Howard Lee: Legal Assistant at Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen in Richmond, VA
by Judith Earley
Howard Lee
"Ultimately, everyone must earn their respect," said Lee, who lives in Chester, Virginia, and works for Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen in Richmond, Virginia. Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen is a tort law and medical malpractice firm with 23 lawyers.
Lee made the decision to become a paralegal while he was in the military. "In 1990, while on active duty at Langley Air Force Base, [in] Hampton, Virginia, the U.S. Air Force was cutting back on mid-level managers, and this directly impacted my career field. A friend told me about Hampton University's paralegal program," said Lee.
"I was always an analytical person with an interest in law," he continued. "I already possessed sound administrative and computer skills; therefore, becoming a paralegal looked like a great new direction for a new career. The paralegal career field looked very challenging; therefore, I started taking paralegal classes at Hampton University."
After completing the program, he found his current position by way of an ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, his local newspaper.
One of the things Lee enjoys most about his job is the interaction with clients. He also said he enjoys the entire legal/investigative process (also known as "cradle to grave") and preparing for civil jury trials, which involves interrogatories, requests for admission, locating witnesses, and preparing trial exhibits. On the flipside, some of the biggest challenges he faces concern the resolution of Medicare liens and dealing with insurance adjusters.
According to Lee, some of the most important issues the law community faces today are tort reform, medical malpractice limits set by the legislature, educating the average citizen about the legal process, and quashing negative preconceptions of the legal community.
"The average citizen in Virginia does not realize that a medical malpractice multimillion-dollar jury verdict is currently capped at less than $2 million. [For] example, a jury may award an $8 million verdict for a medical malpractice case, but the defendant still only has to pay less than $2 million due to a legislative cap," said Lee.
Over the course of his career as a paralegal, two of the changes he has seen take place in the legal industry have been the proliferation of laypeople—news reporters, hosts, and guests—who give legal advice on media programs (which is an "unauthorized practice of law" violation) and the introduction of television cameras in the courtroom.
According to Lee, paralegal associations bring three primary positive factors to the table: credibility, recognition, and opportunities for networking. "Also, paralegal associations host Certified Legal Assistant/Certified Paralegal (CLA or CP) study groups. This is huge for paralegals because paralegal certification and continuing legal education will help bring us in line with other respected organizations like ABA, AMA, and the nursing profession," said Lee.
Lee said that his military career as a U.S. Air Force administrative specialist helped to prepare him for his present career as a paralegal.
Lee and friends
"As an administrative specialist, I worked for a two-star or major general; therefore, it required that I work [out] issues directly with the general and his secretary, which is very similar to a judge and a clerk of court," said Lee.
When asked what he would do differently if he had his career to do over again, Lee answered, "Absolutely nothing...every obstacle and hurdle I have encountered made me the civilian and military paralegal I am today. Reflecting back, it seems like a set of dominoes that fell perfectly in place," said Lee.
He added that the most significant influence in his life has been his mother. "My mother, Alice L. Lee...was a factory worker in RCA in Indianapolis, Indiana. My mother taught me that when you provide your goals with hard work and persistent quality, all goals are obtainable," said Lee.
Lee and friends
His advice for students preparing to become paralegals is as follows:
"Be eclectic, proactive, persistent, and work in a general law practice. Usually, paralegals want to go directly into their chosen area of law, but many times, this is not possible or very difficult without experience. Often, general law practices will accept paralegals with little experience. General law practices can give you a wealth of [baseline] experience in one office, like criminal law, tort law, domestic relations law, and real estate law. Also, become a member of a paralegal association and take the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) exam. Continue to take legal courses throughout your career.” Currently, Lee is finishing another degree at the University of Richmond, School of Continuing Studies in Richmond, Virginia.
Lee said he believes that being a man in a traditionally female profession has been a positive experience and does not feel that there is any discrimination in the legal profession towards male paralegals.
Q.
What do you do for fun?
A.
Playing basketball, bicycling, and landscaping my yard.
Q.
What CD was most recently in your CD player?
A.
Way Up by Wayman Tisdale (jazz artist and former NBA basketball player).
Q.
What's the last magazine you read?
A.
Sports Illustrated.
Q.
What is your favorite TV show?
A.
L.A. Law and any episode of Law and Order.
Q.
Who is your role model?
A.
My father, Howard C. Lee, Jr. He was a member of the U.S. Navy and grew up in the steel city of Pittsburgh, PA.
"In my opinion, my gender has helped," said Lee. "For example, we had a male client with a major knee injury from a car accident. During the case, I was able to relate to the client [by sharing details about my sports-related injuries and rehabilitative process]. Ultimately, the jury awarded the client $1 million. After the case, the client told me that sharing some of my sports injuries helped him deal with the physical therapy process, and eventually, he wanted to get back to working out at the gym."
"Also, since the paralegal field is predominantly female, I feel [male] paralegals have great chances of securing final interviews and, ultimately, job placement. Many HR departments are trying to get more diversity in the paralegal workforce," added Lee. "I have worked for several male and female attorneys, and the bottom line has always been accuracy, consistency, and work production."
LawCrossig is really a great site and is very userfriendly as well. I liked to use it and would love to use it again. Jennifer
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