Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Kramer Levin Lays Off 18 Lawyers, 21 Staff | JD Journal

Posted on February 18, 2009
As 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, 2009
With 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, 2009
The 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, 2009
Easy 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...

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Looking for a New Specialty? Think Foreclosure

Posted on February 16, 2009
Foreclosure 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, 2009
In 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, 2009
Attendees 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, 2009
With 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, 2009
Dean 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, 2009
Yesterday, 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, 2009
Yesterday, 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, 2009
Dean 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, 2009
Adding 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, 2009
The 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, 2009
IE 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, 2009
In 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, 2009
Electronically 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, 2009
In 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, 2009
For 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, 2009
In 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, 2009
The 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, 2009
There 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, 2009
It 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, 2009
In 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, 2009
A 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, 2009
Technology 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, 2009
Unless 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, 2009
Cindy 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, 2009
Hawaii 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, 2009
One 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...

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