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Paralegals Should Fight Crime and Perform SEC Regulatory Oversight.

Also should be able to index and file properly, according to Fort Lauderdale attorney Mark Tepper:

Securities Fraud Attorney Mark A. Tepper urged paralegals to "pay attention" to identify ponzi schemes like the latest alleged scam by Bernie Madoff. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," he says.

Explaining and answering questions last week while addressing a gathering of paralegals at the Broward Chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida in Ft. Lauderdale, Mr. Tepper reminded his audience that "confidence men" who operate ponzi schemes are unflappable and can talk a hound off a meat wagon, which may explain why so many sophisticated investors were allegedly victimized by Mr. Madoff.

Of course I'm kidding about the last part -- who cares about indexing or filing anyways?

Also, about that hound/meatwagon metaphor -- what is this, an Abbott and Costello sketch?

But I agree -- paying attention is good. Maybe the SEC can start doing that too? At least that's what Richard Brodsky thinks:

Miami attorney Richard Brodsky said it?s not so much a budgetary issue as a lack of political will to fight fraud after the Bush administration emphasized deregulation.

?Political leadership has not put white-collar law enforcement at the highest level,? he said. ?The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) has been some of the problem.?

Brodsky, a former staff attorney with SEC enforcement division in Washington, has said the agency partnered with Wall Street to urge Congress to abolish some rules, was tardy in discovering trading abuses at mutual funds and failed to notice the build-up of pooled subprime mortgages and derivatives at investment and commercial banks.

Whoa -- I better stop now, Richard is starting to make too much sense.

(Note -- photo of Richard taken while actually still on tanning bed at the DAC.)

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on January 12, 2009 (boomark / email).