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Well Known Paralegal Christina L. Koch Reflects on a Long and Rewarding Career

published December 16, 2013

By Follow Me on
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( 20 votes, average: 4.8 out of 5)
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Professional Overview

Well Known Paralegal Christina L. Koch Reflects on a Long and Rewarding Career
Christina L. Koch serves as a paralegal for Inserra & Kelley. She has more than twenty years of legal experience. Ms. Koch holds advanced paralegal certifications in trial practice, products liability, premises liability, automobile accidents, intentional torts, wrongful death, workers' compensation, medical malpractice - individual, and medical malpractice - entity. She was the first paralegal in Nebraska to become an Advanced Certified Paralegal in all eight areas of personal injury.


Ms. Koch was born and raised in Orchard, NE. She grew up in a small town of approximately five hundred people, where she lived on a farm just outside of town. Ms. Koch earned her Bachelor of Science in Management and her Master of Science in Justice Administration. She maintained a GPA of 4.0 in both advanced degrees. Ms. Koch also received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paralegal Studies.

Over the years, Ms. Koch has been awarded with several distinctions. She was featured in the 2008 Paralegal Superstar Calendar and has won the prestigious American Association for Justice 2011 Paralegal of the Year award. Ms. Koch traveled to New York to speak at the 2011 American Association for Justice Annual Convention. She is also an instructor, published author, and has held seats on several boards and panels.

When the paralegal isn't working, Ms. Koch enjoys reading, walking, kayaking and camping. Her favorite author is John C. Maxwell. Ms. Koch is a frequent visitor of Omaha's Spezia. She said, "Spezia is an Italian restaurant, down the street from Inserra & Kelley, where I work. We get to choose a restaurant for our birthday lunches, and I always choose Spezia because the food is phenomenal."

Ms. Koch's Successful Career

Why did Ms. Koch decide to become a paralegal? "I wanted to be a paralegal since I was in high school. It originally was meant to be a stepping stone to law school, but I found I enjoyed the work so much, I never went to law school and decided to complete my Bachelor and Master degrees in other areas."

She is the first paralegal in Nebraska to become an Advanced Certified Paralegal in all eight areas of personal injury. What motivated her to specialize in this field? Ms. Koch asserted:
"I 'was' the first paralegal to be ACP in all 8 areas of Personal Injury. I am not certain that is still true. Others may have obtained this by now. I was motivated to specialize in this field by the desire to help other people and especially to stand firm against corporations and insurance companies who I felt were not paying claims fairly. Once I began working in this area, I loved the work so I kept advancing in the field."
What is the best part of her job? Ms. Koch claimed:
"The best part of my job is being able to help people. I really enjoy the people I work with and my bosses are wonderful. My job gives me the opportunity to give back to others and to the community. Recently, our office sponsored the Lawyers Against Hunger turkey giveaway in Omaha, Nebraska for the second year. We were able to give out 500 turkeys to those in need just prior to Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful event."
What is she known for professionally? "I am known for the seminars I have done and the papers I have written on litigation, trial practice and the iPad. I enjoy teaching other paralegals the tools of the trade and encouraging them on how to be better paralegals in the field of litigation."

What does Ms. Koch think about paralegals who specialize in personal injury today? What would she change about her field? She stated:
"Paralegals who work in personal injury will get a vast education of how insurance companies function. If I were to change one thing about my field, it would be how settlements are calculated. The great part about the field is the opportunity to mediate claims and I would love to see every case go to mediation. I think clients who end up in mediation get fair compensation more often than those who do not. It forces both sides to look at the other's position."
What is Ms. Koch's advice to new and recent legal staff members who specialize in personal injury? "Never stop learning. Even after 12 years in the same job, doing the same position, I am still learning. Mentor other paralegals because you can learn from them as well. Find your own mentor as well. It will help you push your career forward. Get involved in paralegal associations and, of course, the American Association for Justice and Public Justice."

Is there an area of the law which Ms. Koch would like to develop further? "Social Security Disability and Workers' Compensation are areas of law I work with seldom but I would like to become more experienced in the process of handling these types of claims."

If she were not in this profession, what would she most probably be doing? "I believe I would be in the Criminal Justice field, since that is what my Master's degree is in. I don't anticipate leaving the paralegal field, though. I really enjoy the work and the people."

Where does Ms. Koch see herself in five years time? "I will probably still be helping others, either professionally or personally, through work or volunteer activities. I will probably be in the same position I am in today as our firm is really a wonderful place to work."

What motivates her to be a paralegal everyday? "Actually, it is politics. I see so much going on in the world that is not as it should be in a society that cares about others. I like being a paralegal because every day I have the opportunity to help someone."

Ms. Koch's Mentor, Volunteer Activities, Winning Prestigious Awards, Speaking Engagements and Her Goals?

Does Ms. Koch have a mentor? "I have always looked to Vicki Voisin, ACP, The Paralegal Mentor, as my mentor. She is a wonderful role model for paralegals in all sections of law and I have had the honor of working with her twice, which was a great experience for me."

Is she involved in any volunteer activities? "Yes. I have volunteered in the past for the Domestic Violence Coalition and participate in benefits for the American Heart Association, American Lung Association and American Cancer Society. I feel volunteer work is very important for everyone."

She was the recipient of the American Association for Justice 2011 Paralegal of the Year award. Ms. Koch was also featured in the 2008 Paralegal Superstar Calendar. What does this mean to her? Ms. Koch noted:
"In 2008, I was just starting to speak and really expand as a personal injury paralegal, so being featured in the Paralegal Gateway Superstar Calendar was a huge honor to me. It also gave me contacts for networking all over the nation, so I really appreciated the honor and acknowledgment. Winning the 2011 American Association of Justice Paralegal of the Year Award was the greatest honor of my career. It was very humbling because the American Association of Justice is full of wonderful paralegals and rising stars in both the paralegal and attorney fields. The thing that makes the American Association for Justice so remarkable is how much they care about people. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to go to New York and learn from the best in the business."
On the firm website, she stated, "Five or six years ago I started speaking and teaching paralegals nationwide. I started joining committees and in 2011, ran for office as the President of the Nebraska Paralegal Association." Ms. Koch also spoke at the 2011 American Association for Justice Annual Convention. Will she continue her speaking engagements? "Yes I will. I really enjoy my work with the American Association for Justice. This past year was difficult as I am adjusting to new conditions in my life and didn't have a lot of time to devote outside of my job, but I am hopeful in 2014, I will be able to be more active. I continue to teach NALA webinars and I enjoy that a great deal."

She has accomplished a lot in her career. What's next for Ms. Koch? "My career has been very important to me, but I have found over the past few years that outside activities are also important. I would like to focus on mentoring, education and volunteer work. I take it day by day and when opportunities arise, I hope that I can do the best job I can in whatever I am doing."

published December 16, 2013

By Follow Me on
( 20 votes, average: 4.8 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.