Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on April 11, 2010
I blog for paralegals to share information they might find helpful for professional development - or a much needed laugh during a hectic week working with lawyers. Once a week I share links to a half dozen or so articles focusing on legal news and humor, practice tips and technology...

Saturday Laugh Out Loud: We Also Fight for Good Grammar

Posted on April 10, 2010
Just a few weeks ago I wrote, "One way to keep your grammar skills razor sharp (even if your motivation is to never be the butt of one of their glaring grammatical error posts) is to subscribe to several 'grammar police' blogs."Because they are vigilant in the fight for good grammar and will issue you a very public citation, as Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald, a New York law firm found out this week...

Take Two Lawyers (and a Paralegal) and Call in the Morning

Posted on April 08, 2010
I'm already a huge fan of Legal Aid, but as the mother of a child with a serious chronic illness who has spent plenty of time in the local children's hospital, I am excited about The Child Health-Law Partnership (Child HeLP) at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio, a collaboration between the hospital and the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati "in which a lawyer and a paralegal are on hand to offer assistance with any legal issue that may affect a child's health or their family's...

Say It Out Loud With Me: "My Work Computer Isn't Really Mine"

Posted on April 07, 2010
Yes, I cringed when I saw the headline "Dirty old man out to pasture" followed by "a 73-year old 'sex addict' paralegal who is one of the longest-serving employees at [New York City's] Law Department is being forced out for ignoring repeated warnings not to open or send sexually explicit emails...

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Realize the Benefits of the Digital Age While Avoiding Its Curse

Posted on April 07, 2010
by Steve AdamsThe ability to produce documents digitally, rather than on paper, has made it easier to create, store and transmit them. But there?s an ugly downside. The presence of digital documents loaded with confidential information has drawn identity thieves, hackers and other nefarious characters like ants to a picnic...

Today's Quote: Fat, Smelly People Park at McDonald's

Posted on April 06, 2010
Before you become irate because you love McDonald's, as do I, this quote is from an email sent by a Victorian (as in British Columbia, not the era) law enforcement officer to an innocent paralegal, who was simply minding his own business and is not even the owner of the subject vehicle:Stop parking at McDonald's! Your (sic) taking up the parking space of some fat, smelly lower class F wit from Frankston North who needs to survive on 20,000 calories a day to maintain their disability support payments from Centrelink ...

Practical Paralegalism Gets Around & Gives Thanks

Posted on April 06, 2010
When I started a professional blog for paralegals in October 2008, I never imagined that I'd be writing for more than me and 27 of my closest buddies. It was a long time before I became an experienced enough blogger to figure out how to check Practical Paralegalism's monthly traffic...

How to Become a Lawyer Without Going to Law School

Posted on April 05, 2010
(Or Engaging in the Unauthorized Practice of Law)Washington paralegal Tim Anderson plans to take the state bar exam - without ever going to law school.An unusual hands-on education, the Law Clerk Program, more like an old-fashioned apprenticeship for lawyers, offered in less than a dozen states, will allow Anderson to sit for Washington's bar exam after working full-time in the legal profession and undergoing tutoring by his supervising attorney for a four-year period...

Happy Easter 2010 to Practical Paralegalism Readers!

Posted on April 04, 2010
Or, Is It Accurate to Say I've Been Published by the ABA Journal on My Resume?Many people treasure their Easter holiday traditions, dying eggs, decorating baskets, and preparing a special feast.But what do you do if you're not a particularly talented cook?You run around to area toy stores trying to find a cheap blonde doll to behead for your entry in the ABA Journal's second annual Peeps in Law event...

Don't Depart in a Blaze of Bad Grammar

Posted on April 04, 2010
Above the Law's April 1, 2010 post "When Paralegals Burn Bridges" was, unfortunately, not an April Fool's joke. (I kept holding off on the publication of this post, hoping Elie would announce, "Gotcha!")The final email from a disgruntled and allegedly mistreated paralegal departing a small Atlanta firm, sent to the entire office, and single-mindedly intent on highlighting a supervising attorney, "Attila's," perceived lack of professionalism, has already been thoughtfully addressed by Robert Mongue at The Empowered Paralegal...

Today's Quote: This Is Beyond the Pale, Even for Ambulance-Chasing

Posted on April 04, 2010
My call to the number Tuesday afternoon was answered by a male voice saying, "hotline." I inquired if this was the VA Medical Center Palo Alto and was told, "This is not the actual medical center, no, but we do advertise on their website." I identified myself as a reporter and, when asked, he identified himself as a legal assistant at Seeger Weiss...

Paralegal Hunts for Easter Eggs at the White House

Posted on April 04, 2010
North Carolina paralegal Kelly Cortes has been invited to attend the biggest Easter egg hunt of them all tomorrow, April 5: The White House Easter Egg Roll. She and her stepson, Gavin, received special tickets as military dependants; her husband, Staff Sgt...

Saturday Laugh Out Loud: Anybody Can Be A "Single Lady"

Posted on April 03, 2010
Or, Admit It, Belting Out Beyonce in the Car Is a Non-Gender Based PleasureI work for a firm that handles civil rights cases, so little Losiah's potential claim of discrimination definitely caught my eye:My favorite guilty-Beyonce-in-the-car-karaoke-pleasure is "Irreplaceable" - you know, "To the left, to the left" and "And keep talking that mess, that's fine/But could you walk and talk at the same time?"Sources: Mashable; YouTubeRelated Post: Working Girl Wednesday: I'm Every Paralegal

Today's Quote: Bootylicious Email Can Get Ya Booted

Posted on April 02, 2010
"I would race through my stack of papers and have nothing to do, so I found other ways to pass the time. I read a book, I surfed the Web, I made small talk with my officemate. I tried to be discreet and act busy, knowing how the attorneys and paralegals liked to pop their heads in to check on us...

Paralegals, The Memphis Bar Association Wants YOU

Posted on April 02, 2010
The Commercial Appeal is reporting the Memphis Bar Association's appeal for more legal professionals, including paralegals, to volunteer for pro bono projects via its Access to Justice Committee, which provides weekly free clinics.The theme for the volunteer drive is ?Each One, Bring One; Each One, Take One,? meaning each volunteer brings another volunteer and each volunteer takes a pro bono case or a volunteer shift...

The Episode in Which We Finally Get a Law Firm Dog

Posted on April 01, 2010
For years, I've been begging the guys to let us have a law firm dog.We almost got a yellow tabby tom kitten once when the architects next door at our old offices found it in the parking lot, and immediately tried to convince us that we were potential cat-owners...

Working Girl Wednesday: I'm Every Paralegal

Posted on March 31, 2010
It's spring break, and the best part is that I have the car all to myself this week, even if the teens are eating me out of house and home. This means I get to listen to the oldies station, where I sing along to every song. Because I'm an oldie and I get caught up in the joy of remembering all the words...

Everything's Better with Wings

Posted on March 30, 2010
Relax, it's just in the concept phase. But it was bound to happen sooner or later.Source: Mashable

Sock It To Me

Posted on March 30, 2010
Send out a plea for socks for soldiers and what do you get?Over 1,900 pairs.Lauren Koster and Lauren Keating, two New Jersey attorneys and law clerks (for the Cumberland and Salem County Courthouses respectively), have far exceeded their "modest" goal of collecting 500 pairs of new tube socks...

The Importance of a Paralegal's Writing Skills

Posted on March 29, 2010
The latest episode of The Paralegal Voice, "The Importance of a Paralegal's Writing Skills", co-hosted by Vicki Voisin and me, is now available at Legal Talk Network.Sally Kane, Editor-in-Chief of Paralegal Today (formerly Legal Assistant Today) and Editor of Litigation Support Today, is the featured guest...

Today's Quote: This Is Way Worse Than A Wedgie

Posted on March 29, 2010
"It was going fine until the snake decided he didn't want to play with me and climbed down my pants. I was doing stomach undulations and it decided to go south. I ended up having to leave the stage." ~ Debbie Scheel, a Houston legal assistant and belly dance instructor, describes a "technical difficulty" associated with a belly-dancing incident...

Video: Another Paralegal Saving the World

Posted on March 29, 2010
Although this video about paralegal Susan Hu's work for the Center of Constitutional Rights was made by MTV in October 2007, it's still a must-see for legal professionals interested in civil rights work and Guantanamo Bay in particular.Today, there are lawyers all over the country still performing extensive pro bono representation on behalf of the remaining detainees...

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on March 28, 2010
I blog for paralegals to share information they might find helpful for professional development (or a much needed laugh during a hectic week working with lawyers). Once a week I share links to a half dozen or so articles focusing on legal news and humor, practice tips and technology...

The Perfect Paralegal Tool

Posted on March 28, 2010
You know how a paralegal, like MacGyver, is supposed to be able to fix anything, anywhere - whether it be the office copier, the Power Point projector, or the gum on your supervising attorney's pants - even if he or she only has a rusty paper clip?Well, Victorinox knew there was a market for The Perfect Paralegal Tool and created a USB/Army knife (I know that phrase looks wrong but it's right)...

Will These Guys Cut Your Grass or Your Legal Fees?

Posted on March 26, 2010
One way to keep your grammar skills razor sharp (even if your motivation is never to be the butt of one of their glaring grammatical error posts) is to subscribe to several "grammar police" blogs. Two of my favorites are The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks and Apostrophe Catastrophes...

On Meeting The Paralegal Mentor

Posted on March 26, 2010
I don't think I adequately conveyed in my blog post about attending the North Carolina Paralegal Association's wonderful annual conference last weekend how seriously excited I was about finally meeting Vicki Voisin, The Paralegal Mentor, even though I've known her virtually since October 8, 2008...

Legal Secretary Files Wrongful Termination Suit, Alleging Work-Related Panic Attacks

Posted on March 25, 2010
Many legal professionals are suffering under the weight of crushing workloads, especially after layoffs and hiring freezes. Some people manage, with complaints that the quality of the final work product is not as good, while others slowly decompensate, dreading work every day, but stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to function effectively but unable to afford the loss of a paycheck...

Today's Quote: I Find My Legal Staff Want Ad Soul-Sister

Posted on March 25, 2010
Help wanted: Careless, unprofessional legal secretary with sloppy appearance to work for grumpy, hack lawyer in third-rate firm. No need for good communication skills or ability to work well under pressure. No one here talks to anyone else, and we work at a snail's pace...

Paralegal Association of New Hampshire Announces 2010 Board Members

Posted on March 25, 2010
The Paralegal Association of New Hampshire (PANH), a member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), has announced its new Board of Directors:President: Aniko Bouley, CP Past President: Stacey PetersVice President: Jennifer EmerySecretary: Sharon WillierTreasurer: Catherine AllardBouley received the New Hampshire Bar Association's 2008 Paralegal Professionalism Award...

Metadata 101: What You Don?t Know Can Hurt You

Posted on March 24, 2010
By Beverly Michaelis, J.D.Metadata is data about the data, or as forensic expert Craig Ball once called it, ?the electronic equivalent of DNA.? It describes attributes and characteristics of the information contained in electronic files. It can be relatively benign: file name, date stamp, time stamp, size, or type of file created...

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