Lawyer's Request for Voluntary Discipline Due to Paralegal Misconduct Denied

Posted on March 29, 2011
I don't think any of you want to be associated with a "paralegal" or "investigator" whose qualifications, or lack thereof, include: An extensive criminal history No formal paralegal education No investigator's license Yet that's the person Georgia lawyer Joseph Maccione hired to assist him in his solo practice, allowing this fine fellow to prepare correspondence, communicate with clients, and collect retainer fees - and to identify himself as a paralegal and investigator on business cards and letterhead...

Paralegal Career 101: Choosing Your Law Specialty

Posted on March 29, 2011
Kristina Zelisko by Kristina Zelisko The legal profession is a vast field, filled with possibilities for choosing a specialty uniquely suited to your interests. As a paralegal, you could work in numerous settings, including government offices, law firms, and corporate legal departments...

Ethics Corner: Four Electronic Security Gadgets Paralegals Will Love

Posted on March 28, 2011
This says you're tough on digital security. I'm working on a new ethics CLE presentation, "Old-Fashioned Ethics in a Newfangled Age," but in my focus on digital and online security and ethical issues, I haven't been thinking as much about hardware as software...

Welcome to Monday

Posted on March 28, 2011
Milton the Corgi doesn't want to go for a walk. Lynne the Paralegal doesn't want to go for Monday.

NALA's Certified Paralegal Review Manual Now Available by eChapter

Posted on March 28, 2011
One of my terrific readers, who knows I'd like to take NALA's CLA exam, told me a couple of months ago that the Certified Paralegal Review Manual: A Practical Guide to CP Exam Preparation (3rd Edition) is now available by the eChapter, a very economical alternative for the cash-strapped exam hopeful who doesn't have $160...

The Paralegal Voice: Paralegals Who Love Their Jobs...and Why

Posted on March 28, 2011
The latest edition of The Paralegal Voice, "Paralegals Who Love Their Jobs...and Why" co-hosted by Vicki Voisin and me, is now available at Legal Talk Network. In this episode, we spotlight four successful paralegals from across the country who love their jobs: Brian Haberly, Corporate and Securities Paralegal with Clearwire Corporation; Patricia F...

Today's Quote: Legal Assistants Day Should Never Fall on a Weekend

Posted on March 27, 2011
For What it's Worth: March is Optimism Month. This is Act Happy Week. Today is Make  Up Your Own Holiday Day, which may explain why it is also Legal Assistants Day. ~ Excerpt from March 26, 2011 article, "Jurisprudence, Sticky Situation, Police Bladder --er, Blotter" (Patch...

Why I Will Never Get the Big Head

Posted on March 26, 2011
My heart did a happy blogger skip when I read one of my latest reader comments: I have read a few of the blog posts on your site since yesterday, and I truly like your style of blogging. I bookmarked it to my Internet favorites list, and will be checking back soon...

Florida Bills Propose Paralegal Licensing

Posted on March 26, 2011
The Florida legislature is now dealing with one of the most hotly disputed issues in the history of the paralegal profession: whether paralegals should be licensed. On March 3, 2011, House Bill 1149 and Senate Bill 1612 were filed, proposing that the Florida Supreme Court create a licensing requirement for anyone wanting to use the paralegal title - and making it a felony for people without licenses to call themselves paralegals...

Legal Secretary Clearly Recalls Lawyer Drafting $200k Bequest to Himself

Posted on March 26, 2011
This Tale of Woe Also Includes a Very "BAD DOG!" Moment I doubt that Cindy Feld remembers the five years she worked as Florida Keys attorney William "Buck" DeVane's legal secretary entirely fondly. Recently she's been asked to recount one particularly memorable assignment (at least to her) to The Florida Bar...

A Fine Example of Getting to the Point

Posted on March 25, 2011
Greg Lambert wrote a post for 3 Geeks and a Law Blog earlier this week about "The Art of Shorter Writing". Having suffered from written verbal diarrhea all my life, I agree with him that modern professional writing has changed, and that the preferred style is clear, concise writing that gets the main point across quickly...

Some Resume Action Verbs to Avoid

Posted on March 23, 2011
When I stumbled across "500 Positive Resume Action Verbs That Get Job Interviews," I got kind of excited, because I usually review several resumes every week (thanks, y'all, for asking for my input, I try to combine tact with brutal honesty). I frequently suggest that legal job seekers use a functional skills format to sell the capabilities they have to prospective employers...

Paralegal Profile: Nita Serrano, RP, FRP

Posted on March 23, 2011
Job Title:  Paralegal Employer:  Ogden, Sullivan & O'Connor, P.A.; Tampa and Orlando, FL Years of Paralegal Experience: 15 Education/Degrees: AS Paralegal Specialty Areas:  Med/Mal Defense, Insurance Defense Career Highlight:  Successfully passed NFPA's PACE Exam Future Goals You're Working Toward:  Possibly sit for the CLA exam Paralegal Practice Tip:  Soak up everything like a sponge...

Australian Legal Assistant Wins 2011 Yale Drama Series Award

Posted on March 23, 2011
Photo via TheaterMania.com If you want to be a writer, you frequently hear, "Don't quit your day job."  (And the paralegal profession, with its crazy health insurance benefits, seems to draw a lot of writers). But maybe Australian legal assistant Shannon Murdoch can quit her day job (or already did, see below), after winning the 2011 Yale Drama Series Prize for Emerging Playwrights...

Today's Quote: At What Price Your Epic Snickeroo?

Posted on March 23, 2011
"You know, I'll bitch about it, but then I'll probably pay it anyway because I want my coffee." ~ Principal Financial legal assistant David Erickson tells The News Journal how he'll respond when the $4.08 price tag on his "Epic Snickeroo Latte" is raised due to the rising cost of coffee beans...

Legal Secretary Was a Ready Dispenser of Comfort and Love

Posted on March 22, 2011
Cyphers was also a great beauty. You guys know I love obituaries, especially the ones that provide a personal glimpse into a life well-lived. New Jersey legal secretary, Ruth Endlar Cyphers, died on March 14, 2011 at the ripe old age of 91. Her obituary indicates she had the terrific communication skills required for successful legal support staffers, and was a cherished mom and grandma: Ruth was an accomplished legal secretary and worked over the years for many attorneys in the Morris County, N...

Here's Why Snail Mail Is Becoming Obsolete

Posted on March 22, 2011
Source:  eqcomics.com

Why There Is a Dearth of Middle-Aged Fashion Bloggers

Posted on March 22, 2011
Or, My What Big Blue Eyes I Have A couple of you have asked me if I follow any fashion blogs for real working women of a certain age, wearing normal stuff for the office straight from the Target runways, and looking rather like a model's very hip grandmum, and not like a model's 32-year old baby mum...

Paralegal Gets Prison Time for Embezzlement from Harrah's

Posted on March 21, 2011
How cool is it that Harrah's sponsors Project 21, a program that educates young people about the dangers of underage gambling, with prizes awarded for participation in essay, poster and poetry contests? How uncool is it to be the former Harrah's paralegal who plead guilty to stealing $370,000 from the program designed to help prevent underage gambling? The Press of Atlantic City reports that earlier this year Jodi Muraczewski was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to embezzlement from the Project 21 corporate bank account from 2005 through 2009...

Minister and "People's Advocate" Is Charged with UPL

Posted on March 21, 2011
You'd think if you were already in jail on two charges of unauthorized practice of law, you'd be extra careful not to go down that particular road again. But the Charleston Post Courier reports that while David Lee Edward Mitchell was a guest of the Charleston County jail, he allegedly decided to offer his self-professed legal expertise to a fellow inmate - again...

Paralegal Career Dressing: Flower Brooches from JKW Jewellery

Posted on March 21, 2011
I am insane for flowers. However, when I grow them, I usually kill them. But now floral clothes and accessories are in, so I can wear them, love them - and never watch them turn brown and die. Lately, I've been following a lot of fashion blogs for working women, and I've gotten so many great ideas for inexpensive ways to re-mix and accessorize my existing wardrobe, including adding a floral brooch to jackets, belts or purses...

Need a Mental Break? Barcode Yourself

Posted on March 21, 2011
I'm sure you have absolutely nothing else to do but barcode yourself. Not really. If you're a legal support staffer reading this post at work, you're probably taking a wee mental break by hiding under your desk with your smart phone, trying to take your mind off the multiple discovery responses that need to be completed in an hour, or yanking on the wire thingie  that will "accidentally" disconnect your desk phone for the remainder of the day...

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on March 20, 2011
I blog for paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries, legal staffers, paralegal students and instructors - and the attorneys who want to get to know us better. I try to share information they might find helpful for professional development, or a much needed laugh during a hectic week working for lawyers...

Paralegal Career Dressing: Where Can a Growing Gal Get a Classic Skirt?

Posted on March 20, 2011
My figure has changed. My older friends tell me it's inevitable, no matter what you eat or how much you exercise. It's not that you aren't still cute, it's just that your shape re-distributes itself, mostly around your waist. I'm a lot closer to 50 than 40, and I've finally admitted that I need a few skirts for work that fit my middle-aged shape, which is a size larger than my "girlish" 40-year old figure...

Loud Lawyer's Ethical Breach Is Subject of Ask Amy Column

Posted on March 20, 2011
Amy Dickinson is a syndicated advice columnist and the late Ann Landers' successor at the Chicago Tribune. Although she's not a legal professional, Dickinson knew exactly what to say when a reader wrote her about an uncomfortable dining experience at a Long Island restaurant: Dear Amy: Last night, I took my mother out for what I thought would be a pleasant, relaxing dinner...

Bone Marrow Donor Sought for Chinese-Canadian Legal Assistant

Posted on March 20, 2011
Krisy Lam is fighting for her life. Kristina "Krisy" Lam is a 28-year old legal assistant of Asian descent, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2009. After undergoing chemotherapy, Lam was in remission for most of 2010, but has since relapsed...

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