Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Vanity Fair Re-Writes Erin Brockovich with Universal Health Care

Posted on March 24, 2010
Vanity Fair wryly poses the theory that universal health care would have ruined the plot lines of several well-loved movies, including Erin Brockovich, in "Why Health Care Reform is Bad for Movies."And what about Steven Soderbergh?s critically acclaimed Erin Brockovich, which gave Julia Roberts her long-coveted Oscar? Sure, Roberts?s plucky paralegal could still have discovered the massive industrial cover-up of a poisoned water supply...

Paralegal Profile: Daphne Drescher, Freelancer & Blogger

Posted on March 24, 2010
Job Title: Freelance Litigation ParalegalEmployer: Drescher ProParalegal (Self-employed), Sonoma, CAYears of Paralegal Experience: 20+Specialty Areas: I?ve worked in most areas of litigation at one time or another, with recent emphases in complex litigation, intellectual property, and securities...

A Wee Ethics Tweet: Talk to the Hand

Posted on March 23, 2010
I know my paralegal peeps (marshmallow and otherwise) can relate. I should probably schedule this tweet to pop up every four hours via HootSuite...Related Post: Twitter: It's NOT About What I'm Doing Right Now;

Today's Quote: I Don't Do Windows...Yet

Posted on March 22, 2010
"One surprise about my new job is: I'm expected to vacuum." ~ Michigan legal assistant Ivy Jiggens talks about starting over in the legal field and taking a $20,000 a year pay cut, after accepting a buyout from her former newspaper employer.Jiggens gives insightful answers to Michigan State University visiting journalist Joe Grimm's career questions, and talks about the reality of starting over in the paralegal field as a second career...

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Practical Paralegalism Goes to NCPA's 30th Annual Meeting & Seminar

Posted on March 22, 2010
I'm still energized from spending the last weekend with an amazing and dedicated group of paralegals, members of the North Carolina Paralegal Association, Inc. They celebrated the organization's 30th anniversary with an outstanding continuing education conference from March 18 - 20, 2010, held at the beautiful Holiday Inn Resort in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina...

Today's Quote: I'd Rather Be Eaten by a Dinosaur Than Be a Paralegal

Posted on March 21, 2010
"I hate my job. More specifically, I hate being a 24-year-old paralegal. I took this job almost two years ago as a precursor to law school and a career as a public defender, or at least that lawyer that gets eaten on the toilet in Jurassic Park. " ~ An excerpt from "Desperate in DC's" plea for advice from True/Slant's Ken Layne...

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on March 21, 2010
One of the many reasons I blog for paralegals is to share information they may find helpful for professional development (or a much needed laugh during a hectic week working with lawyers). Once a week I try to share links to a half dozen or so articles focusing on legal news, practice tips and technology - plus a good laugh or two...

Texas Program Adds National Paralegal Honor Society Chapter

Posted on March 21, 2010
"Without good paralegals, our legal system cannot function." ~ Dr. Allatia Harris, President of San Jacinto College - NorthSan Jacinto College (SJC) in Houston, Texas held its first induction ceremony for its new campus chapter of the paralegal honor society Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX), which is founded by the American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE)...

College of the Canyons Paralegal Program Receives ABA Approval

Posted on March 21, 2010
Congratulations to College of the Canyons (COC) Paralegal Studies program in Santa Clarita, California, for its recent accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA) - becoming "the only ABA approved program of its kind in the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys - and one of approximately 30 such programs in the state...

Paralegal Profile: Jennifer Taylor Will Cook for Shoes

Posted on March 17, 2010
Paralegal Profile: Jennifer TaylorJob Title: Senior ParalegalEmployer: Texas Regional Entity, Austin TXYears of Paralegal Experience: 15Specialty Areas: Commercial litigation, class actions & multi-district litigationCareer Highlight: Assisted on two cases argued before the Ohio Supreme CourtParalegal Practice Tip: Always look at your calendar for the week ahead to keep on top of deadlines...

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me St. Patrick Is the Patron Saint of Paralegals?

Posted on March 17, 2010
I feel like such a fool. Here I am, descended from a long line of red-headed Irish Catholics (lapsed), running around in my green dress all day (which really complements my Red-Straight-from-a-Bottle-Because-I-Got-Cheated-in-the-Genetic-Lottery hair) - and not afraid to use my big old black metal Bates stapler in case someone tried to pinch me...

Maximizing Medical Summaries: Simultaneously Build a Patient Dossier

Posted on March 16, 2010
In any kind of litigation involving injuries, you have to get to know the patient or injured party very well, regardless of what side of the fence you are working on. Reviewing medical records is an excellent way to do that.Do more than merely summarize and review medical records for causation, treatment and prognosis issues related to the injured party's current case...

"Just Preparing Documents" Results in Felony Charges

Posted on March 15, 2010
"Just preparing documents" or engaging in the crime of impersonating a lawyer?Nebraskan M.A. Yah, owner of Parental Rights in Omaha, has been charged this week with three counts of felony criminal impersonation, with more charges possible. Douglas County Judge Lyn White was not impressed with Yah's perhaps ill-advised statement in open court that his company "just prepares documents...

Paralegal Named to State Board of Medical Practice

Posted on March 15, 2010
Congratulations to paralegal Debbie J. Boe, who has been appointed by Minnesota's governor to a four-year term as a public member of the state Board of Medical Practice (BMP).Boe has a bachelor's degree from Mankato State University, where she double-majored in paralegal studies and law enforcement, and over 25 years of paralegal experience...

Today's Quote: March Madness or Morale-Building?

Posted on March 15, 2010
"It's probably a drain on things. But I think you make up for it with morale and people liking each other." ~ Sean Doran, a paralegal who has worked for several firms in Washington, tells FOXNews why he thinks office pools are still a good thing. But several other employees mentioned in the article were either issued warnings or fired for their participation in office pools...

Peeps Make You Fart

Posted on March 14, 2010
For the second year in a row, the ABA Journal is hosting a really fun event for legal professionals with too much time on their hands and an insane love of dioramas: Peeps in Law Part Deux.Really. Fun. Like you should have seen how obsessively crazed I looked last year, up into the wee hours, trying to get my dioramas done by the deadline, running all over town to toy stores, constantly editing my drafts, and absent-mindedly munching on the exhibits until I suddenly realized they were all missing, er, just like working in a real law office...

Paralegal to Speak at 2010 Conference on College Composition and Communication

Posted on March 14, 2010
I believe it is critical for experienced paralegals to speak at educational conferences and share their knowledge, not only within the legal community but within the broader professional community as well. Paralegals often have advanced education and training, as well as strong oral and written communication skills, and they make excellent speakers...

Paralegal to Appear on Law & Order: SVU

Posted on March 14, 2010
A Law & Order: SVU marathon is like television crack for me; I can sit in the recliner from sun-up to sun-down watching my favorite episodes - even if I've seen them six times before.So it's pretty durned exciting to get to merge two hobbies, recognizing paralegals and watching Law & Order: SVU in the same blog post...

Paralegal Goes to Capital Hill and Meets Nancy Pelosi

Posted on March 13, 2010
Joan Russell, a paralegal employed by the Clayton County Public Defender's Office office in Jonesboro, Georgia, did not know that her 2009 bachelor's degree in Legal Studies from Herzing University would not only lead to a great job - but also to a personal meeting this month with one of her heroes, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi...

Legal Assistant Happily Bitten by Vampire Fiction

Posted on March 12, 2010
Like those adults in the Frosted Flakes commercials, sheepishly admitting their love of the cereal well past childhood, I'm gonna 'fess up and admit that I read all of the Twilight books. It was hard not to after my daughters bought them all, waxed poetic about that very polite vampire heart-throb, Edward, endlessly for months - and then left the books on the coffee table...

Legal Assistant Sells Wedding Ring to Provide for Handicapped Son

Posted on March 12, 2010
Times are tough, and even with a full-time job and health insurance, sometimes it's still not enough to get what you need, as Liz Dunda, a legal assistant in Milan, Maryland, reported to The Huffington Post.Dunda, a single mom, sold her wedding ring - and also her bed - on Craigslist to raise the funds to get a handicap-accessible van and a bathroom in her home remodeled to allow wheelchair access for her son...

NWFPA Nominated for Children's Award

Posted on March 12, 2010
The Northwest Florida Paralegal Association, located in Pensacola, Florida, has been nominated by the Children's Champions of Northwest Florida for a 2009 Children's Award "for making a profound impact on the lives of local children." Congratulations to NWFPA for this recognition of its outstanding community service...

Today's Quote: Rum & Coke Mancakes Make Biglaw a Distant Memory

Posted on March 11, 2010
"David, having been in business for years, is a great businessman, but is also very concerned with creating an amicable work environment. Which, to be honest, is quite refreshing after two years in corporate America." ~ Kathleen Flaherty, a former paralegal, tells NYU Washington Square News why she likes working for David Arrick, a former Biglaw lawyer turned professional "masculine cupcake" baker...

Recent Fee-Sharing Cases Could Leave a Body Confused

Posted on March 11, 2010
There's been several attorney/paralegal fee-sharing cases reported in the news recently that could understandably leave a body confused, even people who ought to know better, like an attorney who's practiced law for more than 50 years.Last month a Florida jury found that paralegal Patricia Patterson had a binding oral contract for 10% of her supervising attorney's legal fees earned from any cases she resolved...

Today's Quote: A Good Solid Parole Plan

Posted on March 10, 2010
"He had good skills in making dentures and also as a paralegal and in office services technology." ~ One of Tony Protopappas' counsel's arguments to the Court of Appeals of California in support of his previously denied petition for parole, following his 1984 conviction for the murders of three of his dental patients...

Still Time to Register for NC Paralegal Association Seminar

Posted on March 09, 2010
There is still time to register for the North Carolina Paralegal Association's 30th Annual Meeting & Seminar, to be held March 18 - 20, 2010 at the beautiful Holiday Inn Resort in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.NCPA is offering a terrific line-up of presentations, including Erik Mazzone (N...

Review Course Offered for N.C. Paralegal Certification Exam

Posted on March 09, 2010
I get a lot of inquiries from North Carolina paralegals and paralegal students about review courses for the North Carolina Paralegal Certification Exam. I always recommend the review course jointly offered by the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division and the North Carolina Paralegal Association...

Don't Let Your Employer Pinch Your Overtime

Posted on March 08, 2010
A lot of law firms may be pinching pennies, but don't let them pinch the ones that you're legally entitled to. I don't know why I'm still surprised when I get email or see listserv queries from paralegals and legal assistants wondering if they should be paid for their overtime hours...

Suddenly, Working in a Cubicle Looks Good

Posted on March 07, 2010
The Sydney Morning Herald has published an eye-opening article about the working conditions of legal professionals in Ambala, a city in the state of Haryana, India.They pretty much work outside - even in monsoon season.Sitting in a cubicle with no windows, with access to even an older model computer and the Internet that American legal professionals take for granted, suddenly seems like sitting in the lap of luxury...

Charges Against Legal Assistant Dropped After Spending Over a Year in Jail

Posted on March 06, 2010
There are too many news stories these days about legal staff in positions of trust allegedly embezzling money from law firms, but this news story published by the Stuart News has a definite twist.Florida legal assistant Wandalyn Jackson has been in jail for a year and a half - pending disposition of 139 criminal charges relating to alleged theft from her former employer, attorney Brian Beauchamp - apparently unable to pay her $20,000 bail...

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