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Phyllis Tidwell: Paralegal for Vinson & Elkins, LLP, in Houston, TX

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published July 02, 2007

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( 29 votes, average: 3.9 out of 5)
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Tidwell, who has been a paralegal for 23 years now, said she fell into the paralegal profession by accident. Her first job after college was with an international marine-product company that she was put into contact with by an employment agency. During her time with the company, a Middle Eastern oil platform exploded, and a paralegal was sent out to get information about the types of products Tidwell's company produced. Tidwell was assigned to assist the paralegal, and she was very interested in the type of work the paralegal was doing.

When her company began laying people off after the explosion, Tidwell went back to her previous employment agency, which sent her to Vinson & Elkins to interview for a paralegal position. She recalled her interest in the type of work the paralegal she met had done, and after some encouragement from her cousin who had worked as a summer intern with Vinson & Elkins, she interviewed for and accepted the position.

"Initially, I didn't like the work because I started out page checking, and I kept telling myself that this wasn't what I went to college for," she said. "In hindsight, I'm glad that is where I began my career because I gained insightful knowledge about the litigation process and, specifically, the discovery process from the beginning through the end."

Some of Tidwell's favorite parts of her job are the people, the flexibility, and the diversity of the assignments she gets to work on.

"I've worked with some of the best attorneys in the business, and I have the best support staff," she said. "I've worked on great teams and some interesting cases. Equally important to me, I've been able to work on some pro bono and community projects and been given an opportunity to give back to the community. My job has also given me the flexibility that I needed as a single parent."

Tidwell's son, Philip, is 21 and is currently attending Texas Southern University. He is a huge part of her life.

"He and I are very close, and I've had to learn to let go and let him grow," she said. "Sometimes I think that he hasn't heard me, and then he surprises me and responds to a situation [in a way] that shows me that he was listening after all."

Throughout the course of her career, Tidwell has always put her son first, before her professional responsibilities and goals, and she is extremely thankful for the attorney who hired her and the compassion he has shown her and her son. During her first trial at the firm, she was not only learning how to prepare for court, but she was also going through a divorce. The attorney was nothing but understanding about her needs to bring her son to the office or leave to go get him from daycare, and she has never forgotten the kindness he showed her.

"After the trial and my evaluation, the attorney told me that he had no idea what I was going through regarding my divorce and subsequent problems after the divorce. I was a very private person, and few people knew at that particular time," she said. "He told me that I had to learn to balance my life—that I had to get the work done but that my son should always be my first priority. I took that advice to heart and applied it to the rest of my life. I worked whatever hours I needed to get the job done, but I can honestly say that I never missed my son's extracurricular activities. I learned to manage my time both professionally and personally. Sometimes that meant sacrificing the huge raises and bonuses because I didn't have the highest hours, but time spent with my son and ensuring that he had stability in his life was more important to me."

Tidwell has bachelor's and master's degrees in sociology, and she feels that her education helped prepare her for dealing with all types of people in all types of situations. It also helps her to control her stress levels and to maintain a professional and positive attitude that reflects well on her firm.

"I've come to an understanding that my work reflects not only me but [also] the attorney in charge and, ultimately, the firm," she said. "My pastor teaches, 'Find out who's in charge, find out what they want you to do, and then do it.' I've applied that simple principle to my life, especially at work. Another principle is that I can't control people or their reactions and responses to situations. The only thing that I can control is myself and my reaction/response to people and situations. My goal is always to give my best and provide the best work product that will reflect well on the firm."

Tidwell currently lives in Houston, TX. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading autobiographies and historical books, and volunteering. In addition, she is a member of Mt. Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, a member of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, a committee member of the Texas Friends of TransAfrica Forum, and Ripley House Advisory Board Chair for Neighborhood Centers, Inc.

When asked if she had any advice for paralegal students, Tidwell said, "Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions. [Have] patience with people. Control your response and reaction to others and situations. And lastly, we can't all be Erin Brockovich."
  1. Legal Jobs
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  6. Phyllis Tidwell: Paralegal for Vinson & Elkins, LLP, in Houston, TX

published July 02, 2007

( 29 votes, average: 3.9 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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