We have moments in our careers that we will remember forever; some for good reasons, some for bad. I had one of those “paralegal career moments” early on when I drafted a pleading for Matlock. Here is a little back story for my more youthful readers. Bobby Lee Cook is a famous criminal defense attorney…
I am privileged to work with very talented and forward-thinking attorneys. I realize working with a virtual or freelance paralegal is a little off the beaten path. One of the challenges I encounter is convincing firms to break out of the mold and try something new. Attorneys are change resistant, but those willing to move…
Document reviews have changed drastically since I became a paralegal in 1992. E-discovery is now its own industry and the market place is full of document review technology products that did not exist only a few years ago. Even though we have moved from paper to PDF, I have found something that remains the same…
No. You are not an ABA-Certified Paralegal. Even if you graduated from an ABA-approved paralegal program and have “ABA-Certified Paralegal” plastered all over your resume and LinkedIn Profile, you are in fact NOT an ABA-Certified Paralegal because there is no such thing. If you follow me on Twitter, you have heard me express my frustration…
I have been thinking about my career goals. I would like to be the perfect paralegal, wouldn’t you? Hmmm, what would make me the perfect paralegal? For starters, I would like to always know what the attorney wants; never make a mistake; only work on big cases; know how to do everything possible; and never get emotional…
What puts you on cloud nine in your professional life? Is it a successful settlement, winning a motion, calming a client’s fears? For most litigators, it is winning in court. Last year, I represented myself in a small civil matter (less than $17,000) in magistrate court. Yes, I know what they say about someone who…
This post is a Halloween tribute to the personalities I have met in the legal profession that scare me a little… Mrs. Always Annoyed Legal Secretary She never appears to be that busy, but when you ask her to do anything she is clearly annoyed. When you walk her by her desk, she is usually talking…
I have had lots of questions from paralegals about my study plan for the Certified Paralegal Exam. I also recently spoke to a study group for the PACE exam. Many of the questions are the same so I decided to answer them here on my blog. 1. Why did you decide to take a paralegal…
This post is dedicated to Lynne DeVenny, who is blogging about her preparation for the CP Exam at PracticalParalegalism.com, and all of the other brave paralegals taking on the challenge of certification. I hope this will encourage you and give you some ideas. I’m not saying this is THE way to prepare for the CLA/CP…
“It’s not easy being green.” Kermit the Frog “Green” as in different, out of the ordinary; not “green” as in inexperienced. When I attend local CLE’s or networking events, I am usually the only paralegal not employed by a law firm, corporation, or government agency. One of the most shocking things about working as a virtual…