Songbird Legal Research Services Inc.

Professional Overview

Beth Cross-Wilhelm owns and manages Songbird Legal Research Services Inc., which is based in Rochester, NY. She is a paralegal who specializes in corporate and securities law. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm also has more than thirty years of paralegal experience in many different areas of law. For more than twelve of those years, she served as a senior corporate paralegal with one of Rochester's prominent law firms, Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP , where she worked as a member of the firm's Investment and Marketing Committees. Through her extensive paralegal experience, Ms. Cross-Wilhelm has developed the organizational and document review skills essential to put together and index data in a way that can be easily reviewed by financial and legal professionals. She has been successfully running her business in the great state of New York since 2007.

In addition to her paralegal career, Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is a securities law research assistant to University of Rochester President Joel Seligman, who is the senior author of the Securities Regulation treatise and Fundamentals of Securities Regulation. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm assists Mr. Seligman in researching, cite checking and compiling the text and end materials for the yearly supplements to these publications. She also drafts text for rewrites of the internal volumes of the treatise.

Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is an Affiliate Member of the Monroe County Bar Association (MCBA), a member of the Rochester Rotary Club, and she is a member of the Rochester Small Business Council. She is a former member of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (GRAWA) and the Paralegal Association of Rochester (for which she served as the Association's liaison to the MCBA's Business Law Council). Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is currently listed in Metropolitan Who's Who of Executives and Professionals.

She is an active part of the Rochester community. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm has served as a member of the Board of Directors and Publicity Coordinator for the Rochester Oratorio Society (her husband Roger used to direct the 200+ member chorus); has served as Treasurer for Concentus Women's Chorus and Musica Spei; is a member of Asbury First United Methodist Church; and is actively involved with several other community organizations. As a member of the Rochester Rotary Club, she serves on the Board of Directors as Vice President of the Adopt-a-School Program, which offers a variety of opportunities for mentoring and tutoring students at Roberto Clemente School #8.

Ms. Cross-Wilhelm was born and raised in Portsmouth, OH. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration Cum Laude in finance and economics from Ohio University. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm plans on pursuing a Masters' of Business Administration through Post University in Connecticut. She has been a resident of the Rochester community for more than twenty years. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm lives with her husband Roger in Pittsford, NY. She has a stepson and two grandchildren. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is close to her mother, as well as her brother, who is a videographer at the University of Tennessee.

When not working, she enjoys gardening, yoga, traveling, exercising, and hiking. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm plans on visiting Venice, Florence, Rome and other cities in Italy in September. Her love of choral music and flying private aircraft inspired her to name her business Songbird. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm has been reading a variety of Buddhist books. She is an avid Buffalo Bills and Chicago Cubs fan. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm and her husband also enjoy Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton. She is a frequent visitor of Bistro 135, an upscale restaurant and jazz lounge, which boasts live music every night in a laid back and friendly atmosphere.

Ms. Cross-Wilhelm's Successful Business and Tips for Paralegals

Does Ms. Cross-Wilhelm have a most memorable educational experience? "I enjoyed challenging courses." One of her challenging classes that stood out was an environmental economics course, which discussed the value of property near airports. Some factors that were considered in determining the value of property included noise pollution caused by airplanes. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm added, "The courses that were the most difficult are the ones you remember and like the best."

Why and when did she decide to become a paralegal? After attending one year at the University of Toledo College of Law, Ms. Cross-Wilhelm decided she didn't want to be an attorney who worked all day. Instead, she enjoys being a paralegal that helps prepare attorneys for court and contract negotiations. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm also enjoys the flexibility of her schedule, and she can decide which cases she will work on for each attorney.

The businesswoman discussed the best part about her job. "I have a very in-depth knowledge of securities regulation and I love working on securities law."

Ms. Cross-Wilhelm also discussed why she appreciates working for herself. "I really enjoy the flexibility of my schedule and I enjoy picking and choosing the cases I work on."

What is the paralegal known for professionally? "I am known for my accurate work. I am also knowledgeable, reliable, accessible, and I am easy to work with." Ms. Cross-Wilhelm noted that she is a perfectionist who has a quick turnaround for the projects she works on.

When asked what she thinks about the paralegal field in Rochester, she replied, "There are not a lot of freelance paralegals in Rochester. Most paralegals work in law firms, but the paralegal job market in general has been good. There could be more freelance paralegals in Rochester, but my services are exclusively targeted for law firms and accountants."

What would Ms. Cross-Wilhelm change about the paralegal field? "The niche that I have created for myself is perfect. There is a niche for all paralegals in Rochester, whether they work for small law firms, big firms or on a freelance basis."

Since Ms. Cross-Wilhelm has thirty years of experience as a paralegal, many readers may be wondering what advice she has for new legal staff members. "You are going to love it. Find an area that interests you, but don't shy away from exploring an area that you have a perceived notion that you will dislike. Don't think anything is boring, try everything and the rewards will come back tenfold."

What advice would the businesswoman give to students who are thinking about becoming a legal staff member? "Students should attend an ABA paralegal school. You can also get a bachelor's degree, but the key is to work for good attorneys."

Does Ms. Cross-Wilhelm have an opinion of Rochester's legal market? "There are a lot of attorneys who are actively moving around and are starting their own law firms. Small law firms are growing and there are good and talented lawyers in those firms."

Where does Ms. Cross-Wilhelm see herself in five years? "I will be working at least another eight or nine years. Seven of those years will be devoted to the securities regulation publication process."

If she weren't a legal staff member, what would she be doing? "I would be flying private planes." While she does not hold a current pilot's license, Ms. Cross-Wilhelm enjoyed flying Piper aircraft and soloed in 2002.

Why does she find her position rewarding? "The best part about Volume I of our securities regulation treatise was when we sent it to the publisher (Aspen Publications). There is a rewarding feeling when you finish and ship off a volume."

Ms. Cross-Wilhelm's Mentors and Mentoring Others, Non-Profit Organizations and Working as a Securities Law Research Assistant

Does Ms. Cross-Wilhelm have a mentor? Is she a mentor? "When I first started as a legal secretary, I worked for Herman Carson, who is currently serving the Public Defender's Office in Athens, OH. I helped him put cases together and I reviewed transcripts. Joel Seligman is my current mentor." Although Ms. Cross-Wilhelm doesn't officially consider herself a mentor, she has advised and supported many friends who are paralegals.

Is she involved with any non-profit organizations? Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is involved with a number of non-profit organizations, but she is very proud of being a member of the Rochester Rotary Club, where she serves on the Board of Directors as Vice President of the Adopt-a-School Program. This program has adopted a school called Roberto Clemente School #8. The program awards three quarters of a college scholarship to underprivileged students who are mentored. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is also proud of Rochester Rotary's ownership of a 150+ acre camp, the Rochester Rotary Sunshine Campus, which provides camping opportunities of all types to disabled children. The camp is completely accessible to children with disabilities and partners with other Rochester agencies to provide these services.

What inspired her to become a securities law research assistant? "I used to proof read on a contract basis for West Publishing. Mr. Seligman contacted me when he came to Rochester to become President of the University of Rochester. We have been working together now since 2005. It has been a great experience serving as a securities law research assistant. Who knew that securities law could be so interesting?"

Downside to Her Position and Ms. Cross-Wilhelm's Goals

Is there a downside to Ms. Cross-Wilhelm's position? The candid paralegal claimed, "I have a hard time saying no to interesting projects."

Does the Ohioan have goals? She admitted that she never thought she would own her own business and have the freedom to choose the cases she wanted to work on. Ms. Cross-Wilhelm's goal is to maintain a balance between work and her personal life. She looks forward to traveling more in the future.

*** Ms. Cross-Wilhelm is not an attorney and can't give legal advice. ***