Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Legal Assistant Ordered to Go to Law School - or Lose His Job

Posted on January 02, 2010
Matt Schultz made more money for my law firm as a legal assistant than any lawyer who has ever worked for me. He's supposed to be a lawyer. ~ Dan Soloway, AttorneyThe Pensacola News Journal has published an excellent feature article about highly successful Florida litgator Matt Schultz, a shareholder at Levin Papantonio...

Legal Specialty Areas in Demand for 2010

Posted on December 29, 2009
According to Robert Half Legal's 2010 Salary Guide, the hot legal specialty areas for 2010 are:Litigation - A surge in litigation is generating work for experienced attorneys who can represent corporate clients in areas such as insurance defense and commercial litigation, among others...

Paralegal Posting of the Week: Paper Restocker Needed

Posted on December 28, 2009
Were all those hours of paralegal training in order to provide substantive assistance to an attorney for naught?We might think so if we read one Manhattan law firm's advertisement for a legal assistant/paralegal.We understand that whoever's closest to the telephone in a small firm has to answer it, as well as deal with the public (including that cute FedEx guy), but did we miss the class on "stationary replenishment"?Wait...

Legal Assistant Part of AGA Medical Success Story

Posted on December 28, 2009
At 24 years of age, Alaskan legal assistant Amber Hydak was told that if she didn't have surgery to repair a hole in her heart, she wouldn't live to see age 35.But fear of open-heart surgery kept her from undergoing it....About a year later, she stumbled on a Discovery Channel program describing a "patch-like thing" that could repair her heart in a minimally invasive procedure...

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Paralegal Runs a Marathon in Every State

Posted on December 28, 2009
I was feeling pretty ambitious after resolving to run in a 5k race in 2010, but I have to admit that some of the air left my sails when I read that in October 2009, Terri O'Leary, a marketing paralegal at Coca-Cola in Atlanta, met her goal of running a marathon in every state...

Paralegal Raises Money for Food Bank by Purging Household Items

Posted on December 27, 2009
Friends and family laughed when I got married this fall but insisted, "No wedding gifts!" Instead of registering for gifts, I suggested that we "unregister" and just have people come over to our house and take anything they wanted.But I was serious. Living in a very small space with two teenagers makes me long to rent a dumpster and purge what feels like a claustrophobic excess of material goods...

Legal Assistant Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $400,000 from Law Firm

Posted on December 27, 2009
I'm still working on Practical Paralegalism's "Top 10 Cautionary Tales of the Year" but maybe I should re-title it "Top 10 Biggest Illegal Hauls of the Year"...A Kentucky legal assistant, Jody Wills, plead guilty to stealing approximately $400,000 between 1999 and 2003 from the Dean Law Office in Shelbyville...

Military Paralegal Gets 22,000 Pounds of Chocolate Sent to Troops

Posted on December 26, 2009
In October 2009, Senior Master Sgt. Kimberlee Keller, an Air Force paralegal stationed at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, wondered how her counterparts located at remote military bases satisfied their chocolate cravings, when she was having a hard time satisfying hers even with access to the base exchange...

When You Get a Raw Deal in the Holiday Gift Exchange

Posted on December 25, 2009
Or, What's Worse Than a Bag of Live Newts? Just ask my mom's dachshund, Brubaker, "What's the worst thing you can get in a holiday round-robin gift exchange?"He'll answer, "a pink Snuggie, and for the love of Oscar Myer Wieners, get this thing off me!"I ended up with a matching pink Snuggie...

Happy Holidays from Practical Paralegalism ~ and the Godiva Thief

Posted on December 24, 2009
Or Don't Leave Chocolate on the FloorIt's a good thing that my boss didn't give me Godiva chocolates this year, like that nice attorney over at Above the Law's holiday gift thread, who was gifting his secretary with cash and a "good size box of Godiva...

Working Girl Wednesday: What Secretaries Really, Really Want

Posted on December 22, 2009
Or, R-E-S-P-E-C-TI promise this is the last post (this year) on holiday gift-giving, but I couldn't not address Above the Law's second post on the issue, "What Secretaries Want".I think (hope) that Marin is simply trying to be outrageously witty and wildly entertaining when she includes Precious Moments angel figurines, "Footprints in the Sand" plaques and Dunkin Donuts cards on the list of gifts that every secretary must be dreaming of...

More Recommended Legal Research Links from Bill Statsky

Posted on December 22, 2009
William "Bill" Statsky is one of the foremost experts on paralegals in the country, the author of numerous paralegal and legal writing textbooks, including the one used in introductory paralegal courses nationwide, Introduction to Paralegalism: Perspectives, Problems and Skills (Delmar Cengage Learning) now in its 7th edition...

Holiday Gift Giving: Round Robin and Newts

Posted on December 21, 2009
Holiday gift-giving at the law office is a sensitive subject. Not only does the question of holiday gifts from supervising attorneys to staff seem to bring out the worst in people at blawgs, but some people are even complaining about receiving useless knickknacks from co-workers...

The Heroic Paralegal

Posted on December 20, 2009
The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington recently asked its online readers, "What is a hero or heroine?" after throwing out the theory (which I can live with) that perhaps well-paid athletic stars aren't the heroic ideal.One commenter identified as "Roger Young" shared his everyday heroes, including paralegals:The Paralegal whose chasing all around getting statements, typing up the briefs IAW Court rules, dealing with stressed clients, getting the forms, driving to the courthouse at 4:50 pm to file them with an ornery overpaid court clerk...

Paralegal Is Medina Sun Person of the Week

Posted on December 20, 2009
Ohio paralegal Terry Bingham has been recognized by the Medina Sun as "Person of the Week" and is the subject of an excellent feature story which can be read here.Bingham was chosen to speak as the student responder at the University of Akron's graduation ceremonies this week, an honor awarded to only one student per graduation ceremony...

Grandma Didn't Get Run Over by a Reindeer - She Earned a Paralegal Certificate!

Posted on December 20, 2009
"Will without action is an impossibility and that's what I'm passing on to you ladies out there. You can do it. If I can do it, you can do it. Just don't wait as long as I did." ~ Anne M. CostriniFor those of you that are holding down jobs, plus working on college degrees and trying to get through the holidays without having a meltdown - or for those of you that think you're too old to get a degree - here's a holiday story that hopefully will bring you good cheer and inspiration to keep following your dreams...

Paralegal to Serve Time for Embezzling from Law Firm

Posted on December 20, 2009
I've been working on Practical Paralegalism's "Top 10 Cautionary Tales for 2009" and just assumed that the field was closed this late in the year. But Connecticut paralegal Rosette Sankner is going to make the cut, albeit just under the wire.Employed by attorney William D...

Practical Paralegalism's Holiday Party Outfit of the Year

Posted on December 19, 2009
There've been a few posts at various blawgs about poor, poor BigLaw cutting back on its famed holiday blowouts due to the economy this year, but my friend, Tina Hughes, the Assistant Director of CLE for the N.C. Bar Association shows that you can make your own fun at the employer's annual holiday party - whether it's at The Ritz or in the office conference room...

Practical Paralegalism's Recommended Reading This Week

Posted on December 19, 2009
Or, I'm An Anteater! One of the many reasons I blog for paralegals is to share information that I hope you'll find useful. Once a week I try to share links to half dozen or so articles focusing on legal news, practice tips and technology - plus a good laugh or two...

ATL Open Thread: Holiday Gifts for Legal Secretaries & Assistants

Posted on December 17, 2009
You know how I'm always urging ya'll to be part of the virtual legal community by leaving comments at blogs? Maybe you've been a bit shy, or just haven't felt inspired - or ticked off - enough to comment on a blog post. You should check out Above the Law's annual "Making the Holidays Happy for Secretary/Administrative Staff" open thread...

Iowa Association of Legal Assistants Announces 2009-10 Officers

Posted on December 17, 2009
The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Association of Legal Assistants (IALA) has announced its 2009-10 Board of Directors, including members from central Iowa:Rhonda Henning, Buckmeier & Daane Lawyers, PC ~ PresidentMelissa Wickerath, ACP, Casey's General Stores ~ First Vice-President, Seminar Committee ChairSherry Darnielle, Wells Fargo Law Department ~ Second Vice-President, Membership Committee ChairKaren Martens, CP, Petosa Petosa & Boecker ~ Secretary, Elections and Nominations ChairJanine Plettner-Glodt, CP, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company ~ Treasurer, Budget and Finance ChairMark Brooks, Nationwide Insurance ~ Iowa Bar Liaison, New Laws and Legislation ChairMarilyn Harms, CLA, Hardin County Attorney's Office ~ NALA Liaison, Certified Legal Assistant Chair, Past PresidentPatty Nearmyer, Anderson & Tully ~ Public Relations LiaisonNikki Thompson, Miller, Pearson, Gloe, Burns, Beatty & Cowie, PLC ~ Region I DirectorBecky Lohrbach, ABCM Corporation ~ Region II DirectorLaurie Bolloyt, Sioux County Attorney's Office ~ Region III DirectorBethany Hempel, Iowa Legal Aid ~ Region V DirectorDenise M...

Paralegal Serves as Florida State Representative

Posted on December 17, 2009
Sometimes paralegals strike me as some of the busiest people on the planet, working long hours in fast-paced legal environments, raising families and working on advanced education and certification, but Florida resident Audrey Gibson may be the busiest of us all, as she finds time to both work as a paralegal for Jacksonville law firm Terrell Hogan and represent District 15 in the Florida House of Representatives...

An Early Christmas Card from Practical Paralegalism

Posted on December 16, 2009
To all the paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, couriers, virtual assistants, mail room clerks, office managers, human resource personnel, investigators, billing specialists, IT guys, court reporters, legal nurse consultants, process servers, medical illustrators and exhibit providers, as well as all the other legal professionals that make their supervising attorneys look terrific every day -"the fat guy in the suit", er, Santa Claus, that is - couldn't do it without you.

Legal Assistant Charged with Witchcraft

Posted on December 15, 2009
When my supervising attorney says, "Wow, I can't believe that you got that project done so quickly - you must have magical powers!" - I take it as a compliment.But Toronto legal assistant Vishwantee Persuad isn't getting compliments for allegedly possessing magical powers...

Erin Brockovich Joins The Paralegal Voice

Posted on December 14, 2009
by Vicki Voisin and Lynne DeVennyIs there any paralegal that isn't fascinated and inspired by Erin Brockovich's story, made famous by the movie of the same name? Erin Brockovich was nominated for five Academy Awards, and Julia Roberts won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Erin's perseverance and courage in her pursuit of the now famous environmental class action against Pacific Gas and Electric...

Paralegal Student Warns Unsecured TVs Pose Danger to Children

Posted on December 14, 2009
In 1986, when my oldest daughter was a little over a year old, I was folding clothes in the living room while she played nearby.I didn't see her near the entertainment center, and I didn't know that anything was amiss - until I heard a loud crash.I whirled around to see our heavy old TV set lying in pieces on the floor...

Props to Paralegal CLE Planners

Posted on December 14, 2009
Practical Paralegalism is about recognizing the behind-the-scenes movers and shakers in the legal world - the paralegals, legal assistants and other legal staffers that do so much to make their supervising attorneys, employers and professional organizations look good...

Degree Awarded Posthumously to Paralegal

Posted on December 13, 2009
Buxie Keels, III, a paralegal employed by Cranfill Sumer & Hartzog in Raleigh, NC, died unexpectedly on October 26, 2009 of a pulmonary embolism - but was awarded the bachelor's degree in criminal justice that he had worked six years toward and had nearly completed, during N...

Dual Monitors Are Goin' to th' Dogs

Posted on December 13, 2009
After I got to the N.C. Bar Center on Friday, December 11, 2009, with my PowerPoint presentation in hand - and not emailed the day before as instructed, Carole Oliver, the Assistant to the Assistant Director of CLE for Distance Learning, didn't yell at me...

Don't Drink & Tweet, Or I Told You So

Posted on December 13, 2009
Twitter sometimes seems like a really fun cocktail party.Without the cocktails.At least for some of us.So don't let your friends drink too much and tweet:Wait. We haven't actually physically met many of our Twitter friends. It's not like we can take away their virtual car keys or shut down the virtual mini-bar...

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