law Firms Ax Attorneys; More Layoffs at Others?
Posted on February 12, 2009The legal sector is reeling from the economy, as evidenced by what the ABA Journal is calling "Bloody Thursday": four well-known law firms have announced attorney and staff layoffs. Here's the rundown for today: Firm AssociatesStaff DLA Piper 80100 Faegre & Benson29unknown*Goodwin Proctor3836Dechert19none***An unknown number of staff members were offered "voluntary" separation packages...
E-Discovery for Government Agencies Increases in Size, Scope
Posted on February 12, 2009IE Discovery released results yesterday of its 2008 Benchmarking Study of Electronic Discovery Practices for Government Agencies. The survey is designed to gather opinions and experiences from various government attorneys, records managers, paralegals, and information technology (IT) personnel regarding their perception of e-discovery preparedness within their government agency...
ABA Midyear Meeting Is Missing Something
Posted on February 11, 2009In all the commissions and sessions planned for the ABA Midyear Meeting this week, there is something missing: non-lawyer assistants, legal assistants, and/or paralegals. With the rising cost of legal fees, the layoffs across the country (Nixon Peabody just laid off 20 lawyers and 36 staff), paralegals are key to keeping the legal profession alive...
Taming the ESI Monster
Posted on February 11, 2009Electronically stored information (ESI) is quickly becoming the bane of e-discovery as it spans everything from computer hard drives to iPods and cell phones. As illustrated by recent cases ranging from Quaalcomm and Bear Stearns, missing any of this information in the discovery process can result in sanctions...
Book Recommendation: Please Don?t Just Do What I Tell You!*
Posted on February 10, 2009In addition to being hardworking, organized, intelligent, and patient, paralegals are also expected to be proactive, especially in this economy. Bob Nelson's Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done: Every Employee's Guide to Making Work More Rewardingdescribes just how to be proactive in order to make yourself more valuable ? and in the process, be a happier employee...
Paralegal Profile: Wendy Fuller, RP
Posted on February 09, 2009For some, the Berkshire area of Western Massachusetts is merely a beautiful vacation spot, a place to indulge in spa treatments in Lenox or delight in numerous outdoor activities. For Wendy S. Fuller, RP, the Berkshires are where her legal career has flourished, beginning directly out of high school and resulting in a commitment to her education and the profession that still allows her to spend time with her favorite person, her husband of twelve years...
Law.com - Legal Sector Lost 1,300 Jobs in January
Posted on February 08, 2009In the "more bad news for paralegals" category, 1,300 legal jobs were slashed in January alone. In the past three months, 14,500 legal jobs were cut.As grimly reported by the Am Law Daily, layoff announcements were rampant at law firms across the country in January...
Housing, Racism to Be Explored at ABA Midyear Meeting
Posted on February 05, 2009The housing crisis and the role of lawyers in securing housing justice; examining the psychology of prejudice; and insights into the new administration, Congress and the federal judiciary are among issues to be discussed in programs featured at the 2009 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting, Feb...
Book Recommendation: Lessons from the Top Paralegal Experts: The 15 Most Successful Paralegals and What You can Learn from Them
Posted on February 03, 2009There are only so many times you can read about procedure before you start to ask yourself, what should I be doing, really? It's one thing to know the rules; it's a whole different ballgame when you're talking about the day to day aspects of a paralegal career...
In Praise of Paralegals in Western Massachusetts
Posted on February 03, 2009It is so heartening to see an article like this in BusinessWest, the business publication for Western Massachusetts.Bacon & Wilson, Cooley Shrair, and Skoler Abbott & Pressler were all profiled for this article describing how critical paralegals are to the success of these firms...
Paralegal Profile: Elisabeth Hiser
Posted on February 02, 2009In Kansas, paralegal Elisabeth Hiser originally went to college to become a high school math teacher. However, once she took Calculus II, her mind changed quickly. Instead, she embarked on a career as a paralegal, starting with a receptionist position at a small law firm consisting of just two partners right after her high school graduation in 1998...
Paralegals Can Serve the Public as Well as Lawyers
Posted on February 02, 2009A fantastic piece that ran on AZBiz.com on Friday, Paralegals can service the public as well as lawyers these days, describes the role of legal document assistants in Arizona.Today there is an intermediate level of professional, not a lawyer for certain but more than a secretary...
Courts Utilizing Newest Gadgets
Posted on February 01, 2009Technology is everywhere, and it is pervading every courtroom. In Mobile County, Alabama, a Federal grant has enabled information to be displayed to the jury at the flip of a switch."We finally went from the 20th century to the 21st century," said Presiding Circuit Judge Charles Graddick...
S.F. Public Defender Begs for Two Paralegals
Posted on January 29, 2009Unless San Francisco hires more paralegals, Public Defender Jeff Adachi said that he will have to turn away defendants accused of homicide and other felonies, and he will refer them to private attorneys. Private attorneys will charge the city up to $120 per hour, which could cost San Francisco over $1 million a year...
Legal Background Leads to Success in Pest Control Industry
Posted on January 28, 2009Cindy Lee Doe, President and CEO of Central Exterminating Company, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of her field, with over 30 years' experience in legal services.Doe has over 30 years of professional experience in managing business-related legal issues...
Practice of Law Definition Hits New Roadblock
Posted on January 27, 2009Hawaii state Attorney General Mark J. Bennett is speaking out against the revised rules concerning the definition of practice of law, dealing a fresh blow to the Hawaii State Bar Association's efforts. Last month, the bar association submitted a revised draft of the new definition of the practice of law, after accountants, insurance agents, real estate brokers, and other professionals accused lawyers of trying to steal their work...
One Legal Expands Online Court Filing to Five Additional States
Posted on January 26, 2009One Legal LLC has announced the expansion of its online court filing service to five additional states. Legal professionals can now upload documents to OneLegal.com and have those documents filed in select courts in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington...
City Clerk Returns to Paralegal Career
Posted on January 26, 2009Papillion, Nebraska City Clerk Jennifer Niemer has resigned after almost seven years of service. Previously a general litigation paralegal, Niemer plans to return to paralegal work, this time in the corporate arena. Niemer credits her legal background as being very helpful for the position of city clerk...
Wave Software Launches Wave University Webinars
Posted on January 26, 2009Wave Software has announced the launch of Wave University. Wave University will provide free educational opportunities through educational webinars, "lunch and learn" series, and software training webinars. ?Cutting the High Cost of eDiscovery Through Reliable Processes, People and Tools? will be presented by Dan Regard, Managing Director at Intelligent Discovery Solutions, Inc...
McAffe & Taft Names New Paralegal
Posted on January 25, 2009McAfee & Taft names J. Lynn McKay paralegal. She is a certified paralegal and will be responsible for assisting attorneys in the firm?s tax and family wealth group in matters related to wills, trusts, estate taxes, gift taxes and probate law. McAfee & Taft is one of the largest law firms in the Southwest with offices in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa...
Top Employment Law Issues for Paralegals
Posted on January 23, 2009According to this article from The Legal Intelligencer, the most common areas of employment litigation involving paralegals include failure to pay overtime, sexual harassment, violation of family and medical leave laws, and retaliation against whistleblowers...
Paralegal Layoff Watch: Cooley Axes 52 Lawyers, 62 Staff
Posted on January 22, 2009The layoffs keep coming. Cooley Godward Kronish axed 52 lawyers and 62 staff yesterday, citing the economy. The practice areas most affected by the layoffs are corporate, transactional, and public securities.However, Cooley just finished up a strong year, with 14 percent growth in revenue...
Free Live Webcast on Electronic Signature Case Law Review
Posted on January 22, 2009Silanis Technology will co-host a free, live webcast with law firm Locke Lord Bisell & Lidell LLP to review the latest case law and lessons learned involving business contracts executed with electronic signature technology. The 60-minute webcast will take place on Thursday, January 29 at 2:00 pm (EST) and focus on how to reduce contract disputes and strengthen the enforceability of electronically signed records by automating the enforcement of regulatory requirements and the capture of strong legal evidence...
Top Five Ways to Prepare for Layoffs
Posted on January 20, 2009Paralegals are not recession-proof, and the recent layoffs at firms across the United States, even at firms that made a profit, only drive that point home. When the writing is on the wall, and it's only a matter of time until the dreaded pink slip lands on your desk, it helps to be prepared...
Litworks Announces Certified Litigation Support Project Manager Course
Posted on January 19, 2009LitWorks has added a Certified Litigation Support Project Manager course to their existing training catalog. The three-day course, offered to litigation support professionals with three or more years of industry experience, is focused on improving project management skills...
Evans Elected Paralegal of the Year in Cumberland County
Posted on January 18, 2009Wanda Evans was recently elected Paralegal of the Year by the Cumberland County Paralegal Association. Evans is a paralegal with the law firm of McCauley & Person LLP.(Source: FayObserver.com) A Paralegal's Blog
Paralegal Named Chief Magistrate
Posted on January 16, 2009Traci Carper-Strickland has been appointed as Kanawha County, West Virginia's Chief Magistrate. Carper-Strickland was appointed as a magistrate in 1999 after the death of Magistrate Chuck Ferrell, then was elected in 2000 and served a four-year term. In 2007, she was appointed again to fill a vacant seat after Magistrate Janie Moore resigned...
Legal Secretaries Find Paralegal Doors Shut
Posted on January 15, 2009In this economy, it's very tempting to take a legal secretary position after being laid off, in hopes of being promoted to a paralegal position in the same firm.Don't.Most firms would rather lose their top employees than allow them to reach their potential, probably because said top employees are just too good at their current jobs, or because most lawyers don't want to interview and train replacements...
Peak Discovery Releases Upgrade to Peak Review Metrics
Posted on January 13, 2009Peak Discovery, Inc. has released an enhanced upgrade to its proprietary software, Peak Review Metrics. Peak Review Metrics measures and reports on essential data in the document review process through extracting data from the document review system and combining it with time and billing information to generate metrics for individual reviewers and the group...
Service Member of the Year Is a Paralegal
Posted on January 11, 2009The Service Member of the Year for fiscal year 2008 is Pfc. Alicia Lyman who serves as a paralegal for the 206th Military Intelligence Battalion. Lyman is originally from Naples, N.Y. and has been stationed at Fort Gordon since November 2007. She has always volunteered for additional work to help others...
Being a Paralegal Tops Being a Lawyer
Posted on January 09, 2009The Voice that tells me I should have gone to law school just got very quiet. CareerCast.com ranked "Paralegal Assistants" as having the 17th top job, out of the top 200 jobs. Lawyers ranked at 82nd. While lawyers rake in an average of $109,207, compared to a paralegal's $46,155, being an attorney comes with enough stress and anxiety to bring the rating down to 82nd place...
D.C. Firm Gets a Name Change
Posted on January 07, 2009The Washington law firm formerly known as Leventhal Senter & Lerman will now be known as Lerman Senter PLLC.The best part in this economy:[Steven] Lerman, who has been the firm?s manager since 2000, says the rest of Lerman Senter remains intact. ?Our entire legal team is staying - no staff member, no paralegal is leaving - everybody is staying...
Dagger Soldier Earns Honors as Fort Riley Paralegal Soldier of Year
Posted on January 06, 2009BAGHDAD - A Multi-National Division Soldier from the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team "Dagger", 1st Infantry Division, won 1st place in the annual Fort Riley, Kan., Paralegal Soldier of the Year competition at the 1st Inf. Div. headquarters building via video teleconference from Camp Victory...
Paralegal Turns Bankruptcy Into Cottage Industry
Posted on January 05, 2009Victoria Ring sits atop the virtual bankruptcy world. For many years, she worked as a paralegal for various local attorneys, eventually landing with several prominent bankruptcy lawyers in Central Ohio. It was during this time Ring realized she could input a debtor?s data into a bankruptcy petition from anywhere in the United States, freeing her from the constant interruptions she endured when working in a law office and letting her work for attorneys outside Columbus and Central Ohio...
License Commission Paralegal Recognized
Posted on January 04, 2009It's always nice to see a paralegal recognized for doing a good job:The 12 pages listed details about nearly 200 bars, restaurants, package stores and other establishments seeking liquor license renewals from the Springfield License Commission on Monday...
Top 10 Paralegal Stories from 2008
Posted on December 31, 2008Happy New Year! Here's a look back on the ten stories that generated the most traffic in 2008:RP Salaries Surpass AveragesFlorida Unveils Registered Paralegal ProgramLegal Secretary Talent Becoming ScarceLegal Assistant Today Announces 2007 Salary Survey ResultsParalegal Sued for UPLParalegal Outlook for 2008: We're Not Recession-ProofRoundup: New PACE Exam, New PACE Study Manual, and New Paralegal Magazine Please note that since the publication of that entry, ParalegalGateway...
Paralegal Honored by Utah Attorney General
Posted on December 31, 2008Roberta Kaneko, a paralegal working in the Utah Attorney General's office, was recognized for her work at a luncheon for the department. Kaneko, a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was honored for helping a crime victim through her testimony at trial...
Paralegals on the Move
Posted on December 30, 2008Here is a quick roundup of paralegals "on the move":In Wisconsin, paralegal Marc J. Adesso has moved to DeWitt Ross & Stevens' Brookfield office.Dallas-based Interlegis, Inc. added Brian McHughs, a former paralegal, as the company's new director of client services and operations...
Paralegal Regulation Sorely Needed
Posted on December 30, 2008Yesterday's news that a paralegal posed as a lawyer to represent a client in court illustrates the need to regulate paralegals. As it stands now, Larissa Sufaru, the paralegal in question, can resume her work as a paralegal without any fines or sanctions...
Atlanta Paralegal Specialist Wins Justice Award
Posted on December 30, 2008A paralegal specialist from Atlanta received the Director's Award for Superior Performance in a Litigative Support Role. Kimberly J. Casperson worked on the investigation and prosecution of complex cases, including the Eric Robert Rudolph serial bombing case and the prosecutions of former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell and others for bribery, tax fraud, and related charges...
Paralegals Use Strength, Skills to Raise Autistic Children
Posted on December 29, 2008After finally learning that it was autism that left her son speechless, Rose Morreale, a paralegal, turned her researching skills and "steely Sicilian determination" to creating a future for her boy. At first, she quit her job to immerse herself in caring for her son, but eight years later, she returned to work...
Censure Urged for Attorney Whose Paralegal Acted as Lawyer in Court
Posted on December 29, 2008A lawyer who sent his paralegal to court to represent a client is now facing possible censure from the Disciplinary Review Board. Neal Pomper of Highland Park, New Jersey, breached Rules of Professional Conduct 5.5(a)(2), assisting the unauthorized practice of law, and 8...
Paralegal Raises the Bar in Fairbanks DA?s Office
Posted on December 29, 2008In high school, Marja Hallsten dreamed of being an entertainment director on a cruise ship. She even went to travel school in 1984, but the 1980s intervened.Instead, she worked as an apartment manager, a legal secretary and later as a paralegal for the District Attorney?s Office, where she works today...
Chief Paralegal Promoted to Master Sergeant
Posted on December 27, 2008Dawn M. Byrnes recently was promoted to master sergeant in the U.S. Army. Byrnes is serving as chief paralegal at Panzer Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany, with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.She has attended advanced and basic noncommissioned officer course, primary leadership development course, air assault school, naval justice court reporting school, staff and faculty instructor developer course, small group instructor course and two senior paralegal conferences...
Merry Christmas!
Posted on December 24, 2008Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all my readers. Thank you for visiting! A Paralegal's Blog
Faltering Economy Attracts More to Paralegal Careers
Posted on December 22, 2008As if the news of law firm layoffs isn't enough, the paralegal job market is going to be even tighter as more adults look into paralegal careers.br /br /In Norcross, Georgia, Avaya is closing their plant and call center (and moving the jobs to India and Canada), leaving 120 people unemployed...
LSUC Budget Introduces Fee Increases for 2009
Posted on December 21, 2008Last month, the governing body of the Law Society of Upper Canada approved its 2009 budget, complete with fee increases of 3% for lawyers and 6.5% for paralegals. The fee for a practicing lawyer will increase $50 from $1,653 to $1,703, and the fee for a licensed paralegal will increase $55 from $845 to $900...
Public Defense Costs Increased to Hire Paralegal
Posted on December 17, 2008div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'While the increase in court cases in Lincoln County, South Dakota will mean higher public defender fees, it will also mean that Peterson and Stuart Attorneys at Law will see an increase in their public defender contract from $3,000 per month to $8,000 per month...
Associates Vie for Paralegal Tasks
Posted on December 15, 2008Associates are feeling the economic crunch in the form of their billable hours, and without enough work to do, more associates are vying for tasks traditionally done by paralegals. Not only are they volunteering for document reviews and deposition digests, but in some cases, these associates are forced to do paralegal work as their firms lay off staff...
Indiana Paralegals Receive Registered Paralegal Designation
Posted on December 15, 2008Connie Cassady of The Koch Law Firm, P.C. in Bloomington, Indiana and Lori M. Craig of Barrett & Associates in Bloomington have both passed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam given by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations.Cassady was the 2008 recipient of the Indiana Paralegal Association/IKON PACE scholarship...
NC Paralegal Certified by State Bar
Posted on December 14, 2008Sheri Elizabeth Varner, a legal assistant with the law firm of Brinkley Walser PLLC in Lexington has attained paralegal certification from the N.C. State Bar. She joined Brinkley Walser in April 2008.(Source: Winston-Salem Journal) A Paralegal's Blog
Paralegal Enjoying Fourth Military Deployment
Posted on December 13, 2008As a military paralegal, Staff Sgt. Chad Darby, military justice non-commissioned officer in charge at the 16th Sustainment Brigade Judge Advocate's Legal Services Center, is experiencing a more peaceful kind of employment."I'm not being shot at," said the 34-year-old former infantryman from Zanesville...
Women in eDiscovery Exceeds Fundraising Goal for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Posted on December 11, 2008Women in eDiscovery, a non-profit organization committed to providing information and education as a public service to the legal community, has exceeded its fundraising goal for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The organization raised more than $52,000 across six chapters...
Adopt a Lawyer? Sure!
Posted on December 08, 2008Billable Hours Unlimited, Ltd. has released "My Pet Lawyer," a remote-controlled programmable toy that they promise will be hours of fun. Described as "your very own remote-controlled personal pit bull on an electronic leash," the toy features nine pre-recorded messages ranging from "You talkin' to me, sharkbait?!" to "Pro Bono? Never heard of him!" The toy can also be personalized with messages recorded by the user...
Paralegal Specialist Travels Long, Hard Road to Iraq
Posted on December 05, 2008by Army Staff Sgt. Jim GreenhillNational Guard BureauBombs, violence and death were part of Titus Abure?s boyhood. He fled the Republic of the Sudan as a 16-year-old refugee. His father died in Sudan?s civil war. So this Army National Guard specialist says an Iraq deployment isn?t much of a hardship...
Paralegal Alleges Discrimination Based on Pregnancy
Posted on December 02, 2008Jeanne Marshall, a paralegal formerly with Siegfried & Jensen in Salt Lake City, Utah, filed suit in the U.S. District Court claiming pregnancy discrimination. She alleges that, when she returned from a month-long medical leave to deal with complications in her pregnancy, she was subjected to foul language, encouraged by a supervisor to terminate her pregnancy and divorce her husband, given no substantive work, and ultimately, had to leave the position...
Paralegal Appointed to Recreeational Trails Committee
Posted on December 01, 2008Catherine Haagen-Smit, 52, of Newcastle, has been appointed to the Recreational Trails Committee. Prior to retiring in 2007, she served as a paralegal for the Placer County District Attorney's Office from 1991 to 2007 and previously held the same position for the Placer County Public Defender's Office from 1989 to 1990...
Paralegals: Take a Survey, Win a Calendar!
Posted on December 01, 2008To kick off 2009, I'm offering nifty magnetic calendars - perfect for the fridge or to stick on your filing cabinet - to ten respondents who leave their addresses! Winners will be chosen randomly. All you have to do is take the survey! Click here to go to the survey, and don't forget to leave your name and address if you want to enter to win...
Philadelphia Paralegal Chosen as Outstanding Local Leader
Posted on November 28, 2008The NationalFederation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA) chose Renee Mazzeo asthe organization?s 2008 Outstanding Local Leader. TheOutstanding Local Leader award is given to an individual who has promotedinterest and participation in the activities of his/her local association andhas been recognized by the legal community as a professional dedicated to theadvancement of the legal profession...
Shelby County OKs Paralegals in Budget
Posted on November 25, 2008In Shelby County, Indiana, the County Council adopted its 2009 budget, which includes an increase over the 2008 package. As part of that package, six positions will be added: three deputies to the sheriff's department, a paralegal to the public defender's office, a part time paralegal to the prosecutor's office, and a part time clerk to Shelby Superior Court II...
Legal Aid Paralegal Position Eliminated
Posted on November 24, 2008Tanking right along with the economy is funding for Greater Hartford Legal Aid, which is now facing budget cuts. Sadly, layoffs are part of the package. Six attorneys, one paralegal, and one staff member will find themselves searching for new jobs in March 2009...
Legal Assistant Today Acquired by Litigation Support Today
Posted on November 23, 2008Last week, Conexion International Media, Inc., publisher of Litigation Support Today, announced that it had acquired Legal Assistant Today from James Publishing, Inc.Legal Assistant Today has been the only independent trade magazine for paralegals, and it has been published continuously for over 25 years...
Paralegal's Research Supplements Motion to Move Trial
Posted on November 21, 2008Murder defendant Fred Cooper?s attorneys have filed their seventh attempt to move his trial out of Lee County. To supplement the motion, the Public Defender's paralegal, Karen Maus, found thousands of web postings by citizens and the media regarding the case...
Pro-active E-Discovery Strategies Can Minimize Risk
Posted on November 20, 2008E-discovery strategies are critical for enterprises in a world of rising litigation, bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions, and increased regulation, argues CMS Watch, an independent analyst firm that has just released a half-day online course, "The Fundamentals of E-Discovery...
New "Practice of Law" Definition Written
Posted on November 17, 2008The Hawaii State Bar Association has crafted a new definition for the practice of law in Hawaii and will send its draft to the Hawaii Supreme Court next week.After a year of occasionally contentious discussions in which professionals like accountants and real estate brokers accused the lawyers of trying to steal their work, the new draft makes a point of saying that the rules are not intended to restrict anyone from doing their usual business...
Supervisor-elect Adam Hill Hires Paralegal as Legislative Aide
Posted on November 11, 2008Supervisor-elect Adam Hill has hired Susan Devine, formerly a litigation paralegal for the San Louis Obispo law firm of Ernst & Mattison. Hall will be sworn in on January 5, 2009.(Source: SanLouisObispo.com Tribune A Paralegal's Blog
Current Economy Offers Opportunity for Paralegals
Posted on November 10, 2008As law firms struggle with the limping economy, paralegals may have a window of opportunity to prove their value.With less money to go around, firms need to cut their operating costs, and one way to do that is to hire lower-paid paralegals who can do the work of attorneys, touted toward the end of this article...
Paralegal Wins Mega Money Jackpot
Posted on November 10, 2008P. Kevin Seamon, a 56-year-old paralegal in St. Augustine, Florida, won the November 4 $750,000 Mega Money jackpot. He bought his winning Quick Pick ticket at Pat's Discount in St. Augustine.(Source: Jacksonville.com) A Paralegal's Blog
Paralegal Elected to Laconia School Board - Fosters
Posted on November 06, 2008Paralegal Stacie Sirois is the newest member of the Laconia School Board, winning by 75 votes in the only contested school board race in Ward 5.She defeated former teacher and school administrator Doris Barnes who, at the age of 96, was beginning a new career in local politics...
Resource for Paralegal Students Launched
Posted on November 04, 2008Best Paralegal Schools recently lauched their website, http://www.bestparalegalschools.com, which aims to provide online resources to students searching for paralegal training programs. Best Paralegal Schools allows students to compare paralegal degrees and request information from schools that interest them...
"Licensed Paralegal" Is a Liar
Posted on November 03, 2008Remember the "licensed paralegal" who is a juror in the Ted Stevens case? She pulled a disappearing act, claiming that her father had died. In reality, the juror, Marian Hinnant, 52, went to the Breeders Cup races. And yes, her father is alive and well...
The Law-Office Appropriate Costume
Posted on October 31, 2008Remove the Republican pin, comb out the hair, and you're ready for court. A Paralegal's Blog
Paralegal Inducted Into Who's Who
Posted on October 30, 2008Tracy L. Reinholt, Senior Corporate Paralegal for Simon Property Group, Inc., has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of legal services.Ms. Reinholt has 20 years of professional experience...
InterLegis Announces Native File Redaction Capability for Web-based Review
Posted on October 29, 2008Dallas-based InterLegis, Inc. has introduced a native file redacting capability. Discovery360?, InterLegis? e-discovery culling and review application, now allows users to redact files in their native format to save time and simplify the document review process...
AG Recognizes Department Paralegals
Posted on October 28, 2008A plethora of paralegals were honored by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey at the 56th Annual Attorney General Awards Ceremony.The prosecution team that obtained a conviction in United States v. Seale, including Connie Lee, Paralegal Specialist, received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service...
Juror Profiles: Licensed Paralegal?
Posted on October 24, 2008The Anchorage Daily News ran profiles of the jurors in the Senator Ted Stevens case, and I found Juror #4's profile to be particularly interesting:JUROR #4 FEMALE: A licensed paralegal, works for a mortgage company on bankruptcy issues. Initially thought a defendant should testify, but said she understood why that's not a requirement after the judge instructed her in the 5th Amendment guarantee...
Paralegal Follows Heart to Nursing
Posted on October 23, 2008Vicky Tilman is following her heart ? and the promise of a higher paycheck ? into the nursing field.Her previous work as a paralegal in Moncks Corner was pleasant and steady, but 40-year-old Tilman knew her boss was nearing retirement, and she ultimately wanted more job security than what her small business employer could provide...
How to Lower Those Outside Fees
Posted on October 20, 2008The fifth suggestion in Law.com's recent article for in-house legal departments looking to cut costs is perhaps the best: paralegal support. Find a good paralegal, and make the investment:Consider innovative paralegal or support strategies.A great paralegal, whether that person is in-house or outside, can save significant amounts of fees...
A Note on Lawcrossing.com
Posted on October 20, 2008At no point did I speak to anyone from Lawcrossing.com or Lawcrossing or its affiliates or subsidiaries regarding paralegal regulation or paralegal salaries. The author of those articles, Stony Olsen, took the "quotes" from this blog without ever contacting me and without my authorization...
Jordan Scrhader Ramis Hires New Paralegal
Posted on October 17, 2008Jordan Schrader Ramis PC hired Holly P. Iburg as a paralegal in the firm?s dirt law practice group.Iburg will support the firm?s real estate and land use practices and has 10 years of legal experience. Formerly an attorney in Oregon and California, she has 12 years of development and construction experience, including serving as vice president of operations for a land development company...
Bose McKinney & Evans Hires Paralegal Amy Case
Posted on October 16, 2008Indianapolis law firm of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP has hired Amy Case as a paralegal in the Litigation Group.Case assists with the preparation of federal, state and county cases for trial and settlement. Among her duties are client intake and preparation, preparing pleadings, calendaring events, and scheduling and attending depositions, mediations, and bench and jury trials...
Highlights of NFPA's 2008 Policy Meeting
Posted on October 15, 2008The 2008 Policy Meeting of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations opened on Saturday, October 11 and lasted through Sunday, October 12. During that time, delegates voted on agenda items and paid tribute to the profession. On Saturday morning, NFPA honored Phyllis Dunton, Illinois Paralegal Association, and Koann Lawrence, Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association, in Memoriam...
2009 New NFPA Officers
Posted on October 12, 2008Left to right: Cheryl Corning, Region V Director; Sandy Heintz, Region IV Director; Mary McKay, RP, Region III Director; Helen Federline, RP, Region II Director; Theresa Prater, RP, Region I Director; Georgette Lovelace, RP, President; Tracey Young, RP, VPPI; Ann Price, RP, VP-PACE; Stephen Imondi, RP, Secretary-Director of Operations; Anita Haworth, RP, Past President-Board AdvisorSent via BlackBerry by AT&T A Paralegal's Blog
2008 NFPA Convention: CLEs and Personality Types
Posted on October 11, 2008Thursday at the 2008 Annual Convention of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, the attendees had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge through CLE seminars and National Federation of Paralegal Associations training. In the morning Coordinator and Future Board Member Training, Anita Haworth, RP, NFPA President, and Linda McGirr, Vice President and Director of Membership, guided attendees through the basics of being on the Board or being a Coordinator...
On the policy meeting floor
Posted on October 11, 2008Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T A Paralegal's Blog
Justice Clinton-Imber at the NFPA Convention
Posted on October 10, 2008Honorable Annabelle Clinton-Imber, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice, addresses NFPA members as the Friday luncheon speaker. Justice Clinton-Imber began her legal career as a paralegal in Houston and is a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts...
At the NFPA Booth
Posted on October 10, 2008Stephen Imondi, RP and Wayne Akin man NFPA's booth at the 2008 Annual Convention.Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T A Paralegal's Blog
ArPA Wednesday Welcome Reception
Posted on October 09, 2008ArPA's Wednesday night welcome reception was well-attended by paralegals, NFPA board members, and even local attorneys. Wine and cheese were served in a low-key setting, and door prizes were awarded. Paula Adams of ArPA was officially presented with her RP pin during the reception...
NFPA Presidential Candidates
Posted on October 09, 2008Susan Ippoliti and Georgette Lovelace, R.P., candidates for NFPA president, socialize at the Thursday night vendor reception.Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T A Paralegal's Blog
Keeping NFPA's Focus on Advancing the Paralegal Profession
Posted on October 06, 2008As delegates gear up to travel to Rogers this week for the 2008 NFPA Annual Convention, there are three more agenda topics that can make or break the advancement of the paralegal profession.Defining "Practicing Paralegal." This agenda topic would delete "practicing" altogether from NFPA's Bylaws, leaving "paralegal" open to a wide variety of interpretations - most notably, someone working as a vendor who once was a paralegal...
Grandfathering Provisions Are Sunset for a Reason
Posted on October 03, 2008In 2000, the grandfathering provision of the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE), allowing paralegals with experience but not formal education to take the exam, sunset. The earliest Registered Paralegals (RPs) listed on the National Federation of Paralegal Association's website are from 1996, meaning that the grandfathering provision extended for at least four years...
Hennepin County Gets Grant to Hire Paralegal
Posted on October 02, 2008Minnesota's Hennepin County is getting a $500,000 federal grant to solve cold cases. The Department of Justice grant will be used to hire a cold case team that includes a paralegal, as well as a full-time detective, a forensic scientist, a prosecutor, and the use of the county sheriff's crime lab, which is one of three DNA testing labs in the state...
Mandatory, Not Voluntary, Is Necessary for the Profession
Posted on October 01, 2008One of the National Federation of Paralegal Association's (NFPA) member organizations submitted an agenda topic to allow NFPA to support all types of regulation, not just mandatory licensure. As it stands now, NFPA can only promote regulation if it meets the minimum standards it has set: formal education requirements, an exam, a character requirement, and a grandparenting provision...
Paralegal Touted for County Treasurer
Posted on September 29, 2008In Pittsylvania County, Virginia, M.K. "Kate" Berger is one of the candidates for County Treasurer, and she's getting a hearty thumbs-up from a county resident.The first thing cited in the opinion piece is Berger's paralegal experience:[Berger] has a general practice paralegal certificate from the Paralegal Institute of Silver Springs, Md...
Yes to Creating an Entry Level Paralegal Exam
Posted on September 29, 2008At the 2008 National Federation of Paralegal Associations' (NFPA) Annual Convention, being held next week in Rogers, Arkansas, several agenda topics that will shape the future of the paralegal profession are being discussed. One topic, submitted by the Arkansas Paralegal Association (ArPA), is the creation of an entry-level exam for paralegals...
From Paralegal to Hip Tranquil Chick
Posted on September 26, 2008In her 20s, Kimberly Wilson took up yoga to handle the stress from her job as a paralegal. The harmony, health, and balance of yoga propelled her to open her own yoga studio in her living room, shortly after she took a new job running the paralegal program at Georgetown University...
Essential Tech Tools for Paralegals
Posted on September 24, 2008As a paralegal in a small firm, I cannot afford to be afraid of technology. There are times when I will be asked to troubleshoot an issue or recommend a product, and in order to do that properly, I need to stay on top of the latest trends. My technology toolkit consists of:GadgetsBlackBerry Curve...
Hire a Paralegal, Keep an Attorney
Posted on September 22, 2008Lumberton City Attorney Robert Price agreed to stay on until March, partially because the City agreed to hire a paralegal to ease his workload. The City hasn't had a paralegal for two years, but hiring a paralegal is definitely in the City's budget.(Source: FayObserver...
Female Paralegals Paid Less Than Male Counterparts
Posted on September 19, 2008There is currently a pretty big kerfluffle over this American Community Survey report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. At the heart of the controversy is the finding that female paralegals receive lower salaries than their male counterparts. The study revealed that the median salary for female paralegals is $42,600, and the median salary for male paralegals is $45,700 -- in other words, female paralegals make 93 cents on the man's dollar...
Fios Adds Registered Paralegal to Consulting Team
Posted on September 17, 2008Fios, Inc. has announced that Cynthia Bateman, former global privacy and e-discovery director from Georgia-Pacific, is one of three new additions to their team.Bateman comes to Fios after spending more than 13 years with Georgia-Pacific, most recently serving as the global privacy and e-discovery director...
When Social Events Override Professional Development
Posted on September 15, 2008Up until August, I was the Primary Representative (and webmaster) for the Western Massachusetts Paralegal Association, and I was proud of it. I worked hard to raise funds for my association to keep us involved at the national level, and I poured my heart into it...
Preparation Key to Making Yourself Recession-Proof
Posted on September 11, 2008"Recession" is an ugly word, but it's a word that has become part of our daily vocabulary. With "recession" comes an even uglier word, "layoff." It can happen to anyone, no matter how hard-working. While no one is truly "recession-proof," here are some tips to become "recession resistant": 1...
Book Recommendation: The Paralegal's Handbook
Posted on September 09, 2008The Paralegal's Handbook: A Complete Reference for All Your Daily Tasks, written by Anita Haworth, RP and Lesley Cox, RP is an excellent resource for paralegals, both novice and experienced. This is the first book I reached for to learn how to handle a personal injury case, and I know that I will use it many times in the future...
Indiana Supreme Court Rejects Voluntary Paralegal Regulation
Posted on September 08, 2008In yet another blow to paralegal regulation, the Indiana Supreme Court rejected a proposed Rule 2.2 to include the voluntary regulation of paralegals. While I support mandatory regulation, not voluntary, it is still a blow to paralegals who are working so hard to be recognized as professionals...
Sending Large Electronic Files With Ease
Posted on September 06, 2008Corporate firewalls and e-mail safeguards can make sending large electronic files, such as audio and video files, next to impossible. Often, the e-mail will bounce back to you, and you're left burning the file to CD and shipping it via FedEx in order to meet a deadline...
Does Outsourcing Put Private Data at Risk?
Posted on September 05, 2008Here's an angle that I didn't even think about in my original opposition to outsourcing: the risk of exposing private data. A partner at the Maryland firm of Newman, McIntosh & Hennessey, Joseph Hennessey, filed suit against Acumen Legal Services, a legal process outsourcing company based in India...
inData Corporation Releases DepoView DVD
Posted on September 04, 2008inData Corporation, the developer of TrialDirector® software, has released a new product called DepoView® DVD. DepoView DVD allows attorneys, paralegals, and other litigation professionals to view video depositions and associated transcripts on a standard DVD player or computer...
Paralegal Speaks Out Against LSUC Regulation
Posted on September 02, 2008While paralegal regulation is certainly necessary, it does need to be very well planned. In this opinion piece by Marshall Yarmus, an independent paralegal operating in Toronto and the former vice president of both the Paralegal Society of Ontario and the Paralegal Society of Canada, reasons why the Law Society of Upper Canada's paralegal regulation is hurting paralegals and consumers are detailed...
Making September Count
Posted on September 02, 2008Welcome to September. I haven't been in school for years, but there is something about September that makes me want to clean up my desk, sharpen my pencils, and start jotting in a notebook. At work, the end of vacation and the beginning, once again, of routine schedules brings excitement...
Natick, Mass. Lawyer to Use Paralegal to Collect Back Taxes
Posted on September 01, 2008The town of Natick, Mass. hired David DeLuca, an attorney with Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane of Quincy, to assist in collecting money owed to the town in back taxes. The combined figure of outstanding taxes is $1.5 million, but the town realistically expects to collect around $500K...
Happy Labor Day - Launching Our First Survey!
Posted on August 31, 2008In honor of Labor Day, A Paralegal's Blog is launching its first survey. What are you doing for Labor Day weekend? A Paralegal's Blog
Virtual Paralegal in a Virtual Work World of One's Own
Posted on August 29, 2008Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly has an interview this week with virtual paralegal Dawn M. Draper of Traverse City, Mich. A virtual paralegal can do almost everything a paralegal in an office can do, except work with the file cabinet, of course. The qualifications are the same, and according to Draper, the pay is higher...
ABA Gives Thumbs Up to Legal Outsourcing
Posted on August 27, 2008I'm very disappointed in the ABA for legitimizing outsourcing legal work to foreign countries. They seem to have forgotten that they are the American Bar Association. This opinion was released on August 5 but was not announced until yesterday. Not only paralegals are affected by this, either...
Beaufort County Eliminates Staff Attorney Post, Considers Hiring Paralegal
Posted on August 26, 2008Beaufort County[, North Carolina] has eliminated its full-time staff attorney position, which was held by Kelly Golden, in this year's budget.County administrator Gary Kubic said the move was part of a re-organization of several departments. He said he would not replace Golden...
lawjobs.com Career Center - Fight the Urge to Multitask at the Firm
Posted on August 26, 2008There are three calls on hold, your email inbox is rapidly reaching critical mass, your cell phone is doing that vibrating-jig right off the edge of your desk (because you do keep it on vibrate at work, right?), and you've got a giant brief due tomorrow morning...
Virtual Paralegals Manage Cases at a Distance
Posted on August 25, 2008In addition to overseas outsourcing, virtual paralegals may be the next cost-saving measure for law firms. Depending on how well you work independently, this could be a lucrative field with a fantastic commute and relaxed dress code.Paralegals no longer have to be at arm's length from attorneys who need assistance with legal research or administrative tasks...
eBags Brings the Best of Bags to Your Doorstep
Posted on August 25, 2008Some of the best deals I've gotten on bags have been at eBags, whether it's luggage, handbags, or a laptop case. They have an amazing assortment of almost any type of bag you can imagine, over 500 brands. They also often have sales, like the one I'm linking to:$20 Off When You Spend Over $100 at eBags...
ABA Approves New Paralegal Baccalaureate Degree for Clayton State
Posted on August 24, 2008Clayton State University in Georgia is adding a baccalaureate degree in paralegal studies. Its College of Professional Studies already offers a certificate program and an associate's degree program, which have already received approval from the American Bar Association...
NWACC Program Gets Bar Approval
Posted on August 22, 2008BENTONVILLE [Ark.] - The paralegal program at Northwest Arkansas Community College was approved Aug. 12 at the annual American Bar Association meeting in New York City.NWACC, the only program receiving initial approval by the Board of Delegates, joins an elite group of college programs that have attained such status, program director Mary Hatfield Lowe said...
Ex-Associate, Paralegal Win Damages From Former Firm
Posted on August 22, 2008This is fantastic! Despite the fact that there is a cap on punitive damages, that firm should have to pay every single penny to this poor paralegal. A Garden City, N.Y., tax certiorari firm must pay more than $716,500 in damages to a former associate and a paralegal who claim they lost their jobs after they became pregnant, a federal jury has decided...
Free Case Assessment Software Released by earlyCASE
Posted on August 20, 2008Atlanta-based earlyCASE launched its free software available for download from www.earlycase.com. earlyCASE is a web-based application which runs on a local PC and analyzes accessible electronically stored information (ESI) without the data ever leaving the computer or network...
Paralegal Program Seeks Soldiers
Posted on August 19, 2008To meet the growing need for paralegals in Columbus, Ohio, a new paralegal certificate program is beginning this fall for veterans. All are welcome, but the goal is to reach out to soldiers and their spouses looking for a career change.Columbus attorney Bob Poydasheff is on board to teach the city's first paralegal certificate course geared toward military veterans, wounded soldiers and their spouses...
Army Paralegal Offers a Look at Iraq Aid
Posted on August 19, 2008In the 115-degree heat of the deserts of Iraq, U.S. Army Spc. F. Matthew Duras' mind wanders back to the things he misses the most about living in Gloucester County.Being able to swim in a pool on a hot day. Taking drives to the Jersey shore or to Philadelphia...
Paralegal Sets Sights on Rising Lawyer Salaries
Posted on August 18, 2008Many people think the logical career move for a paralegal is to go to law school and become a lawyer. (In fact, it's such an expected career path that I try not to blog about paralegals becoming lawyers, because I believe that being a paralegal can be a very rewarding career...
Paralegal Fights Corruption in Fiji
Posted on August 18, 2008Fiji seems like an idyllic place, full of sun, sand, and relaxation, but beneath the calm facade lurks corruption. After a successful career fighting corruption in Hong Kong, paralegal Albert Lau is now helping Fiji fight internal corruption.Not often do people think of taking up a profession fighting corruption and promoting good governance...
Weight-Lifting Paralegal Aiming for London Olympics
Posted on August 17, 2008In a way, this just proves that paralegals are superheroes, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound -- or in this case, lift small cars off unlucky pedestrians:A young weight-lifting paralegal from Wolverhampton has his sights set on the next Commonwealth and Olympic Games after putting in a strong performance in a national contest...
Former Paralegal Is First Winner of "The Spot Light Mom Blogger" Contest
Posted on August 17, 2008For most mom bloggers, reaching an audience can be tough. The Blog Train offers a solution to find targeted traffic for work at home mom bloggers. Even if a mom isn't "formally" working from home, all moms work and work hard. Andrea Chamberlain, a former paralegal and July's Winner, said, "A stay at home mom will tell you life is like a glorified insane asylum, and the life of a work at home mom is the same only with a straight jacket on...
Paralegal Goes From Despair to Ripley's Believe It or Not
Posted on August 13, 2008Terry Dwight Coleman, a paralegal in Colorado, released his first book, DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T GIVE IN, with the message that no matter your background or problems, God can use you to his glory.Coleman draws from his own struggles, and he believes that the book will inspire those who seek to overcome their troubles...
UK Firms Outsource to India
Posted on August 13, 2008This week, two U.K. law firms, Eversheds and Clifford Chance, announced that they will be outsourcing paralegal work to India. Citing lower costs as their main reasons, the firms say they will be able to pass those savings along to clients.But at what cost? Will the paralegals in India be adequately supervised? Will they understand the intricacies of the English language as it relates to legal work? Will they be able to communicate adequately with their "supervising" - and I use that term loosely - attorneys?
LA Lawyer Gets Prison in Lawsuit Kickbacks Case
Posted on August 12, 2008LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A lawyer who pleaded guilty to a federal tax offense as part of a major lawsuit kickback scheme was sentenced Monday to two months in federal prison and fined $50,000.Richard Russell Purtich, who cooperated with prosecutors, apologized at his sentencing...
Legal Secretary Talent Becoming Scarce
Posted on August 12, 2008I found this article particularly interesting because I started out my legal career as a legal secretary to work my way through paralegal school (and gain experience in law offices). Apparently, as the Baby Boomers retire, so do the old-school legal secretaries: the ones that can type 100 words per minute, wrangle a Dictaphone, and know how to format briefs in their sleep...
Michael Martin's Mother Is Right
Posted on August 11, 2008Mothers usually are right:Justice Struggle to Find New Ways to Ask You to Shake Your Booty -- Vulture -- Entertainment & Culture Blog -- New York Magazine: "My mother still thinks that being a paralegal is the greatest job possible. Even when I told my mother they're going to greenlight the movie, that they're going to start shooting it, she was like: 'You know what? I got these brochures about being a paralegal...
By Day, Paralegal; By Night, Rising Mars
Posted on August 11, 2008By day, and to most people, Stephen Mauriello is simply a husband, new father, and paralegal near his home in Morristown, N.J. But his fans know him as Steeven Mars, a star on the rise in the music galaxy. Last year, the talented singer/songwriter released his debut solo album, "If Not Now...
Paralegal Pay for, um, not Paralegal Work
Posted on August 11, 2008Here's another argument for paralegal regulation: Alabama Attorney General Troy King promoted a political appointee who serves as his spokesman and chief of staff to one of the agency's five paralegal jobs -- at a salary of $104,000. Of course, this political appointee has NO paralegal training, and Alabama state law doesn't require AG paralegals to actually be paralegals...
I'm "Tweeting"
Posted on August 10, 2008I've fallen into the Twitter trap and have started my own Twitter feed. I "tweet" about gadgets, TV I might be watching, and assorted happenings throughout the day.Twitter / paralegalsblog
Pro-Link Hires Paralegal Immigration Consultant
Posted on August 09, 2008Pro-Link Global Visa and Immigration Services, a provider of corporate global immigration services, with offices in the U.S., EMEA, and Asia, hired a paralegal to be their new global immigration consultant.Beata Firosz, a paralegal with over five years experience in immigration, joined Pro-Link GLOBAL as an Immigration Consultant in their Arizona office...
Court Upholds Firing of Paralegal Over Smoke Breaks
Posted on August 08, 2008Can an employee be fired over smoke breaks? Apparently so, although it certainly does raise some interesting legal questions. Not only did the appeals court uphold the firm's decision to fire this paralegal, they also ordered her to repay the $3,000 she had received in unemployment benefits because she allegedly misrepresented her termination...
Connecticut Changes Guidelines for Electronics in Court
Posted on August 07, 2008After some behind-the-scenes prodding by Connecticut paralegals, in particular, those in the Central Connecticut Paralegal Association, the courts in Connecticut have revised their guidelines for the use and possession of electronics in the courthouses...
California University of Pennsylvania
Posted on August 05, 2008California University of Pennsylvania, Middle States Accredited, 156 years young, part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is proud to offer online undergraduate and graduate programs in Legal Studies and Homeland Security. The Legal Studies program allows seasoned practitioners and scholarly students the opportunity to address, analyze, and critique the law and its implications from social, administrative, judicial, operational, philosophical, and managerial perspectives...
Powhatan?s Lori Tracoma named Paralegal of the Year
Posted on August 04, 2008Powhatan?s Lori Tracoma has been awarded the prestigious Paralegal of the Year award, chosen as the best in her profession by the member law firms of the American Association for Justice.The Richmond law firm of Cantor and Arkema P.C. brought Tracoma on board as a receptionist 27 years ago and she has diligently worked her way to the top as an advocate for what she terms her ?innocent victims...
Lawyer Calls Former Paralegal's 'Sexual Predator' Claims 'Ridiculous and Not True'
Posted on August 04, 2008In the spirit of fair and balanced news coverage, I give you the following denial issued by Richard N. Laminack, the attorney accused of being a "sexual predator":"Houston lawyer Richard N. Laminack uses words such as 'silly' and 'ridiculous and not true' to respond to allegations contained in a Texas state court suit that describes him as a 'sexual predator' who participated in an effort to defraud fen-phen clients by overcharging them for expenses...
Miss Universe Drops Suit Against Pro Se Paralegal
Posted on August 03, 2008On July 15, Donald Trump dropped a Federal civil suit against paralegal Adan S. Perez, Luz Bolivar and The Miss Mexico Organization LLC for trademark and copyright infringement. Perez et al. had been using the trademark Senorita Mexico USA, which Trump alleged infringed on the Miss Universe trademark...
D-M Paralegal, 20, Stabbed to Death Outside Scottsdale Store
Posted on August 03, 2008Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is mourning a young airman who was stabbed to death during a weekend visit with family members in Scottsdale.Airman Spencer Goode, 20, a paralegal in D-M's legal department, was knifed shortly before midnight [last] Saturday in the parking lot of a Kwik Mart convenience store...
Prominent Lawyer Accused by Former Paralegal of Being 'Sexual Predator'
Posted on July 30, 2008Winner of this year's Truly Rotten Boss Award goes to Richard Laminack, whom a former paralegal alleges is a "sexual predator." Yes, that's right, this Southern gentleman allegedly offered his paralegal $15,000 to stay with him in a hotel room in Las Vegas over a weekend and allegedly suggested she perform a sexual act on an expert witness to improve his mood and testimony...
Army National Guard Specialist Returns from Deployment
Posted on July 30, 2008Army National Guard Specialist Michael B. Tyler has returned to the 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery, Lodi, after being deployed to an overseas forward operating base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.Members from all branches of the U.S. military are assisting to rebuild Iraq?s governmental infrastructure and train Iraqi security forces to assume authority in defending Iraq?s sovereignty democracy...
Security School: E-discovery and Security in the Enterprise
Posted on July 29, 2008For those looking for information on how the IT department looks at e-discovery, check out SearchSecurity.com's Security School: E-discovery and security in the enterprise. Comprised of a webcast, podcast, tip, and quiz, this Security School is a great way to learn how the corporate IT department is preparing for litigation, and to learn the questions to ask the IT department when preparing for e-discovery...
Notes from the 2008 NFPA Tech Institute
Posted on July 28, 2008I returned yesterday from the 2008 NFPA Tech Institute, held this year in Aurora, Colo. In a day and a half of sessions and exhibits, I took back a lot of information to digest. My firm sent me so that I could learn and gather information about Summation and document management (Summation is what we are considering, and after Bob Myers's session at the Tech Institute, I have to say, Summation is getting a very enthusiastic recommendation from me...
Keynote at the 2008 NFPA Tech Institute
Posted on July 25, 2008Mary Mack, Esquire delivered the keynote speech at the 2008 NFPA Tech Institute in Aurora, Colo. Mack spoke about the growing role of paralegals in e-discovery.Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Video: The Role of a Paralegal
Posted on July 24, 2008The Virginia personal injury firm of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis and Appleton P.C. recently posted a video showcasing two of its paralegals, who describe what a paralegal does "behind the scenes." The audio quality leaves a lot to be desired, and the video itself could use the help of that film school grad working in the mailroom, but it's still a neat idea...
Degrees Now More Important Than Ever, Study Says
Posted on July 23, 2008According to a recent morefocus, Inc. survey, over 76% of job seekers believe that they need a higher level of education to succeed in their job search. In the group that currently have no university or community college credits, 92% reported that they considered their level of education to be their major disadvantage...
Paralegal Files Suit Against Justice Department
Posted on July 22, 2008A New Jersey paralegal with a longstanding interest in government corruption filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department and the F.B.I. on Monday, seeking the release of the full case file on a murderous Brooklyn Mafia informant ? papers she believes may shed light on the possible involvement of a dead New Orleans crime boss in the killing of President John F...
Beale Tech. Sgt. and Paralegal Dies in Iraq
Posted on July 21, 2008An airman deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, died Thursday of natural causes, the Defense Department announced Friday.Tech. Sgt. Jackie L. Larsen, 37, of Tacoma, Wash., was assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.Larsen died of non-combat-related medical causes, a Beale spokesman said, but the exact cause of death is not being released...
Poughkeepsie Paralegal Takes 'Em Down
Posted on July 16, 2008In addition to her demanding job as a paralegal, Ann Jackson of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. tackles people.No, she's not herding wayward criminal defendants back into the courtroom; she plays rugby. This summer, Jackson will be playing rugby for the Hudson Valley Rebels in the women's open division in the Empire State games...
Daphne Paralegal Realizes Lifelong Dream
Posted on July 15, 2008Dina Calderone of Daphne, Ala. had always dreamed of being a chef or opening her own restaurant, but the path to that dream took a few detours along the way. After graduating from high school, Calderone first started working in medical transcription, which she turned into a home-based business after the birth of her first child...
Paralegal in Olympic Trials
Posted on July 14, 2008By day, Lauren Morford is a paralegal in New York City, and like many of us, she spent her vacation week swimming.What is different is that she was swimming in the U.S. Olympic Swim trials in Omaha, Neb.?All of my vacation days have been used for competition,? said Morford, who has been balancing working at a paralegal in New York City after graduating from Columbia University in 2007 with swimming...
Canadian Paralegals See Positives to Regulation
Posted on July 11, 2008In Orangeville, not all paralegals see the Law Society of Upper Canada's regulation as a negative. Two well-established paralegal practitioners, Stephen Fielder and Bob Baird, don't expect the costs of being licensed and insured to affect their rates significantly...
New York Governor Declares Paralegal Day
Posted on July 10, 2008Governor David A. Paterson has declared July 20, 2008 as New York Paralegal Day. He issued a proclamation that gives a comprehensive definition of what a paralegal does.In part, the proclamation states:Whereas, paralegals perform nearly all the functions of lawyers, except for those strictly constituting the practice of law, and they assist lawyers with virtually all aspects of legal work ? including specialized areas of law, such as family law, corporate law, real estate, government, estate planning, litigation and criminal trials; and...
Paralegal, Paralegal Company Owner Running for Clerk of Court
Posted on July 09, 2008In Oglethorpe County, Georgia, a paralegal and the owner of a paralegal business, plus two other candidates, are competing in the primary elections for clerk of Superior Court as Republicans. The winner will face Democrat Kelli Paradise-Smith for the position in November...
Correction: Tech Institute
Posted on July 09, 2008Correction to a previous post: Late registration for the NFPA Tech Institute has been extended through July 14.
Deadline to Submit Applications for PACE Scholarship
Posted on July 07, 2008The deadline to submit applications for the NFPA PACE scholarship is July 11, 2008. The scholarship includes, at a minimum, the exam fee, application and handbook, study manual, and tuition for the online course. In addition, the winning essay will be published in the National Paralegal Reporter, space permitting...
Law.com - And Now, Some Good News About the Legal Job Market
Posted on July 07, 2008There has been a lot of doom and gloom over the economy in general and the legal job market in particular. However, according to the Labor Department's unemployment report released Thursday, the job market may be perking up a bit. After three months of decline, the legal services sector added 300 jobs, a 0...
Last Day to Register!
Posted on July 07, 2008Today is the last day to register for the 2008 NFPA Tech Institute! Go to www.paralegals.org and click on the lime green logo to register.
Happy Independence Day
Posted on July 04, 2008Happy Independence Day, and happy birthday to the United States, a fantastic 232 years old! Everyone, have a wonderful weekend. For those looking for some interesting reading on Independence Day, Fourth of July is Independence Day on USA.gov has plenty of information.
Guidance Software Outlines the Five Most Common Pitfalls of Outdated E-Discovery
Posted on July 02, 2008Outdated e-discovery methods are costly and can leave organizations exposed to all sorts of sanctions. The five most common pitfalls associated with outdated e-discovery, according to Guidance Software, are: 1. Unnecessarily High Costs. Major organizations can incur millions in out-of-pocket costs annually, mostly in the form of outside consultant fees to collect and process data...
Chicopee City Paralegal Narrowly Misses Budget Cuts
Posted on July 01, 2008The Board of Aldermen of the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, approved the City budget of $148.2 million on Thursday, just five days before the start of the 2009 fiscal year. Nearly two hours were spent discussing ways to cut spending, and one of the ways discussed was to cut a new paralegal position, saving the City $45,000...
Paralegal Chosen for School Board
Posted on June 30, 2008In Jordan, Utah, paralegal and accountant Carmen R. Freeman won the precinct 1 seat on the Jordan School Board, according to unofficial returns. Freeman will take office next month. Although Freeman has no prior experience in education, a survey of his neighborhood motivated his candidacy...
After Years of Growth, Firms Pare Down Staffs, Budgets
Posted on June 27, 2008A softer economy means that non-partners at law firms end up with targets on their heads as partners try to cut costs and build revenue in a difficult time. South Florida is just one of many areas hit by economic troubles, but the layoffs look troubling...
ALM Research and IPMA Release 2008 Paralegal Compensation Survey
Posted on June 26, 2008Yesterday, ALM Research released its Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals/Legal Assistants and Managers, 2008 Edition. More than 363 organizations participated in the survey (285 law firms and 78 law departments), representing a total of 14,216 paralegal positions...
Paralegals in Favor of Regulation in Massachusetts?
Posted on June 25, 2008I unfortunately was unable to attend MCLE's 2008 Paralegal Conference, but I did hear back from one of the chairs, who said that about 75 paralegals attended. Of that, about three-quarters were from the Boston area. She also said that she did an informal poll of the attendees about regulation (the keynote address was given by Tracey Young, RP, who spoke on paralegal regulation)...
Paralegal Specialists Need Security Clearance
Posted on June 24, 2008A secret security clearance soon will be a requirement for enlisted soldiers to serve in military occupational specialty 27D, paralegal specialist. The policy change, proposed by the Judge Advocate General?s Legal Center and School, takes effect Oct...
Paralegal Retires After 35 Years
Posted on June 23, 2008Nancy Goble of Sayre, Pa. Saturday, June 7, after working 35 years for the Friedlander, Friedlander & Arcesi P.C. Law Firm. Nancy began working in 1972 for Alan J. Friedlander, and in 1974, Friedlander's son, William, joined the firm which became known as Friedlander, Friedlander & Reizes...
Schriever JA Paralegals Win Awards
Posted on June 20, 2008SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- A member of the Air Reserve Component and a legal service civilian at Schriever were awarded Judge Advocate General awards May 9. Ruben Martinez, a paralegal specialist with the 50th Space Wing Judge Advocate Office here received the 2007 Harold R...
Advertise With Me!
Posted on June 19, 2008Advertise With Me! Smart legal services and education providers know that paralegals choose the vendors used by their firms for litigation support, document management, CLEs, and other legal products and services. Your company is probably looking for a great way to reach dedicated, decision-making paralegals across the country...
Ready to Run Wild?
Posted on June 19, 2008Approximately 200 of the nation?s top paralegals will be descending upon Northwest Arkansas beginning on October 8, 2008 at the John Q. Hammonds Center at Embassy Suites in Rogers, Arkansas. ArPA (Arkansas Paralegal AssociationTM) is proudly hosting the 2008 National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc...
Paralegal Becomes Ombudsman for Santa Clara County DA
Posted on June 18, 2008The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office has added a new way for the public to get answers to legal questions or raise concerns about a county prosecutor - an ombudsman. Paralegal Lisa McCrary will take on the role, District Attorney Dolores Carr said Wednesday...
Realtor's Love of Law Leads to Paralegal Degree
Posted on June 17, 2008HAMMOND, Ind. -- In her mid-20s, Maureen Miller attended Calumet College to earn a degree but got a little side-tracked. About 30 years later and after a bout with breast cancer, Miller, now 57, is graduating with an associate's degree as a paralegal...
Paralegals Inducted Into Who's Who
Posted on June 16, 2008Two paralegals have been inducted into Cambridge Who's Who.Lucinda Carr, Paralegal for Kelly Services, and Maria Czora, Paralegal for the Law Offices of Mark Lewis, PLLC, have been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of legal services...
A Very Special Message from Christine
Posted on June 14, 2008I am trying to raise funds to attend the 2008 NFPA Convention, which is going to be held in Rogers, Ark. I will not be attending as a delegate but as a member of the paralegal community and as a blogger.This is where you, my loyal readers, can help. I have a CafePress...
Tech Bits & Bytes - Tech-Savvy Paralegals Needed
Posted on June 14, 2008Here is a Tech Bit & Byte from Charlotte Riser Harris at Five Star Legal & Compliance Systems, Inc."Technology has changed the work environment in most professions but maybe in none as profoundly as the legal profession. Essentially all legal practice areas use technology for day-to-day business but also for specialized tasks...
Tech Bits & Bytes: Engaging the Jury
Posted on June 13, 2008Here is another Tech Bit & Byte for you from S. Kristine Farmer, RP. Kristine is NFPA's Immediate Past President & Board Advisor. Kristine is also returning to the NFPA Tech Institute as a speaker!Effective use of technology allows you to teach the jury the facts they need to know in a visually attractive manner...
Tech Bits & Bytes - Geek Speak
Posted on June 12, 2008Here is a Tech Bit & Byte from Courtney David Mills, a returning speaker to the NFPA Tech Institute."In the changing legal landscape, paralegals are going to have to learn to talk tech and speak geek."Learn tech language at the NFPA Tech Institute on July 25 & 26 in Aurora, CO! Early Bird Registration has ended, but you can still join us at the membership rate of $250 ($275 for non-members) until June 15! Register today at www...
Nigeria: First Set of Paralegals Graduate
Posted on June 11, 2008The Proprietress, teachers and students of Daibo Paralegal Training Institute (DPTI), Lagos were last Friday in ecstatic jubilation. To them, it was a day of fulfillment, particularly for the first batch of 25 graduates of pioneer paralegals in Nigeria...
Tech Bits & Bytes: Avoiding Jargon
Posted on June 11, 2008What is a Tech Bit & Byte? It is words of wisdom from the slate of speakers for the NFPA Tech Institute!Here is what Monica Bay from Law Technology News has to say:"Do avoid tech jargon, especially when talking with attorneys. Jargon builds walls, not bridges, and lawyers -- more than most humans -- hate to be embarrassed by what they don't know...
Delaware Recognizes Paralegal Week
Posted on June 10, 2008This week (June 8 - June 14) is Paralegal Week in Delaware!
S. Utah Paralegal Takes State Honor
Posted on June 10, 2008ST. GEORGE ? A local paralegal has been named Distinguished Paralegal of the Year by the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar in association with the Legal Assistant Association of Utah.Deborah Calegory, a paralegal with the law firm of Durham Jones & Pinegar was recently recognized at an annual Paralegal Day luncheon in Salt Lake City...
Victory for Paralegals: Richlin Decision Allows for Recovery of Paralegal Fees
Posted on June 02, 2008Paralegal fees are reimbursable! In a 9-0 decision in Richlin Security Service Co. v. Chertoff , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that paralegal services must be reimbursed as ?attorney fees? at market rates.The full opinion, which was released this morning, can be found at http://www...
Three Duquesne Students Win AAfPE Scholarships
Posted on June 01, 2008Three students enrolled in the Duquesne University Paralegal Institute recently received scholarships from the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE). The winners are Audrey Poch of McMurray, Laura Baldwin of Green Tree and Cynthia Chambers of Penn Hills...
Paralegal Position Cut at MTA
Posted on June 01, 2008The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is eliminating six jobs, including a paralegal position, in an effort to cut costs.Under their union contract, officials said, the employees may have bumping rights, entitling them to a different job at the cash-strapped agency...
Disbarred Lawyer?s Request Denied
Posted on May 21, 2008In Massachusetts, you can't even work as a courthouse janitor if you're a disbarred attorney, as it should be. This one stole from his own cousin, who asked him for help when her husband died in a car accident.Disbarred lawyer?s request denied - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger: "BOSTON ? A former Quincy lawyer who was disbarred for stealing from clients, including $172,513 in life insurance benefits meant for a Marshfield widow, will not be allowed to work as a paralegal in his daughter?s law firm in Whitman...
NFPA Tech Institute Early Bird Registration Extended
Posted on May 15, 2008For those who haven't registered for the NFPA Tech Institute, the early bird registration deadline has been extended to May 22!In brief, the Tech Institute will be held July 25th and 26th at the Doubletree Hotel Denver-Southeast in Aurora, Colo. Participants will take advantage of educational seminars, as well as a vendor track...
Paralegals up North Finally Get Some Respect from Lawyer Competitors
Posted on May 10, 2008Despite the controversy, some paralegals view the Law Society of Upper Canada's new regulation of paralegals, in effect as of May 1, as a very good thing. While paralegals working independently will need to adopt new stationary, new business cards, and even new business names, the benefits are definitely worthwhile...
Bates Stamps' Days May Be Numbered
Posted on May 05, 2008Who else cheered upon reading that headline? A document-based data model, rather than a page-based approach, eliminates the text extraction and image creation steps from the processing stage and cuts the cost of that process in half. Documents become available in the review platform much faster -- as imaging often accounts for as much as 90 percent of the time to process...
Law Day
Posted on May 01, 2008Today, May 1, is the 50th Anniversary of Law Day. Here is a note from the American Bar Association:Fifty years ago President Eisenhower proclaimed the first Law Day a "day of national dedication to the principle of government under law." The ABA invites you to celebrate this enduring principle during the 50th anniversary of Law Day...
Paralegal by Day, Roller Girl by Night
Posted on May 01, 2008Jamie Taylor, 29, a paralegal by day in Everett, Washington, is a Jet City Rollergirl - and not the type that curl your hair literally.Taylor skates in roller derby, that high-contact, slamming sport. To be sure, there's a show aspect -- how else do you earn the nickname "Ivana Hurtya"? -- but when they're competing, it's pure sport...
Paralegal Appointed New Poughkeepsie Chamberlain
Posted on April 24, 2008A Poughkeepsie paralegal has been selected to replace the Acting Chamberlain by Mayor John Tkazyik. Karen Burke, a resident of Poughkeepsie, has been appointed as Chamberlain, which is similar to a city clerk. Burke would handle council meeting minutes and oversee applications for various parmits and licenses...
D.A. Should Reduce Attorneys, Hire Paralegals
Posted on April 22, 2008As we know, using paralegals can save law firms, corporations, and municipalities plenty of money.The first-ever management audit of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office recommended the office replace a dozen attorney positions with more than twice as many less expensive paralegals...
Paralegals on the Move
Posted on April 20, 2008CORSICA, Texas -- Lynn Gatlin is now associated with Keller Williams Realty Harper Smith Team. Gatlin brings with her six and one-half years of experience as a sales associate with Re/Max of Corsicana. She began her career in real estate by working for real estate attorney David Wilson Jr...
From Paralegal to Priest?
Posted on April 16, 2008NYT: Facing Decline, an Effort to Market the Priesthood: "At 39, Ronald Perez is the oldest candidate for ordination next month. A former paralegal at a Midtown law firm, he moved to New York from Los Angeles 10 years ago to change his life. By the time he decided to become a priest, he had worked at a failed manufacturing company and a dot-com that missed the boom...
Wisconsin Supreme Court Denies Paralegal Regulation
Posted on April 10, 2008In a blow to paralegal regulation, on April 7 and April 8 the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied the State Bar paralegal petition, which would have established licensure and regulation for paralegals.The court will encourage the Bar to work with other interested groups to consider creating a voluntary certification program using programs currently used in other states as models...
RP Salaries Surpass Averages
Posted on April 02, 2008The March/April issue of Legal Assistant Today reports that, on average, paralegals with NFPA's Registered Paralegal designation earn $67,489 per year -- over $11,000 more than NALA's CLAS-holders.The new version of PACE, the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam, has been released, and NFPA is selling the new study guide on its Web site...
Filipino Troops to Train as Paralegals
Posted on April 01, 2008MANILA, Philippines -- The military will train soldiers on desk duty as paralegals to help fellow troopers facing charges of human rights abuse and other cases. Scheduled to start this month, at least one soldier per battalion will be trained. The paralegals will give the soldiers advice and assist with answering basic petitions...
Beware of Clown College
Posted on March 21, 2008The moral of the story in Out & About - Opinion: Beware of Clown College is to choose your school wisely: "It took me six-months and over $10,000 but I finally realized that, at least for my purposes, Kaplan Career Institute was a complete rip-off...
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments Over Reimbursement of Paralegal Costs
Posted on March 17, 2008Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments over reimbursement for paralegal costs in Richlin Security Service v. Chertoff, and I, for one, am holding my breath until July, when a decision will be made.Surely other paralegals are anxious, too...
From Ashworth University: Paralegal in Guantamo Bay Video
Posted on March 12, 2008Paralegals can be found in places other than the traditional law office, and in some cases, can be in the center of one of the most hotly-debated legal issues. Directly from Ashworth University's Criminal Justice Blog, Paralegal In Guantanamo Bay Video? highlights a paralegal in the center of the Guatanamo Bay controversy: [W]hen it comes to dramatic appeal and TV-ready storylines, the paralegal profession may have found a star in the form of Susan Hu, a paralegal working for the Center For Constitutional Rights (CCR), a non-profit legal organization that has played a sometimes controversial role in the legal proceedings of detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay...
ALM to Present Managing Today's Discovery Process: The Evolving Role of the Paralegal & Litigation Support Professional
Posted on March 10, 2008ALM Events will present "Managing Today's Discovery Process: The Evolving Role of the Paralegal & Litigation Support Professional." On April 24th, discovery experts from the private sector and the Federal Trade Commission will convene at the Harvard Club, New York for this day long program...
Paralegal Sued for UPL
Posted on March 08, 2008LINDENHURST, N.Y. -- Arthur Chisholm, Jr. is being sued by the state attorney general's office for allegedlypracticing law without a license. The 61 year old paralegal prepared wills, divorce papers, and eviction papers and ran Landlord Help Center and NY Protective Services Inc...
From Inter-Alia: Getting Text Out of PDFs the Easy Way
Posted on March 06, 2008From Inter-Alia:An easy way to get the text out of PDF documentsCutting and pasting out of PDF documents can be a royal pain. If you're got a copy of Adobe Acrobat, you can export a PDF file to a Word document or even a plain text file, to make extraction of text less of a hassle...
Legal Assistant Today Announces 2007 Salary Survey Results
Posted on March 03, 2008The results of Legal Assistant Today's annual salary survey are in, and the national average salary for paralegals in 2007 increased 3.7 percent to $52,979. Available in the March/April issue, the survey results include:National and regional breakdowns for 2007 salaries, bonuses, and raises...
Florida Unveils Registered Paralegal Program
Posted on March 01, 2008As of today, the Florida Registered Paralegal Program goes into effect. About 300 people have already requested the application, and many more are expected to download it today from the Florida Bar's Web site.Additionally, applicants need to pay a $150 application fee...
NFPA's Joint Regulation and Leadership Conference Is Coming!
Posted on February 27, 2008The NFPA Regulation Conference is scheduled for April 25, 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana and is open to all, although non-NFPA members will need to pay a $75 registration fee. The Regulation Conference will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and include discussions on Types of Regulation and Status of Regulation Efforts, Working with Bar Associations, Understanding the Legislative Process, Lobbyists-Do You Need Them, Selling Regulation-What to Say to the Naysayers, and the Conference will end with a Regulation Writing Workshop...
Roundup: New PACE Exam, New PACE Study Manual, and New Paralegal Magazine!
Posted on February 21, 2008New PACE Exam and Study ManualThe new PACE exam is scheduled to go live on May 12, 2008! To prepare you for the exam, the new and improved PACE Study Manual (5th ed.) will be available for purchase starting MARCH 1, 2008. The new study manual includes many new mini-chapters including bankruptcy, corporate law, intellectual property, family law, and other areas tested in the new exam...
Free Online Access to U.S. Court Decisions
Posted on February 18, 2008Free Online Access to U.S. Court DecisionsThis week, Carl Malamud invites you to enhance your federal case law library by downloading millions of pages of decisions stretching back more than 250 years, all free of charge. His latest online "public works" project is a Web site, public...
Howrey Creates Indian Office for Client Work
Posted on February 13, 2008In yet another blow to United States paralegals, Howrey is setting up an office in India to "take advantage of the growing class of well-trained -- and comparatively low-paid -- young Indian professionals." Clients will have a choice: have their work done in-house for the regular rate, or have their work done in India for a reduced rate...
A Step in the Right Direction
Posted on February 11, 2008In Scotland, paralegals are being given the chance to prove their professionalism and ability. The Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Paralegal Association have recently launched new qualifications for paralegals. The 10,000 people working in paralegal roles within Scotland's legal system now have an opportunity to work towards one of a number of awards, such as a Higher National Certificate (HNC), a Higher National Diploma (HND), or smaller, specialized Professional Development Awards (PDAs)...
Friday Five: What Should Attorneys Look for When Hiring Paralegals?
Posted on February 09, 2008Over at Lawline.com, an online CLE provider, a list of traits that attorneys should look for when hiring their next paralegal has been posted in their blog under Friday Five: Top Five Things Attorneys Should Look for When Hiring Help. Here's what attorneys should be looking for, and what us paralegals should have:1...
Paralegals on the Move
Posted on February 08, 2008On the move: Nicole Davis and Donna Sweeney: The New Hartford- and Syracuse-based Estate Planning Law Center is expanding with the addition of two paralegals. Paralegals Nicole Davis and Donna Sweeney joined the firm. Sweeney has 13 years of experience as a paralegal focusing on Medicaid planning and qualifications for clients of the firm...
Paralegal Career Guide Launched on All Criminal Justice Schools
Posted on February 06, 2008As the law becomes more complex and our society grows more litigious, the public demand for legal representation continues to expand. This translates into not just a need for more lawyers but more legal support professionals as well. According to the U...
Legal Learning Put Into Practice at Loyalist College
Posted on February 05, 2008Paralegal students at Loyalist College in Canada are gaining hands-on experience in their field by operating PaIRS, an on-campus legal information service for students, staff and alumni. Their role is to guide clients to the necessary channels or resources to get answers to legal questions involving subjects such as landlord tenant concerns, highway traffic issues, or criminal pardon questions...
Paralegals Are First Step in Pro Bono Efforts
Posted on February 04, 2008Beginning this month, students and graduates of the paralegal program at Casper College in Casper, Wyo. will be the first step for many in obtaining pro bono legal representation. The students and graduates will conduct a half-hour interview with each potential client, then forward the information to a licensed attorney, who will review the information...
Paralegal Posing as Lawyer Wins 50 Cases
Posted on February 02, 2008Remember Brian Valery, the paralegal who posed as a lawyer for two years at a New York law firm? On January 31, he was sentenced to five years of probation.However, he must have done something right, according to UPI.com: "Valery worked as much as 70 hours a week and won some 50 cases...
New NFPA CLEs for March!
Posted on January 30, 2008BEGINNING MARCH 10, 2008ON-LINE CLE OFFERED BY NFPAVISIT www.paralegals.org TO REGISTERADMINISTRATIVE LAWAdministrative law is that branch of law that defines and limits relationships between government agencies and people. Administrative law defines agency powers, agency limitations, and remedies available to parties aggrieved by agency action...
Paralegals Help Bangladeshi Women
Posted on January 28, 2008In Bangladesh, paralegals working for the Banchte Shekha Foundation are volunteers trained in Muslim family law. They assist villagers with dowry, marital disputes, legal divorce, and inheritance. They also provide information to villagers about their rights, and they participate in the shalish, the village form of mediation in Bangladesh...
Paralegal Outlook for 2008: We're Not Recession-Proof
Posted on January 27, 2008Economists say we're heading into a recession, and the first question for many of us is, "Will I still be employed?"The answer is maybe. According to Robert Half Legal, litigation paralegals will still be in demand as firms tackle rising caseloads, or so the optimists say...
Legal Profession Blog: It's Hard To Supervise An Incarcerated Paralegal
Posted on January 23, 2008Legal Profession Blog: It's Hard To Supervise An Incarcerated Paralegal: "An attorney with a previous record of a public reprimand was suspended for 60 days by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The attorney was appointed to represent a defendant who was eventually sent to prison...
Justices Consider Legal Aid Proposal
Posted on January 22, 2008Justices Consider Legal Aid Proposal: "Small businesses that provide legal documents for do-it-yourself court filings would be forced to close under a proposal before the Hawaii Supreme Court.The Hawaii State Bar Association has asked the court to clarify a law that covers unauthorized practice by nonlawyers...
North York Paralegals Suing Attorney General, Law Society
Posted on January 22, 2008North York Paralegals Suing Attorney General, Law Society: "Three paralegals, including two from North York, have filed a lawsuit against Ontario's attorney general and the Law Society of Upper Canada for the way paralegals in the province are regulated...
Update Your Bookmarks; I Have a Domain Name!
Posted on January 18, 2008A brief site announcement: I've purchased a domain name at www.paralegalsblog.com, so if you are inclined to do so, please update your bookmarks. The old URL does still work.
Wisconsin Lawyer Suspended for Fraudulent Bills
Posted on January 17, 2008MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a lawyer for 60 days for submitting false bills to the state. The court says Stephen Compton of Delavan committed professional misconduct when he billed the Office of the State Public Defender for 120 hours of work that was done by a paralegal...
Westminster Paralegal Charged with Posing as Attorney
Posted on January 16, 2008SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A 47-year old Westminster paralegal has been charged with falsely representing himself as an attorney to clients. The paralegal, John Gerard Hedderman, took on civil cases relating to divorces, child custody, and bankruptcy.He is being charged with two felony counts of grand theft, three counts of unauthorized practice of law, one count of second-degree commercial burglary and 10 felony counts of false impersonation...
Buh-But She Was Just a Paralegal!
Posted on January 15, 2008The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times : Holland Accused of Tortious InterferenceParalegal Patricia Dillman, the director of Holland & Knight?s litigation support group, decided to look for a fresh start. She settled on not only a different firm, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, but also a new city...
Paralegals File Frivolous Lawsuits? Never!
Posted on January 14, 2008In response to the angry Yankee fan/paralegal suing the Yankees, PlanetFeedback's ShopperCast has this to say: "Mr. Matthew Mitchell, your lawsuit is clogging up the wheels of justice ~ as a former paralegal, you must know that many are outraged at what it sees as frivolous lawsuits...
Palm Coast to Hire Paralegal to Offset Rates
Posted on January 13, 2008PALM COAST, Fla.-- In the midst of choosing Orlando-based law firm Brown, Garganese, Weiss & D'Agresta as their first choice for legal council, the Palm Coast City Council also decided to hire a paralegal at roughly $45,000 a year to take the edge off the firm's hourly rates...
HWA Paralegal Turea Simpson Receives Bankruptcy Assistant Certification
Posted on January 09, 2008HOUSTON--Hughes Watters Askanase, L.L.P. (HWA) announced that bankruptcy paralegal Turea Simpson passed the exam to become a Certified Bankruptcy Assistant in October 2007. Founded in 1989, the Association of Bankruptcy Judicial Assistants (ABJA) gives the annual certification exam at their yearly conference as part of their certified bankruptcy program, allowing legal secretaries and assistants to stay updated on new developments in the industry...
Pro-Link GLOBAL Visa & Immigration Services Adds Key Senior Consultant
Posted on January 08, 2008Bradenton, FL -- PRO-LINK GLOBAL Visa and Immigration Services has hired paralegal Kate Boyd as a Senior Global Immigration Consultant based in the Colorado office. Boyd has experience with global immigration on large corporate accounts with various U...
NFPA Announces New CLE for January
Posted on January 07, 2008NFPA will offer the following online seminars in January: Ø PACE Review Course Ø Tax Law In a world where there are only two sure things - death and taxes - legal professionals should understand at least one of the two. This two-week seminar provides a comprehensive overview by dividing the topic into several areas...
Paralegal Gateway:Superstar Paralegal
Posted on January 07, 2008Paralegal Gateway:Superstar ParalegalIt's official; I'm the January 2008 Paralegal Superstar.
Paralegal Keeps Things Spicy in the Kitchen
Posted on January 07, 2008FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- When he?s not working as a paralegal for a local bankruptcy attorney, 32-year-old Jim Darrien enjoys cooking an inventive meal.Darrien experiments with different combinations of spices and sauces, and he has been described as a "veritable mad scientist when it comes to the kitchen...
IT and Legal Skills Make a Potent Combo
Posted on January 03, 2008The demand for paralegals with IT skills is expected to increase, according to the Boston Business Journal. As more law firms grapple with electronic discovery, paralegals capable of navigating the vast amounts of data are in hot demand.Often known as litigation technology support staff, these paralegals are being wooed like lawyers at the top of their classes...
D-M Airman Herrera Named Top Instructor
Posted on January 02, 2008Tech. Sgt. Aubry Herrera, a paralegal by trade who has taught the five-week Airman Leadership class for four years, was named Airman Leadership Course instructor of the year. For her first 10 years in the Air Force, Herrera, 33, worked as a paralegal...
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise: Paralegal Needed for Public Defense
Posted on January 01, 2008From The Adirondack Daily Enterprise: MALONE, N.Y. -- The Franklin County chief Public Defender Thomas Souciaz recommended to the Board of Legislators that the county hire a paralegal.?There appears to be,? said Soucia, ?a number of parole appeals that need to be worked on, and a paralegal would be a great asset...
A Sweet End to 2007
Posted on December 31, 2007Law Crossing posts profiles of notable paralegals, and starting today, my profile is the current Legal Staff profile on their page.Christine Parizo: Author of A Paralegal's BlogIt's a great way to end 2007.
Happy Holidays!
Posted on December 22, 2007I'm taking the rest of the year off, so everyone, thank you for reading! Have a very happy holiday season and best wishes for the New Year! My 2007 has been amazing: starting this blog, starting a new job in litigation, attending my first NFPA convention as a delegate, and being chosen as one of ParalegalGateway...
CHECKLIST: Prevent ID Theft
Posted on December 20, 2007Here's an interesting specialty that could be emerging for paralegals: preventing ID theft. Bryan Ansley, identity theft and fraud expert and the CEO of Security Identity Systems, offered some tips to businesses wanting to protect their employees' identities...
American Chronicle: Paralegal Business Opportunities
Posted on December 19, 2007For those toying with becoming freelance or independent paralegals, Richard Geller's American Chronicle piece, Paralegal Business Opportunities: Why Work for a Firm if You Don't Have To?, lays out some compelling arguments for starting a home-based paralegal business...
Paralegal Works as Integral Part of Legal Team
Posted on December 16, 2007In this piece from the South Bend Tribune, paralegal Cindy Benedict, a paralegal for 17 years, answers questions about her paralegal career.Benedict, a paralegal at the South Bend firm of Barnes & Thornberg, became interested in the profession when she met one of her sister's college roommates in the late 1970s who became a paralegal and then a law office manager...
Pacific Area Legal Teams Train to Deploy
Posted on December 13, 2007POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii (AFPN) -- Two dozen experts in military law deployed to this island to spend a week sharpening their skills in preparation for upcoming deployments. During the five-day exercise, each team of two -- one lawyer and one paralegal -- will sit through about 15 hours of classroom lesson-and-discussion sessions and run through 30 role-playing scenarios...
ParalegalGateway's Weblog: ParalegalGateway.com Announces 2008 Paralegal Superstars
Posted on December 11, 2007ParalegalGateway's Weblog: ParalegalGateway.com Announces 2008 Paralegal Superstars, and yours truly is one of them!The 2008 Paralegal Superstar Calendar is scheduled to go on sale late next week and will be available for stocking stuffers or for holiday gifts for you or your favorite Paralegal...
Paralegal Runs Legal Clinic
Posted on December 06, 2007REDLANDS, Calif. -- Paralegal Carmen Barney runs the Redlands YMCA's Legal Aid Clinic. As the clinic's Director, she provides legal assistance at a fraction of the cost of an attorney for hire to whoever requires her services.Barney, a twenty-year paralegal, took over the legal aid clinic in 1999...
DeRemigio Named Chair of Paralegal Committee
Posted on December 05, 2007From South Jersey News Online:Lynne DeRemigio has been appointed chair of the paralegal committee for 2007-08 by N.J. State Bar Association President Lynn Fontaine Newsome. A graduate of the American Institute for Paralegal Studies, DeRemigio earned her bachelors degree in law/justice at Rowan University...
New Program Would Seek to Raise Higher Standards for Paralegals
Posted on December 04, 2007From today's Naples Daily News, which sums up the Florida Registered Paralegal Program nicely:"The Florida Supreme Court on Nov. 15 unanimously approved creation of the Florida Registered Paralegal Program, which provides for voluntary registration of paralegals who meet minimum educational, certification, or work experience criteria, and who agree to abide by an established code of ethics...
The Key to Paralegal Profitability
Posted on November 30, 2007From morepartnerincome.com :: The Paralegal Opportunity for Law Firms: "The key to the paralegal profitability is the same as that for legal associates?utilization. It requires partners with delegation and supervision skills. It requires effective firm-wide scheduling of billable resources...
Judge Orders Production of Paralegal's Notes
Posted on November 29, 2007MARSHALL, Texas -- U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis ordered defendant Time Warner to produce a flowchart created by its paralegals in order to identify further parties to the litigation.In an effort to identify proper parties and address liability issues, Judge Davis granted the plaintiffs' request for production of defendants' partnership agreements and a flowchart developed by Time Warner's paralegal on Nov...
Paralegal Honored for Pro Bono Work
Posted on November 28, 2007From Dateline Pittsburgh:: "Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott is the recipient of the 2006 Law Firm Pro Bono Award from the Allegheny County Bar Association. The award is in recognition of the firm's administration of the Custody Conciliation Project, which it developed in connection with the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership...
Bree Cottrell Joins The DiLeone Law Group, P.C.
Posted on November 27, 2007How awesome is it when a firm sends out a press release about their new paralegal? The Raleigh, N.C. firm of The DiLeone Law Group, P.C. did just that to announce that Bree Cottrell has joined the firm as a paralegal. Cottrell is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she received a bachelor of science in business administration with a concentration in human resource management and entrepreneurship...
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Is it libel to write blog posts and/or online reviews about a local business that defames one's reputation?
Libel is the form of defamation expressed in fixed-- usually written form. Sland...
I am a paralegal at the Colorado Dept. of Labor and Employment. In law, do we still refer to the master-servant relationship or is it being replaced by the employer-employee relationship.
The question is really one relating to respondeat superior or the liability of a...
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