Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

An Associate Discusses Communicating with Legal Assistants

Posted on May 28, 2009
Nelia Robbi, a Texas attorney, gives the following advice about interacting with legal assistants in a recent article posted at Law.com, ?Communicating as an Associate: Remain Authentic?: A little respect makes a big difference in office relationships...

Legal Assistant Searches for a Job ? On the Streets

Posted on May 27, 2009
Florida legal assistant Tina Maudlin, laid off last June, put on her classic interview suit on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, and then stood at a busy intersection in Tallahassee with a neatly printed large sign reading, ?Legislative/Legal Assistant Needs Employment?...

?Paralegal? Stumps National Spelling Bee Contender

Posted on May 27, 2009
There are those days when I have trouble spelling ?paralegal? myself, along with simpler words like ?blue? and my name. So I have nothing but the utmost admiration for those stellar baby spellers who make it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee...

Primo Paralegal Shoutouts

Posted on May 27, 2009
Lynn Lisk, program director and assistant professor in the Legal Assistance/Paralegal program at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, has been reappointed for a fourth term to the Mock Trial Committee of the Arkansas Bar Association.Lisk will also serve as the regional coordinator for the Mock Trial Competition in February 2010, scheduled to be held on the UA Fort Smith campus for the third time...

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Got Reading Glasses?

Posted on May 27, 2009
I confess. I collect reading glasses. And I lose reading glasses. And then I buy more.I love reading glasses. The more colorful, the better. The more they embarrass my children, the more likely I am to love them. But red's my favorite.And I'm not afraid to admit that 2...

Paying it forward

Posted on May 27, 2009
by Diana Smith, Managing Editor, Carolina Paralegal News Paralegals are paragons of service, yet efforts sometimes go unnoticedWhen the American Bar Association's annual Law Week took place earlier this month, headlines popped in both Carolinas with stories and photos showing lawyers accomplishing good deeds for their communities...

On Missing @lilyhill

Posted on May 25, 2009
The thing is, I had my eye on Twitterer @lilyhill for a professional profile for Practical Paralegalism. I just hadn?t worked up the nerve to ask my Twitter ?rock star? for it. She was one of the first half dozen or so people that I followed on Twitter, attracted to her description on J...

Primo Paralegal Shoutouts

Posted on May 25, 2009
As always, it's an honor and a pleasure to share the achievements of paralegals and paralegal students all over the country. Special thanks to those of you who contacted me directly with your news.Want to share your good news, including degrees, scholarships, job announcements and special recognition via Practical Paralegalism? Email me at lynne...

Lawyer Blames Paralegal for Erroneous Application

Posted on May 25, 2009
Texas lawyer Andrew Schirrmeister responded to a motion for sanctions by former appellate judge Gordon Maag, admitting that his application to practice in an Illinois benzene suit without an Illinois license omitted information about prior sanctions ? due to the fault of the paralegal that prepared it...

Courthouse Clerk Earns Bachelor?s Degree at Age 72

Posted on May 25, 2009
New Jersey courthouse clerk Elaine Bialow, employed by the Middlesex County Courthouse, graduated this week from Rutgers University with a bachelor?s degree in political science. She is 72 years old.Bialow worked toward her political science degree not for a promotion or more money, but for her own edification...

Paralegal Sells Elderly Lawyer?s Practice for $20

Posted on May 25, 2009
This might be Practical Paralegalism?s criminal activity shocker for the month. California paralegal Mario Abernathy admitted selling an 84-year old lawyer?s practice for $20, after befriending him and then having him sign a power of attorney giving Mr...

First Grader Says Legal Assistants Can Earn Lots of Money

Posted on May 25, 2009
A first grader at Middle Ridge Elementary School in Middletown, Ohio shares what she learned about legal assistants at the school's recent career day.Shelby Williams, 7, said she learned a legal assistant ?needs to do whatever the lawyer says.Shelby said the career is ?cool because she can earn lots of money...

Process Server Signs 200 False Affidavits

Posted on May 25, 2009
Minnesota process server Angus McEachern was charged Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court with 13 counts of perjury. He lied about serving 13 individuals, leaving them facing default judgments for cases they didn't know about, according to criminal charges...

Paralegal Profile: Christina L. Koch, ACP, Freelance Author & Belly Dancer

Posted on May 22, 2009
Job Titles: Litigation Paralegal/Trial Practice SpecialistEmployer: Inserra & Kelley, Omaha, NEYears of Paralegal Experience: 20Specialty Areas: Personal Injury, FELA, Workers? Compensation, Social SecurityCareer Highlights: Paralegal Gateway Superstar March 2008, NALA LEAP Class 2009, and being able to freelance as a legal author, which I have really enjoyed the last few years...

What to Wear to a Paralegal Job Interview

Posted on May 20, 2009
Alison Doyle, a job search expert, book author and prolific career columnist at About.com Careers, recently blogged about ?What Not to Wear on an Interview?. She is a great job search follow on Twitter (@alisondoyle), and in addition to regularly blogging with excellent career advice, offers a free weekly email job searching newsletter...

Sometimes the Fine Print Is Both Frightening and Inspiring

Posted on May 20, 2009
Words to live by for any legal professional (and the general public): "Read the fine print." Today, while drinking my aptly named "rescue" green tea vitaminwater®, I just happened to notice the fine print on the bottle, which says:is it us or is "maturing just another word for getting old? and who likes getting old anyway? your ears get hairier than your head, your back goes out more than you do, your late night dinners turn into early bird specials, you go from blonde hair to blue hair, and your little black book contains names that end only in m...

Simplify Your Life: Let Supercook Turn Your Bread Crumbs into Dinner

Posted on May 19, 2009
Another legal assistant on Twitter, @robertdawson155, brought the Supercook website to my attention. He tweeted, "Mashable on Twitter says: Supercook Analyzes Your Kitchen to Suggest What to Cook - http://bit.ly/AnDGQ - I like this idea!"I have a childlike awe for software designers, and was completely gobsmacked by the idea that someone could design a website that might suggest dinner recipes for the minimal ingredients already in my admittedly pathetic kitchen...

Former Paralegal is Receptionist of the United States

Posted on May 19, 2009
Washington, DC resident Darienne Page, an Army veteran and former paralegal who took depositions in Iraq, is now President Barack Obama?s receptionist. He has affectionately nicknamed her ?Rotus? - for ?Receptionist of the [entire] United States?.For her $36,000-a-year salary, Ms...

Paralegal Earns Extra Bucks as a Mystery Shopper

Posted on May 19, 2009
South Carolina paralegal Anita Robertson has a part-time gig as a mystery shopper. She earned about $1,000.00 extra dollars last year, visiting stores and restaurants to evaluate their service ? and got some free meals. But she earns those meals, recording the length of time she waits to be served and evaluating the cleanliness of the restrooms...

Tardy Paralegal Accused Stealing from Two Law Firms

Posted on May 19, 2009
Philadelphia resident and former estate paralegal Kathy Foer-Morse will likely not get a reference from her last two employers, New York firm Satterlee, Stephens, Burke & Burke and Philadelphia firm High Swartz. A representative of High Swartz says that Ms...

Add Martindale.com to Your Online Job Search Resources

Posted on May 18, 2009
The discovery of martindale.com as an additional online job source for paralegals is a key reason why every paralegal should join and use Twitter. I promise that Twitter is free and painless. Heck, Twitter is fun and a non-stop educational resource for the latest in legal news, technology and resources...

Primo Paralegal Shoutouts

Posted on May 17, 2009
Researching and announcing good paralegal news via Practical Paralegalism?s ?Primo Paralegal Shoutouts? is one of my favorite activities. This week there was so much good news that this is my longest shoutout ever. But it?s just plain exciting to see so many paralegals and paralegal students succeeding, excelling and being recognized for their achievements all over the country...

Retired Paralegal Saves Herself Right Into the Toilet

Posted on May 17, 2009
This news story ?Saving money never cost so much? caught my eye, not only because it involves a retired paralegal, but because recently I?ve heard numerous friends use the phrase ?saving myself into the poorhouse? when talking about some of their less successful efforts to economize...

Simplify Your Life: Opt Out of Credit Card Offers

Posted on May 14, 2009
As a paralegal, I sort enough paper at work to get a little teary-eyed when I find a mailbox overflowing with junk mail, credit card offers and circulars at home after work. As a slightly obsessive recycler and shredder, it takes more of my free time than I want to admit to reduce that huge pile of useless mail to safely-shredded ribbons and environmentally-conscious bins...

Paralegal Profile: Jessica Johnson, Paralegal & Jewelry Designer

Posted on May 11, 2009
Job Titles: Paralegal, Jewelry Designer and CreatorEmployers: Bell, Tennent & Frogge; Red Panda Chainmaille (Nashville, TN)Years of Paralegal Experience: Almost 1 yearSpecialty Area: Criminal DefenseCareer Highlight: The best thing about my job is my bosses, the lawyers, because they are understanding...

Primo Paralegal Shoutouts

Posted on May 11, 2009
Florida resident Sharon A. Foster, a paralegal in The Law Firm of Grant, Fridkin, Pearson, Athan & Crown's trusts and estates group, has been certified by The Florida Bar as a Florida Registered Paralegal in the State of Florida. (The News-Press)Nebraska resident Jan Packard has been hired as a claims assistant by Preferred Professional Insurance in Omaha...

The Paralegal Picture: Best Internet Quotes for the Week Ending 05/09/09

Posted on May 11, 2009
Employers are still interested in paralegal graduates, so hang in there and be creative with your job search. A California bankruptcy paralegal enjoys working on pro bono bankruptcy cases. It's official; the SEC desperately needs some good paralegals...

The Best We Could: Happy Mother?s Day

Posted on May 10, 2009
My favorite columnist is Sharon Randall. She writes about life, family and love in a way that I can relate to ? funny, honest and real. This year her column for Mother?s Day, ?The mother I wanted to be?, is about living up to our own wonderfully high expectations, and then adjusting them to the capricious demands of reality...

Listserv Answer: What else can you do with a paralegal degree?

Posted on May 07, 2009
I follow three national paralegal listservs: LAT-Forum, ParalegalGateway and Paralegals. (See "Favorite Paralegal Sites" at the sidebar for listserv links.) Being a part of the listservs helps me feel connected to other paralegals all over the country...

Court Reporting Attracts Laid Off Paralegals

Posted on May 07, 2009
Given the number of Americans being laid off from their jobs every day, I had to blog about a career news article that includes the statements, ?John Brandon has never met a court reporter that is unemployed,? and ?Freelance court reporters can easily make well into the six figures...

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