Paralegals - Become Indispensable to Your Law Firms I have been a practicing attorney for more than 14 years. Throughout the years, I have hired and worked with many paralegals. I am frequently approached by paralegals and students in paralegal programs seeking employment or internships. Like most individuals seeking employment opportunities, they tend to emphasize their educational background and not the intangibles that,... (1295 views)
Alison Schuettler: Paralegal at GTSI From a young age, Alison Schuettler desired to work in the legal field. She considered becoming a police officer or an attorney; however, when she realized those careers required more schooling, she altered her original plans. (29 views)
Paralegal Linda Michalik Enjoys the Details ''It's similar to being a nurse rather than being a doctor,'' says Linda Michalik, comparing a paralegal to an attorney. ''The doctor makes a plan, and the nurse implements it. That's what the paralegal does.'' (118 views)
Paul Caron: Associate Dean of Faculty and Law Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law Associate Dean of Faculty and law professor Paul Caron credits his legal interest to a former professor whom he worked for as a teaching assistant. And according to his professor, Caron was the ''second-best teaching assistant he had [had] in all of his years teaching — behind a fellow named Bill Clinton.'' (402 views)
Unwinding from the gruelling legal jobs through social networking or simple chat If you work in any kind of firm, company, or office, talk of happy hour will come up from time to time. Happy hour may even be the social event of the week. Emails are sent, conversations are had, and plans are established; for a couple of hours or perhaps the whole night, the drinking and chatting session is scheduled into every staff member's BlackBerry. (27 views)
Joe Hodnicki: Associate Director for Library Operations at Robert S. Marx Law Library at the University of Cincinnati Associate director for library operations Joe Hodnicki came close to working in the restaurant business. And if it hadn't been for his father (who Hodnicki thought was displeased by his work, although he really wasn't), Hodnicki might still be sautéing mushrooms as a chef instead of succeeding as a law librarian and law blogger. After more than a decade, Hodnicki... (402 views)
Legal Nurse Consultant Vickie Milazzo Without persistence and determination, Vickie Milazzo might still be working as an unhappy R.N. instead of thriving as a blissful legal nurse consultant. And her blissfulness stems from a myriad of successes, including garnering a six-figure salary and creating her own company, Vickie Milazzo Institute, one of Inc. magazine's ''Top 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies... (1074 views)
1st-pick's Bonnie Russell ''I majored in speech and sociology at Glendale Community College, proving there's hope for those without a degree,'' says legal expert Bonnie Russell. And having worked as a receptionist-accounting clerk, a jury consultant, a dispatcher, and now her own boss, Russell should give hope to the degree-less. Lots of it. (570 views)
Rose Saucedo: L.A. Superior Criminal Court Court Reporter L.A. Superior Criminal Court court reporter Rose Saucedo admits she ''couldn't deal with a boss yelling at [her] or depending on someone or vice versa'' in her career. ''Maybe that's why I chose this career,'' she explains. ''I sit next to the district attorneys and the witness stand, so I only interact with the professionals.'' (158 views)
Deposition Court Reporter Lisette Saucedo From 1998 to 2001, deposition court reporter Lisette Saucedo served as vice president of the Court Reporting Club and secretary of the Associated Students, worked two part-time jobs, attended Cypress College full-time, and ''each semester...petitioned to take more units than were allowed because [she] wanted to finish in the minimum three years the program state[d] it... (266 views)
Robin Charlow: Professor of Law at Hofstra University School of Law Between graduating from Vassar College in 1971 and starting at Cornell Law School in 1978, Robin Charlow traveled the East Coast, abroad, and the West Coast, acquiring a resume including job titles from substitute elementary teacher to house cleaner to nanny to laundry worker to agricultural worker (to name a few). (221 views)
Susan Ippoliti: The Litigation Paralegal Who Keeps On Going Plaintiff and defense litigation paralegal Susan G. Ippoliti referred to herself as the Energizer Bunny, ''always going, going, going,'' when she worked for large private law firms. However, after a switch to a smaller firm, Ippoliti discovered she needed to adopt the ways of a new iconic beastie: ''the easygoing GEICO Gecko.'' (80 views)
The Life and Career of Jeannie Johnston creator of ParalegalGateway.com and MyParalegalSpace.com Watch out, MySpace. There's a new social networking site available to web surfers, and it is attempting to replicate the success of its counterpart…well, sort of. MyParalegalSpace is one of the newest social sites to hit the scene, but unlike MySpace.com, this site is strictly devoted to paralegals. (48 views)
Paralegal Patty Dietz-Selke Practices Patience While patience is a virtue, it's also a necessary trait for working in immigration law, at least according to Patty Dietz-Selke, a paralegal in Troutman Sanders's immigration department.In fact, ''patience,'' says Dietz-Selke, choosing this quality from a long list, ''is probably the most crucial.'' (73 views)
Procrastination: A Foe Rather Than a Friend At one point or another, we all do it. I myself am guilty of it. In college, my days were spent avoiding certain tasks on my ''to do'' list until the last minute. Instead of finishing a research assignment, I would opt to feed my birds...after all, it was on my list of things to do, right? (140 views)
Debbie House: Paralegal at Beadles, Newman & Lawler, PC Naturally ambitious, Debbie House refused to do ''the same old thing every day.'' So she bravely donned the hat of a paralegal, and she has thrived in the profession for more than 31 years. (970 views)
How to bee an extrovert in the first phase of getting a new job. The word ''shy'' has a variety of different meanings for different people. However, experiencing shyness at one point or another is nearly universal, especially when it comes to starting a new job. Are you timid, bashful, easily frightened, or just plain intimidated by your work environment? If you answered ''yes'' to any of these questions, then you’ve probably been... (14 views)
John Michalik: CEO and Executive Director of the Association of Legal Administrators Ever since junior high school, John Michalik wanted to become a lawyer.''The idea or goal was to be a litigator,'' said the executive director and CEO of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA). (232 views)
Jena Parker, Certified Paralegal As a paralegal for a criminal defense attorney at Michael Logan Ware, Jena Parker knows that in order to represent her attorney well, she must be flexible and talented in many areas. Fortunately for this well-seasoned paralegal-11 years and counting-both words describe her well. (64 views)
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt's Manager of Secretarial Services: Virginia Zingg Some people know at the age of nine what they want to be as adults—a doctor, a teacher, a journalist, an athlete. Virginia Zingg, however, wasn’t one of them. (132 views)
Brenda Young: Legal Assistant at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP Even as a child, Brenda Young argued like a lawyer, defending her ideas until her point was made. Though too young for law school, Young learned her lawyer tactics from a different source: television. (396 views)
Daycare Tips for the Working Mom: How to Find the Best Place for Your Child Having a full-time job as a legal secretary or paralegal can prove to be time consuming, especially for a single mom. A lot of working women these days have to rely on others to care for their children while they are at work. One way to keep your kids safe and occupied is by finding a quality daycare provider, but sometimes this can be a tedious process. (103 views)
Patti Groff: It's All in the Details Wondering what advertising executives and lawyers have in common? According to Patti Groff, director of administration at Butz, Dunn & DeSantis, ''ad execs and lawyers are both highly dynamic professionals [who bring] super-charged energy and creativity to the table in very different ways!'' (119 views)
Suit Up for Success! ''You are what you eat.'' Yes, we hear that saying often...but are you what you wear, as well? According to Sherry Maysonave, author of Casual Power: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication and Dress Down for Success, it may be wise to consider that possibility. (213 views)
The Life and Career of Vickie Gray: Legal Secretary at Paulson & Nace One thing Vickie Gray knew growing up was that she wanted to be just like her mother. ''She was an impeccable dresser (very polished), won many awards for her service and accomplishments in the government, and was well liked by her superiors,'' said Gray. (112 views)
Paralegals Living in a Digital World As several readers have inquired about the future of the Internet in the paralegal industry, it is time to address this issue and make some sense of where it is heading. Lately, many paralegals have been using the Internet to advance their knowledge in the field, and some seem to be enjoying it. (143 views)
Hutchison Law Group Paralegal Celebrates 11 Years with the Firm If you're ever hesitant to pick up a book like What Color is Your Parachute?, don't be. After all, it was a book like that which guided Grace Collins into her more-than-a-decade-old career. (14 views)
Career or Transitory...Which Road is the Best? Ever wondered where a certain paralegal path will take you? Why not ask someone who has explored both options? Jeffrey Lais, who grew up north of Boston and in Nashville, Tennessee, gave us the inside scoop on how to decide which route to pursue. (364 views)
''Cream of the Crop'' Legal Secretary Sally Jarvis One might think that a professional legal secretary and certified legal secretary specialist would have had aspirations to work in the legal field from day one. After all, law, lawyers, and legal jargon are what would encompass your life the moment you sat down at your desk. (165 views)
Mike Forster: Paralegal at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz Most paralegals go through some sort of formal law training and then enter the field as legal staff members, while others have no choice but to receive their training on the job. Mike Forster belongs to the latter group. He's not your typical experienced paralegal, but he's got a plan and some sharp humor to go along with it. He didn't always expect his career to start out... (40 views)