Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Profile: Carl H. Morrison, II, AACP, Senior Paralegal & B Movie Fan

Posted on June 08, 2010
Job Title: Senior ParalegalEmployer: Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable, PLLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma.Years of Paralegal Experience: 18+Specialty Areas: Insurance defense including medical products liability and medical malpractice, vaccine litigation, nursing home litigation, asbestos litigation, toxic torts, and dram shop liability...

Juror No. 103 on Blagojevich Trial Is a Legal Assistant

Posted on June 08, 2010
I don't know about you, but I never get picked for jury duty. Not that trial attorneys are clamoring for paralegal jurors anyway - but it is notable that three of the eighteen jurors seated for Rod Blagojevich's trial on corruption charges are legal support staffers:103 -- White female...

Do Your Homework Before Enrolling in a For-Profit Paralegal Program

Posted on June 07, 2010
I sometimes get email from people interested in a paralegal career, asking if they should get a paralegal certificate (often online) versus an associate or bachelor's degree in paralegal studies. I always tell them to thoroughly research the educational requirements that area legal employers prefer before making a decision - and that many employers today are looking for paralegals with four-year degrees...

Today's Quote: The Grass Is Always Greener - In This Guy's Living Room

Posted on June 07, 2010
God knows what she will say when she sees it, but hopefully she'll see the funny side.All my mates thought I was mental when they found out what I had done, but then when they saw it they all came round and we had a sit on the pitch and a couple of beers...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Welcome the New Paralegal Bloggers on the Block

Posted on June 06, 2010
With several thousand lawyers blogging, and less than 20 paralegals and legal assistants blogging regularly, it can be a little lonely for a paralegal in the blawgosphere. So it's wonderful to see several new paralegal blogs created recently, including:Paralegal Pundit (http://theparalegalpundit...

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on June 06, 2010
I blog for paralegals - and legal assistants, legal secretaries, legal staffers and attorneys who want to get to know us better - to share information they might find helpful for professional development, or a much needed laugh during a hectic week working for lawyers...

Paralegal and Longtime Singer/Songwriter Releases CD

Posted on June 06, 2010
?If Bonnie Raitt should call and say ?I want you to open for me,? I?m sellin? everything and goin? on the road.? ~ Terry MillsTerry Mills, a San Angelo, Texas paralegal who has written and performed her own songs for almost 20 years, hasn't given up her day job or sold all of her worldly goods yet, but she is releasing her first CD, Man Behind the Curtain, next week...

Saturday LOL: What Was the Question Again?

Posted on June 05, 2010
Last Saturday I was trapped like a rat in a maze, chaperoning teens at a giant airless amusement park. When I saw this video, I knew had to continue the rat theme, because this battle of the eyeballs reminds me of human behavior I've witnessed in litigation situations...

Today's Quote: Right-Hand Man - or Second Wife?

Posted on June 04, 2010
"If you become his second wife, you are a fool." ~ Per a legal secretary responding to assistant law professor Felice Batlan's survey for a paper on the working conditions and attitudes of legal secretaries.The scariest finding is that 60% of Batlan's survey respondents said that the role of the law office "second wife" is still alive and well today...

Quick Tips for Professional Social Networking

Posted on June 03, 2010
I really enjoyed presenting "Social Media for Career Development" at the N.C. Bar Association Paralegal Division Annual Meeting and Conference last month. I figured if even one attendee created a LinkedIn profile, set up an RSS reader or checked out Twitter, that the presentation was a success...

Working Girl Wednesday: A Few of My Favorite Things

Posted on June 02, 2010
Or, Pearls Before PantyhoseI've shared a few of my least favorite things lately (pantyhose and possums, to name a few), so I thought I'd share some of my very favorite things this week:Favorite answering machine message: "I'm pleased to share that I'm making some changes in my life, and if I don't return your call, you're one of those changes...

The Paralegal Voice: Digital Evidence for Paralegals

Posted on June 02, 2010
The latest edition of The Paralegal Voice, "Digital Evidence for Paralegals," co-hosted by Vicki Voisin and me, is now available at Legal Talk Network.We welcome Giovanni Masucci, a Sr. Digital Forensic Examiner and the CEO/President of National Digital Forensics, Inc...

We've Come a Long Way, Baby

Posted on June 01, 2010
My readers of a certain age (my age) will relate to The National Law Journal article, "A veteran legal secretary reflects on changes in the workplace." Carol Coon, an employee of Shook Hardy in Kansas City, Missouri, started her legal career in 1977. I started mine about nine years later (and also as a legal secretary), but boy, this article brings back memories of a few of my least favorite things, like typewriter ribbons, carbon paper - and pantyhose...

Today's Quote: A Sign of the Times

Posted on June 01, 2010
"There was a time, kiddies, when you could go home with a paralegal or a stockbroker for the night and no one had to exchange medical histories (though they may have had to come clean about being a Capricorn)." ~ San Francisco Chronicle (2004).I am, of course, way too young to know what a fern bar is, but vaguely remember a time when your astrological sign was key introductory information...

Professional Profile: Patricia E. Infanti, PP, PLS, NALS President

Posted on June 01, 2010
Job Title: Legal Administrative AssistantEmployer: Ballard Spahr LLP, Philadelphia, PAYears of Legal Experience: 33Specialty Areas: Currently, commercial real estate. Over the years I have worked in many different practice areas, including replevin, bankruptcy, family law, business organizations/corporate, personal injury, wills and estates, criminal law, and residential real estate...

Here's Why "No JDs Need Apply" for that Paralegal Job

Posted on May 31, 2010
Or, How Not to Get a Job in the Legal Field. Ever.Ya'll know I'm a fan of paralegal want ads gone awry, and welcome tips from readers. And sometimes I blog about law school graduates applying for the same legal support staff positions we do.But lately I've noticed a trend in paralegal want ads which state, "No JDs please" or "No JDs need apply...

Saturday LOL: Don't Eat the Sushi

Posted on May 30, 2010
I know it's not actually Saturday, but yesterday I was trapped for seven hours at a huge concrete amusement park with my husband, chaperoning five 14-year old girls and eating $10 burgers. Yesterday nothing was funny.But today USB memory sticks disguised as sushi strike me as funny...

Paralegal to Bike 545 Miles for AIDS Fundraiser

Posted on May 27, 2010
California paralegal Ami Flori is planning to spend the week of June 6-12 riding her bicycle a grueling 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles and sleeping in a 1,500-tent city each night.But she's doing it for a good cause, to raise money for AIDS as part of LifeCycle9, "Ride to end AIDS...

World's Funniest Paralegal? Mebbe Not.

Posted on May 27, 2010
A co-worker told me the other day that I should be a comedian. (Maybe that wasn't a compliment?)You know there's even a shirt for that.But it's for the dog.Source: ZazzleRelated Posts: The Episode in Which We Finally Get a Law Firm Dog; Why Every Legal Professional Needs a Dog; Introducing the Staff of Practical Paralegalism

Recipe for an Awesome Paralegal Patty

Posted on May 26, 2010
West Virginia paralegal Lesley Weigel's hamburger patty recipe is so good, she simply calls it "The Oh-My-Goodness! Burger."Stop reading right now if you haven't eaten. The Beckley Register-Herald provides a vivid description of this very special burger:The recipe calls for adding minced onion and finely diced bacon and a mixture of barbecue sauce and mayonnaise to the meat before it?s shaped into patties...

Professional Profile: Susan Winters, Corporate Legal Assistant & Writer

Posted on May 25, 2010
Job Title: Legal AssistantEmployer: International Consulting firm in Reno, NevadaYears of Paralegal Experience: 10Specialty Areas: Corporate law, IP and ComplianceCareer Highlight: In my current job and previous positions, the legal department has been proactive in educating its internal clients regarding legal issues...

Interview 101: How to Rock a Basic Black Suit

Posted on May 24, 2010
Many of Practical Paralegalism's readers tell me they are interviewing for law firm jobs for the first time, as they start first, second or third careers. Others are interviewing for new jobs after economic layoffs, and some are trying to get back in the legal field after a long hiatus to raise a family or care for a parent...

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on May 23, 2010
I blog for paralegals - and legal assistants, legal secretaries, legal staffers and attorneys who want to get to know us better - to share information they might find helpful for professional development, or a much needed laugh during a hectic week working for lawyers...

Legal Secretary Sacked for Sending Personal Email from Work

Posted on May 23, 2010
Or, Yet Another Reason Why Your Work Computer Isn't Really YoursHow many times have you sent personal email via your law firm email address, signed with your official law firm signature? If we're being honest, most of us likely have sent personal business correspondence from our work address at one time or another, but it's never a good idea, as illustrated by the experience of Australian legal secretary, Vassie Seidel...

Today's Quote: From Legal Secretary to Candidate for Circuit Court Judge

Posted on May 23, 2010
"I come from a blue collar family and a small business background. I understand what it's like to live from paycheck to paycheck. I can relate to the common person." ~ Janice Keeton, a Florence attorney and former legal secretary who worked her way through law school, states that her background will enable her to relate to people who would appear in her courtroom...

Paralegal Student Is the Biggest Man on Campus

Posted on May 23, 2010
And the Biggest Man in America Igor Vovkovinskiy, a paralegal student at the Minnesota School of Business, is the new Guinness World Records title holder of Tallest Living American Man.At 7 feet 8.33 inches, earning the title is no stretch.Like many legal professionals, Vovkovinskiy values good evidence...

Saturday LOL: Get Lost, Cats

Posted on May 22, 2010
Ya'll know I'm not a big fan of cats since ours slept peacefully within three feet of a live possum in our living room, but in honor of YouTube's fifth anniversary last week and the Lost grand finale tomorrow night (I like to call this show "It's raining men, Hallelujah!"), this video is too good not to share:Source: Mashable

2010 Technology Goals for Paralegals from NCBA's Practice Management Center

Posted on May 20, 2010
I've been carrying around the January 2010 issue of Practice Management, the North Carolina Bar Association's Law Practice Management Section newsletter, because of Erik Mazzone's terrific article "12 for 2010". Erik, the director of NCBA's Center for Practice Management, recommends 12 technology goals that legal professionals can implement one month at a time, especially if they seem a little overwhelming at first...

Transgender Paralegal and Politician Heads to DC

Posted on May 20, 2010
"You can't get more honest than (openly transgender individuals) are. It's not like we're living a lie anymore." ~ Pam Bennett.Sometimes I read about paralegals who capture my imagination and admiration based on their courage, their commitment to their communities, and the obvious respect they've earned from those who write about them...

Working Girl Wednesday: I Have PTSD

Posted on May 19, 2010
Or, Possum Traumatic Stress Disorder Ya'll got kids? You know I got kids, two eighth grade girls to be specific.It's exactly four years, three months, fourteen days, two hours and ten minutes before I can drive them to their freshman dorms at college...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.